INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Payne Codel Visits Key Leaders in Drc

Published: Fri 11 Aug 2006 09:21 AM
VZCZCXYZ0022
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKI #1266 2230921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110921Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4575
UNCLAS KINSHASA 001266
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL OREP KPKO CG
SUBJECT: PAYNE CODEL VISITS KEY LEADERS IN DRC
REF: A. KINSHASA 1265
B. KINSHASA 1251
C. KINSHASA 1255
D. KINSHASA 1256
1. Summary: Congressman Donald Payne visited the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) on August 2 through August 5. In
addition to calling on President Kabila at his residence and
Vice Presidents Azarias Ruberwa and Jean-Pierre Bemba and
other key senior government leaders, Rep. Payne met with
elections personnel and other Congolese and international
officials. End summary.
2. Rep. Payne took the opportunity to call on key Congolese
political leaders, and met with Vice President Ruberwa on
August 2, with Vice President Bemba on August 3, and with
President Kabila on August 5 (reftels). At the legislative
level, Rep. Payne met with Monsignor Pierre Marini, the
current President of the Senate, and Thomas Luhaka, the
current President of the National Assembly, in their offices
at the Palais du Peuple on August 3. He called on Foreign
Minister Ramazani at his office on August 3, and he met with
presidential candidate Oscar Kashala on August 4.
3. Arriving in the DRC in the week following July 30's
historic elections, Rep. Payne met with election observers
and organizers. Rep. Payne met with observer missions such
as the Carter Center and SADC-PF (Parliamentary Forum) at a
roundtable discussion at USAID on August 3. He received a
briefing from Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu, the president of
the Independent Electoral Commission, at the organization's
headquarters on August 4, after which he visited one of
Kinshasa's four vote compilation centers later that
afternoon.
4. Payne also had the opportunity to meet with Congolese
officials and international representatives throughout his
visit. He joined Ambassador Andre Kapanga, Ambassador
Antoine Ghonda, Kikaya Bin Karubi, and Olivier Kamitatu at a
dinner at the Ambassador's residence on August 2. The
Special Representative of the Secretary General of the UN
Mission to the Congo (SRSG of MONUC) met with and briefed the
codel at the Ambassador's residence on August 3, and Deputy
SRSG Haile Menkarios chaired a separate briefing at MONUC
headquarters on August 4. Rep. Payne later met with Xavier
Maret of the International Monetary Fund, Colin Stewart of
the Carter Center, Father Michael Perry of Franciscans
International, Michael Kassa of the Woodrow Wilson Center,
and Herbert Brown of the National Democratic Institute at a
dinner on August 4.
MEECE
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