INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Gdrc Wants to Control Access to Idps

Published: Thu 2 Sep 2004 05:58 AM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001654
SIPDIS
AIDAC
STATE FOR AF/C ALLAN EASTHAM, C.PASCHALL
STATE FOR INR/AA
STATE FOR PRM TSTOLTZFUS
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA - JBORNS, MMARX, TMCRAE
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP - DWELLER, NCARLSON, NCOX
AID/W FOR DCHA/OTI - GGOTTLIEB, AMARTIN
AID/W FOR AFR - KO'DONNELL
NAIROBI FOR USAID/OFDA/ARO - KSMITH
NAIROBI FOR USAID/FFP - PFESSENDEN, ADEPREZ
ROME FOR USUN FODAG - TLAVELLE
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
E.O. 12958; NA
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM CG
SUBJECT: GDRC WANTS TO CONTROL ACCESS TO IDPS
1. (U) SUMMARY: In a recent letter addressed to all
humanitarian actors in DRC, the Minister of
Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs accused the
international community of not respecting human
rights, of distributing expired consumables, and of
coercing IDPS to return home and then abandoning them
midway. The Minister is henceforth insisting that
all organizations collaborate fully with her ministry
before implementing any interventions, and
specifically requiring that they seek and obtain an
authorization from her office before even approaching
any IDPs in any way. IDP return programs would
furthermore be obliged from now on to cover all
phases of this process, including transportation home
and socio-economic assistance after arrival. The
Humanitarian Advocacy Group, which is the senior
forum for humanitarian planning in DRC, will respond
to the letter at this point only with a request for
clarification on the accusations and for a chance to
meet directly with the minister. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) On August 25, the Minister of Solidarity and
Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs. Nzuzi wa Mbombo, released
a letter addressed to "all humanitarian actors" in
DRC in which she states that she has received reports
that principles of international human rights have
not been respected by the humanitarians, and that
there have been, in fact, serious abuses committed in
the name of humanitarian intervention. (Comment:
Nzuzi represents the remnants of the MPR, Mobutu's
former party. End Comment.) She also accused the
international humanitarian community of distributing
products whose expiration date had passed, and of
"intimidating" IDPs to return when they were not yet
ready, only to abandon them before they reached their
destinations.
3. (U) As a result, humanitarian agencies are now
asked to respect the following three new rules:
a. No agency may henceforth have access to IDPs in
DRC without first obtaining an authorization from the
Ministry of Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs.
b. All actions on behalf of IDPs in DRC must be fully
planned prior to implementation in full collaboration
with the Ministry of Solidarity and Humanitarian
Affairs.
c. Programs targeting the return of IDPs must
guarantee coverage of all phases of this process,
ranging from the provision of transportation to the
delivery of post-return socio-economic recovery
assistance.
4. (U) The letter was discussed at the weekly meeting
of the Humanitarian Advocacy Group on August 27,
attended by OFDA and other donors as well as the
heads of UN Agencies. Group members decided to
respond to the letter for now only by writing to ask
for further clarification of the accusations and to
request a meeting for UNOCHA leaders with the
Minister herself.
COMMENT
-------
5. (SBU) In general, the humanitarian community does
not hold this new ministry or this particular
minister in very high regard, and suspects the letter
is just the latest in a series of attempts by Nzuzi
to secure control over some humanitarian resources.
END COMMENT.
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