VZCZCXRO7408
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0741/01 2191228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071228Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9971
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000741 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT:   KABILA, KAGAME MEET AUGUST 6 AT BORDER 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Presidents Kabila and Kagame met yesterday, 
August 6, in the adjoining border cities of Goma/Rubavu 
(ex-Gisenyi).  We do not yet have information on the private 
meetings between the two heads of state; Kabila and his team are 
still in Goma where they will meet with Secretary Clinton on August 
¶10.  While in public view, however, they reinforced this latest, 
historic step in the DRC-Rwandan rapprochement with a communique and 
press conference underlining their commitment to put the past behind 
them and to cooperate on several fronts.  The summit is a sign that 
the January deal between them is holding and that the still-budding 
new relationship is more on the track than off.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) In his first official visit to the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo, Rwandan president Paul Kagame took a few steps into Goma 
at approximately 12:20 pm on August 6, meeting his Congolese 
counterpart Joseph Kabila at their joint border and proceeding with 
him to a private meeting at the adjacent Ihuzi Hotel, later expanded 
to include key Cabinet-level and security personnel.  The private 
meeting lasted about one hours and 20 minutes; the expanded meeting 
took another 45 minutes or so.   The two presidents then held a 
joint press conference, fielding some barbed questions from the 
press of both countries.  The atmospherics were cordial rather than 
warm, but both Presidents insisted that it represented a big step 
forward in their expanding (and now-normalized) relations. 
Commitments were made to "consolidate" (the Rwandan side's term) 
security gains and to expand economic relations, though no specifics 
were announced.  It was announced, however, that Kabila had been 
officially invited to Rwanda, at a date to be determined.  Kagame 
ventured that he in turn hoped to be in Kinshasa sometime very soon. 
 Kagame departed at 5:10 pm.  Kabila then walked back into Goma, 
greeting supporters along the way. 
 
Preliminaries and atmospherics 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) According to observers in Goma, the summit was prepared in 
some haste, as an add-on to ministerial-level meetings that had 
previously been scheduled and that had been ongoing in Rubavu , 
Rwanda (ex-Gisenyi and adjoining Goma on the border) since Monday. 
Participants in these had included the foreign, defense, security 
and energy ministers, and the DRC minister of international and 
regional cooperation, Raymond Tshibanda.  Senior security staff, 
including Rwandan Army Chief of Staff James Kaberebe; his Congolese 
counterpart Didier Etumba; and DRC National Police chief John Numbi) 
were also present.  Planning for the summit evolved during the 
ministerial talks and were only finalized the same of the event. 
There had been discussions of a visit to Rwanda's methane derrick, 
but this was dropped, apparently at the request of the DRC side. 
 
¶4.  (U) Thanks to the proximity of the Ihuzi Hotel (Goma's most 
luxurious) to the border, it was possible to arrange for the summit 
to occur in a very circumscribed area that avoided any contact 
between President Kagame and the Goma population.  Rwandan security 
had been seen in town over the last few days, and they were very 
much in evidence in the immediate Ihuzi area, alongside DRC 
presidential guard troops.  The receiving area was set up on the 
tarmac apron in front of the DRC "Corniche" customs post.  Access 
from the turnoff to the Ihuzi and the border required screening with 
Qfrom the turnoff to the Ihuzi and the border required screening with 
hand-held metal detectors; further access to the actual recption 
area required passage through a purpose-built checkpoint complete 
with metal detectors and an airport-type x-ray machine.  This 
checkpoint was manned by what were clearly Rwandan security 
personnel in civilian dress.  The road from the Ihuzi into town of 
Goma was completely choked off by a large contingent of the 
President's PPRD party "animateurs" (praise singers). 
 
¶5.  (U) A long red carpet had been spread in front of the Customs 
post, and the honor guard and band were arrayed along it.  Members 
of the provincial cabinet and various other dignitaries, plus the 
few internationals who had shown up despite the absence of 
invitations, were arrayed as a reception line stretching toward the 
Ihuzi to a point more or less in front of the U.S. residential 
compound.  A large tent had been set up on the lake shore across 
from the Customs post; this was used later in the afternoon for a 
joint press conference. 
 
Photographers capture Kagame bowing to DRC flag 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
 
¶6.  (U) President Kagame had been scheduled to arrive at 12:00 noon. 
 President Kabila emerged from the Ihuzi at around 12:05 and began 
to wait in the street, alone and under a hot sun, with a few 
officials and security personnel remaining at a respectful distance. 
 At approximately 12:20, a black Range Rover pulled up on the far 
side of the DRC customs gate, and the unmistakable silhouette of 
 
KINSHASA 00000741  002 OF 002 
 
 
President Kagame emerged from it.  In total silence, the two 
presidents moved forward to their respective ends of the long red 
carpet and stood at attention as the band, deployed between them, 
played the two national anthems.  Kagame then started down the 
carpet, reviewing the honor guard.  With Kabila waiting at his end, 
Kagame paused and, in a moment heavy with symbolism (indeed, the 
moment that should be the video clip of the day), gracefully bowed 
before the DRC flag. 
 
¶7.  (U) The two presidents greeted each other only at Kabila's end 
of the carpet and then turned to shake hands along the receiving 
line.  Unlike everyone else present, including Kabila, all in suits 
and ties, Kagame was dressed in a polo short and a natty aviator's 
jacket with the Rwandan flag embroidered on his right arm.  With 
local traditional dancers and drummers providing background 
entertainment (including "Ntore"-style dancing common to both 
countries) and with the Presidents leading, the group moved into the 
Ihuzi Hotel compound.  The two presidents disappeared directly into 
a private conference room while everyone else, including the two 
sets of ministers and military and security chiefs, ended up in the 
main auditorium, the two sets of officials arrayed across from each 
other along each, with only Minister Tshibanda crossing over to sit 
and chat with Rwandan FM Rose Mary Museminali. 
 
¶8.  (U) The private discussions ran from approximately 12:50 until 
approximately 1415, when the two groups of ministers were summoned 
in to join the heads of state.  Ministers Tshibanda and Museminali 
emerged around 2:40, returned to the main auditorium, and read bland 
statements saluting the progress made at the 3 days of ministerial 
talks that "had started in Rwanda and ended in Goma" and noting (in 
Museminali's words) that in the "the matter of security still 
remains to be consolidated."  No questions were taken. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) At approximately 2:50, the two delegations emerged from 
the private conference hall, and all present, led by the two 
Presidents, walked back toward the border and into the tent that was 
the venue of the press conference.  This latter was marred by 
incompetent French-English interpretation (leading to moments when 
other bystanders jumped in to clarify botched translations and 
eventually to a dry comment by Kagame to the lead interpreter that 
"my French is better than yours"), with many key phrases vanishing 
in both directions.  At no point did the two presidents look at or 
address each other - all comments were directed at the audience. 
Minister Tshibanda read the agreed communique in French; after some 
back and forth, Minister Museminali was excused from reading the 
English version, which was apparently not ready in time. 
 
¶10.  (U) There were three questions each, obviously pre-screened, 
from the DRC and Rwandan press corps (much to the frustration of the 
Goma press corps, which was completely upstaged by their national 
colleagues), and one from the Kigali Reuters correspondent.  One 
question from a Rwandan reporter, about economic matters, was taken 
and answered by Kagame in Kinyarwanda, with only the briefest of 
French translations, leaving the largely Congolese audience 
nonplussed.  The other questions came in both French and English, 
with Kabila responding in the language of the questioner and Kagame 
in English only. 
 
¶11.  (U) The press conference ended at around 4:50 pm.  Kagame's 
Q11.  (U) The press conference ended at around 4:50 pm.  Kagame's 
Range Rover was waiting outside the tent, and with little further 
ceremony, he shook hands with Kabila, got in his car and left. 
Kabila stood watching with crossed arms and a bemused smile as the 
car pulled away, then turned and led the large group of officials 
and press in a walk down Goma's main boulevard, from which traffic, 
but not pedestrians, had been diverted. 
 
¶12.  (U) Analysis will follow septel. 
 
GARVELINK