VZCZCXYZ0028
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKI #1288/01 3231323
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191323Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001288
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
AFRICOM FOR GEN WARD
OSD FOR TWHALEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: APER MASS MOPS PGOV KPKO CG
SUBJECT: : INCREASING MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE DRC: NEW
GOALS, NEW DEMANDS AND REQUEST FOR ODC PRESENCE IN KINSHASA
REF: A. A. KINSHASA 1248
B. B. KINSHASA 1232
C. C. KINSHASA 1247
D. D. USEUCOM LETTER DATED 26 MAR 2007 FROM GEN WARD
E. TO AMB ROGER MEECE
KINSHASA 00001288 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 5.
2. (U) Summary. While military assistance to the GDRC has
grown over the past several years, staffing levels have not
kept pace with resulting demands on the Mission. If newly
proposed engagement materializes, all military assistance,
including current programs, is expected to top USD 15 million
per year in the near future. Post urges the Departments of
State
and Defense to approve this request for additional personnel
resources -- the standing up of an ODC presence in Kinshasa
plus
TDY support as needed -- to more effectively manage the
Mission's
broad range of military assistance projects. End summary.
3. (U) Significant increases in military assistance
programs in recent months to the Democratic Republic of
Congo recognizes the need for additional security
cooperation and the importance of our growing
military-to-military relationship. They also highlight the
need for additional qualified personnel to manage USG
resources for continued operational improvements within the
DRC's military. In addition to the money currently managed
by the DAO (USD 694k in FMF funds, USD 500k in IMET funds,
and USD 800k in HIV/AIDS funds for FY 08), recent increases
in FY 08 will add an expected USD 5.5 million in FY 08
Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) funds to the current FY 07
total of USD 5 million in military program funds.
Continued oversight of the Tripartite Fusion Cell (TFC) in
Kisangani, and proposed observer status in the bilateral
Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM) at the DRC/Rwanda border
are additional opportunities for military assistance.
Further funding increases have been requested and are
envisioned through FY 09 funds, and the total of military
assistance could conceivably rise beyond USD 15 million per
year in FY-09.
4. (U) The relevance of these programs is great. In
addition to ongoing training of brigade and battalion level
staff officers of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), Post
is sponsoring general officer training seminars, managing
assistance programs for military justice, and supervising
improvements to the FARDC's staff college training center.
Additional programs envision training and equipping a rapid
response unit, expanding training for the crucial
non-commissioned officer corps, and increasing training and
infrastructure support within the military justice sector.
Each of these individual projects and proposals will have a
positive impact on the operational capacity of the FARDC;
combined, they offer the opportunity for the USG to play a
significant role in supporting the modernization and
professionalization of the DRC's military, thereby
contributing to the overall security of the central African
region.
5. (U) In order to better carry out these current and
future projects, Post requests the designation of an Office
of Defense Cooperation (ODC) presence in Kinshasa. Such a
move has long been discussed (ref D); further discussion,
in our view, is a luxury we cannot afford. In the interim,
between approval of an ODC office and the arrival of the
appropriate personnel, Post also requests immediate TDY
support in order to foster positive relationships with the
DRC's military and manage the numerous and diverse programs
in country.
6. (U) The best officer(s) for this position would be a
graduate of the DSCA's DISAM security management course.
He or she should also possess experience in African
affairs, perhaps with previous military experience at an
African post, experience in managing security assistance
programs, and a high level of fluency -- written and spoken
-- in French.
7. (U) Comment: The recent increase in U.S.-DRC military
cooperation is a logical outcome of recent political
KINSHASA 00001288 002 OF 002
developments -- the creation of new democratic institutions
and free and fair elections -- in this nation of vital
strategic interest to the United States. A democratic RDC
is destined to play a critical role in contributing to
peace and stability is the entire Central Africa region.
The projects noted in this cable are either in progress or
will begin shortly. U.S. interests would be best served by
routing all assistance through one central office staffed
by personnel with specialized experience. Qualified staff
to administer military assistance programs is a sine qua
non if U.S. military assistance is to succeed in this,
perhaps Africa's most important source of strategic
minerals and one of the world's most bio-diverse nations.
End comment.
BROCK