INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Kinshasa Will Support Slovenia, Unsure On Belarus

Published: Thu 10 May 2007 03:27 PM
VZCZCXYZ0008
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKI #0517 1301527
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101527Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6100
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2084
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0495
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0158
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1148
UNCLAS KINSHASA 000517
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/RHS, DRL/MLGA, EUR/PGI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNHRC CG
SUBJECT: KINSHASA WILL SUPPORT SLOVENIA, UNSURE ON BELARUS
REF: A. STATE 63345
B. STATE 58054
1. (SBU) Per reftels, Post demarched Ambassador Oscar
Matondo, Director for International Organizations at the DRC
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the candidacy of Belarus for
the UN Human Rights Council. Matondo was receptive to the
U.S. argument in favor of Slovenia and promised to pass a
recommendation of support to the DRC delegation to the UN.
He said the DRC inclination was to support the position of
regional groups on deciding whom to select for the second
vacant spot on the council. Thus, if the East European
countries seem unified in not voting for Belarus, or in
voting for Bosnia or another third country, the DRC will vote
the same way.
2. (SBU) Post asked Matondo why the DRC did not vote for the
previous resolution condemning Belarus's human rights record.
Matondo said he had not transmitted any instructions to the
DRC UN delegation for the vote on the resolution. He learned
after the vote that the delegation had decided that the DRC,
as a nation with its own human rights problems, had no
business voting to condemn a country in a similar situation.
3. (SBU) As directed reftel, Post consulted with the British
and French Embassies. Both had been instructed by their
capitals not to demarche the DRC on the grounds that the DRC
had not voted for the previous resolution condemning
Belarus's human rights record. Both authorized Post to
convey their support of Slovenia's candidacy, which Post did
in its meeting with Matondo.
MEECE
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