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FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY 0060
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0460
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0579
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDHN/DIA DH WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000141 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND AF/C:WOLPE, KEITH, YELLIN, LAMORA, AND 
CASEY 
TREASURY FOR OIA AND TFI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2029 
TAGS: PREL PGOV CG RW BY BE
SUBJECT: BELGIAN FM VANACKERE'S JAN 18-25 TRIP TO CENTRAL 
AFRICA 
 
BRUSSELS 00000141  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Acting Political-Economic Counselor Robert Kiene, reason 
 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  MFA Congo Desk Officer Hugues Chantry 
provided a readout February 1 of Belgian FM Vanackere's 
January 18-25 trip to the Central African nations of the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi. 
Vanackere met the presidents and foreign ministers of all 
three countries.  The GOB is particularly pleased the meeting 
with DRC President Joseph Kabila went well.  Vanackere said 
he would focus on "quiet, normal relations," unlike his 
predecessor Karl De Gucht, whose critical statements led to 
troubled relations between Belgium and the DRC.  Chantry said 
the current coalition government wants to maintain calm 
bilateral relations with all three Central African countries. 
 Belgium will focus on improving bilateral ties through the 
DRC's June 30, 2010 celebration of its fifty years of 
independence from Belgium and through Belgium's rotating EU 
presidency (July 1 - December 31, 2010).  In Burundi, FM 
Vanackere privately stressed the importance of holding a 
successful election in summer 2010.  End Summary. 
 
DRC 
--- 
 
¶2. (C) Improving bilateral relations between Belgium and the 
DRC is a major priority for the GoB.  FM Vanackere's goal is 
to adopt, "quiet, normal relations," rather than the strongly 
critical "megaphone diplomacy" adopted by his predecessor 
Karl De Gucht.  Chantry said Belgian internal politics 
requires a rapprochement after the rough De Gucht years for 
purely "internal" historical and political reasons.  Chantry 
noted that Kabila extended a personal verbal invitation to 
the Belgian King to attend the fifty-year celebration of 
Congolese independence from Belgium on June 30, 2010.  FM 
Vanackere said the government was seriously considering the 
invitation in his February 3 brief to Parliament.  Chantry 
predicts the GOB will agree to the request, which is very 
important to Kabila.  Chantry said the GoB was informed it 
could reopen its consulate in Bukavu in the next few months. 
(Note: the consulate was closed after former FM De Gucht's 
strong criticism of Kabila in April 2008.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (C) FM Vanackere also met with the president of the 
electoral commission in Kinshasa.  The GoB's analysis is that 
the planning for the 2011 elections is disorganized.  The 
GoDRC is looking for funding internally.  Chantry opined that 
the DRC would realize it needed outside funding, but wait to 
ask until it was too late.  He suggested the international 
community would need to plan for the contingency of coming to 
the GoDRC's assistance by having emergency funding available 
in 2011. 
 
¶4. (C) The MFA is now considering the complications for 
Belgium of managing its bilateral relations with the DRC and 
EU relations as well during Belgium's July 1-December 31, 
2010 rotating EU Council Presidency.  The GOB has not decided 
whether Belgium will take the lead in EU-DRC relations in 
Kinshasa, or allow the EU delegation to represent the EU. 
Chantry said allowing the EU delegation to take the lead 
could allow Belgium to maintain its own bilateral relations 
in a different vein, rather than delivering possibly harsher 
EU views during a period when Belgium is trying to rebuild 
the relationship. 
 
¶5. (C) NOTE - MESSAGE FOR WASHINGTON: Chantry asked that the 
following points be shared as a message to Washington.  The 
GOB views FM Vanackere's trip to the DRC as a success.  FM 
Vanackere now has personal ties with the GoDRC.  Belgium once 
again has diplomatic tools in the DRC at its disposal.  He 
also asked that AF/C and the State Great Lakes Team consider 
the opportunity that the DRC's coming debt forgiveness 
represents.  The international community could work on the 
GoDRC to move forward on structural reforms along with the 
debt forgiveness.  The GoB would like to avoid the same 
situation as the 1970s debt forgiveness in which the GoDRC 
simply spent the extra money.  Chantry thinks the 
international community must convince the DRC the money 
cannot be spent well without governmental reform.  END NOTE. 
 
 
BRUSSELS 00000141  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
Burundi 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) FM Vanackere stressed the importance of holding a 
successful election, and made clear that neither Burundi nor 
the international community could accept a failed election. 
He also urged the GoB to deal with gangs of youth that are 
currently intimidating the opposition.  Chantry said the 
Burundian government continues to listen closely to the GOB 
and can still be influenced by the international community. 
 
Rwanda 
------ 
 
¶7. (C) FM Vanackere had a two-hour meeting with Rwandan 
President Paul Kagame.  Chantry described it as a very open 
exchange, in which all subjects were broached, including the 
GoR's treatment of its opposition.  Vanackere also met business organizations, 
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