Citation
UNCLASSIFIED
Date Printed: 05/19/1998
CONFIDENTIAL
DOC_NUMBER: 94KIGALI00488
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
ACTION AF-01
CHANNEL: n/a
RELEASED IN FULL
KIGALI 00488 031731Z
INFO LOG-00 AMAD-01 CIAE-00 OASY-00 DODE-00 TEDE-00 INR-00
/002W
ADS-00 NSAE-00
217167 031821Z /38
P 031342Z FEB 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5649
INFO AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
C ONFIDENTIALKIGALI 00488
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PINR, RW, CG
SUBJECT: IS HABYARIMANA A FREQUENT FLYER?
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2.
THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARA 5.
3. A VARIETY OF EMBASSY SOURCES CLAIM THAT PRESIDENT
HABYARIMANA HAS RECENTLY BEEN TRAVELING ALMOST WEEKLY
TO ZAIRE, PROBABLY GBADOLITE, TO CONSULT WITH
PRESIDENT MOBUTU. THE FIRST CLAIM CAME DECEMBER
28-29, JUST PRIOR TO THE DECEMBER 30/31 TARGET DATES
FOR INSTALLATION OF THE BROAD-BASED GOVERNMENT AND
TRANSITION NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. AT THE TIME, THE CLAIM
SEEMED BOGUS BECAUSE KEY POLITICAL PLAYERS REPORTED
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT DURING THE ALLEGED TIMECONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
KIGALI 00488 031731Z
PAGE 02
FRAME. THERE WAS SUFFICIENT VAGUENESS ABOUT TIMING,
HOWEVER, THAT A QUICK TRIP COULD CONCEIVABLY HAVE
TAKEN PLACE.
THE HYPOTHESIS OF PERSONS ADVANCING THIS "FREQUENT
FLYER" THEORY IS THAT MOBUTU'S COUNSEL IS HELPING
REINFORCE HABYARIMANA'S RESISTENCE TO CHANGE. SOME
GO EVEN FARTHER, SUGGESTING THAT HABYARIMANA MAY FAVOR
A ZAIRIAN SOLUTION TO RWANDA'S POLITICAL IMPASSE.
4.
ANY
5. ACTION REQUEST. EMBASSY WOULD APPRECIATE
INFORMATION DEPARTMENT (OR KINSHASA) MIGHT HAVE OR BE
ABLE TO DEVELOP ABOUT THESE PERSISTENT RUMORS.
RAWSON
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY:
DWAKI1 W. 11OLMES
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