BELIEF BY DROC AND ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENTS THAT THE UNTIED STATES MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN KABILA'S ASSASSINATION; ZIMBABWEAN PLANS FOR PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION IN THE DROC

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01302388
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-00031
• Publication Date: January 24, 2001

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CITE CIA 359057
SERIAL:
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PASS:
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASS SECRE T--NOFORN
DIST: 24 JANUARY 2001
COUNTRY: ZIMBABWE/CONGO(K)
SUBJ: BELIEF BY DROC AND ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENTS THAT THE UNITED
STATES MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN KABILA'S ASSASSINATION;
ZIMBABWEAN PLANS FOR PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION IN THE DROC
DOI:
SOURCE:
SUMMARY: NONE
(b)(3)
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TFXT. 1 (b)(1)
IN MEETINGS HELD IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE, BETWEEN (b)(3)
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DROC) AND ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS FOLLOWING THE MID-JANUARY ASSASSINATION OF DROC PRESIDENT
LAURENT ((KABILA)), DROC OFFICIALS PUT FORTH THE THEORY THAT THE
UNITED STATES (U.S.), SPECIFICALLY U.S. INTELLIGENCE, WAS INVOLVED IN
KABILA'S ASSASSINATION. THE DROC OFFICIALS TOLD ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIALS
THEY BELIEVED KABILA'S ASSASSINATION WAS DELIBERATELY TIMED TO
COINCIDE WITH THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION OF CONGOLESE PRIME
MINISTER PATRICE ((LUMUMBA)) IN 1961, WHICH THEY ALSO BELIEVE WAS
CARRIED OUT BY U.S. INTELLIGENCE. THIS ASSERTION, COMBINED WITH
KABILA'S MARXIST POLITICAL BACKGROUND AND THE PERSISTENT PERCEPTION
BY THE DROC AND ZIMBABWE OF U.S. SUPPORT FOR RWANDA AND UGANDA IN THE
DROC WAR, HAS LED ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO GIVE SERIOUS
CONSIDERATION TO U.S. INVOLVEMENT, EITHER UNILATFRAI I Y OR THROUGH ITS
SUPPORT TO THE OPPOSING FORCES IN THE REGION. (b)(1)
ZIMBABWEAN OFFICIALS CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF U.S. (b)(3)
INVOLVEMENT IN THE ASSASSINATION AS NO MORE OR LESS LIKELY THAN THE
OTHER THEORIES DISCUSSED WITH DROC OFFICIALS, INCLUDING COUP ATTEMPTS
BY DROC GENERALS AND/OR DROC'S ALLIES. (b)(1)
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2. REGARDING THE DROC PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION,
ZIMBABWE HAD THE UPPER HAND IN ANY DECISION AS TO WHO WOULD
SUCCEED THE ELDER KABILA, AND THAT INTERIM PRESIDENT JOSEPH
((KABILA)) WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE REAL POWER BEHIND ANY NEW
PRESIDENT. TO THIS END, ZIMBABWE WOULD ENSURE THAT, IF A NEW
PRESIDENT WERE SELECTED TO REPLACE JOSEPH KABILA, THE LATTER WOULD BE
NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OR MINISTER OF DEFENSE. THE CURRENT PLAN OF
SENIOR ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IS TO REACH A CONSENSUS BY THE
ALLIED POWERS, WITH THE DROC HAVING THE FINAL SAY. ZIMBABWE IS
CONFIDENT, HOWEVER, THAT DROC OFFICIALS WILL ACQUIESCE TO ZIMBABWE'S
PREFERENCE, GIVEN THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES
AND ZIMBABWE'S ROLE AS THE DROC'S MAIN SOURCE OF MILITARY SUPPORT.
THE ZIMBABWEAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT ANTICIPATE (b)(1)
ANY MAJOR DISAGREEMENTS WITH ANGOLA OR NAMIBIA ON THE SUCCESSION (b)(3)
ISSUE. THE ZIMBABWEANS BELIEVE THEIR ROLE AS THE MAIN (b)(1)
PLAYER IN THIS ISSUE WAS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT NEARLY HALF THE (b)(3)
DROC CABINET CAME TO HARARE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ASSASSINATION, FOR
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ZIMBABWEAN LEADERSHIP ON DEALING WITH THE
ASSASSINATION AND ESTABLISHING AN INTERIM DROC GOVERNMENT.
3. PRESIDENT ROBERT ((MUGABE)) HAD (b)(1)
ENSURED THE WORD WAS OUT TO DROC PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS TO COME TO (b)(3)
HARARE FOR DISCUSSIONS ON THEIR PLANS FOR THE DROC, TO INCLUDE
RAPHAEL KATEBE ((KATOTO)), A CONGOLESE BUSINESSMAN RESIDING IN
BELGIUM, AND A NATIVE OF KATANGA, DROC (b)(1)
KATOTO HAD APPROACHED THE ZIMBABWEANS THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES (NFI) (b)(3)
ABOUT ZIMBABWEAN SUPPORT FOR HIS CANDIDACY
4.
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POC:
OOMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
ADMIN
ACQ:
DISSEM.
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WARNING: REPORT CLASS SECRE T--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN
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ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL
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