VZCZCXRO2228
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1426/01 3651000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311000Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7317
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001426
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
SUBJECT: Joint Monitoring Group Task Force (JMG-TF)
Meeting of 29 December 2007
REF: (A) Kinshasa 1419
1. The second meeting of the JMG-TF was held December 29 at MONUC
headquarters in Goma. Ref (A) is a report on the first meeting,
held December 22 at the same venue.
Participants
------------
2. The following is a list of attendees:
Government of Rwanda:
-- Team Leader: Maj. Franco Rutagengwa, Office of the
President.
-- Mr. James Burabyo.
-- Mr. Damascene Rudasingwa
-- Mr. Fidele Mwinyaishaka
Government of the DRC:
-- Lt. Col. Augustin M. Mamba, team leader. (Note: Mamba
accompanied AMB Garvelink and LTC Bryson on flight to
Goma and Bukavu last month. He works at the Ministry of
Defense in the Intelligence section in Kinshasa.
-- Ambassador Seraphin Ngwej
United States:
-- Major J. Reitz, Deputy Defense Attache, Kinshasa
European Union:
-- Hugues Chantry, Belgian Consul General in Bukavu
MONUC
-- Mr. Gernot Sauer, political affairs chief, Goma
-- Ms. Christine Rwezaura, MONUC DDRRR
-- Mr. Jean Baptiste Fortes, MONUC Secretariat
Off to a late start
-------------------
3. The meeting started an hour late due to the delayed arrival of
the Rwandan delegation which was awaiting one member who had come
straight from Kigali. With the delay, the proceedings took six
hours. The first hour and a half of the meeting was devoted to
clarifying points of order. The first was whether the group should
produce just detailed minutes, just a summary document, or both, and
whether the summary document should be signed or not. At the
conclusion, it was agreed to produce both documents and to sign the
summary document. Furthermore, in an effort to prevent potential
errors, the English summary will be the document of record.
The Congolese begin
-------------------
4. After lunch break, the meeting resumed, focusing on substantive
issues required by the Nairobi Accord. The DRC Team Leader began
with a review of the Nairobi Accord's requirement to eliminate
foreign armed groups as well as national armed groups. For the DRC,
Nkunda was the most urgent and menacing threat. Starting January 1,
2008 the GDRC will begin addressing the ex-FAR/Interhamwe through an
awareness-raising campaign in accordance with the guidelines set
forth by the international community and the World Bank. The DRC
Team Leader stated that the GOR had not helped. The DRC is still
waiting for the list of "genocidaires," and Rwandan soldiers are
still fighting alongside Nkunda. The DRC Team Leader then cited two
"proofs" of Rwandan complicity. First was the recent capture of two
soldiers from the Rwandan Presidential Guard in Bukavu, and the
second was the November 17 capture by the UPDF of eleven Rwandan,
Burundian, and Ugandan troops, four of whom were child-soldiers.
The children were turned over to the appropriate UN agency and the
others have been sent to Kinshasa.
5. Finally, the GDRC accused the GOR of allowing free passage of
insurgents through its borders. The GDRC representative offered as
proof the testimony of 17th Battalion UPDF officer Major Gwisage who
confirmed the movement of 300 Rwandan personnel from Rwanda to the
DRC, among whom was the commander, Colonel Mutebesi (former
Rwandan-supported RCD commander). Furthermore, he said, a Burundian
national who traversed Rwanda on his way to the DRC in support of
Nkunda was captured three days ago. The DRC team leader concluded
his remarks by requesting that the international community help in
building up the Congolese armed forces.
Rwanda replies
--------------
6. The GOR team leader took the floor and addressed four points.
KINSHASA 00001426 002 OF 002
First, the GOR had taken all necessary measures to seal its borders
against all armed groups and has stopped arming and proving
personnel to armed groups. Second, the representative reaffirmed
that Rwanda is still committed to giving a list of wanted
"genocidaires" to the GDRC and MONUC. The GOR has committed on two
occasions to provide this list, but needs time to do it right.
Third, the representative confirmed that the GOR has not made any
statements in support of any armed groups since the Nairobi Accord.
Finally, the team leader confirmed that the GOR had been encouraging
the return of the ex-FAR/Interhamwe since before the Nairobi Accord.
7. Regarding allegations levied by the GDRC, the Rwanda represented
noted that, first, there was no fixed date for the list. Second,
the matter of the POW's should go to the Joint Verification Team
(JVT) process; Rwanda does not have soldiers in the DRC or Uganda.
Finally, as for the Burundian soldier, the team leader asked what
that issue had to do with Rwanda. In closing, the Rwandan rep
affirmed that Rwanda is still committed and wants the peace process
to work.
Next meeting
------------
8. For the next meeting, January 4, the Chair requested that the
GDRC and GOR address all aspects of the Communique and specific
actions taken in order to accomplish the requirements outlined in
the document. The meeting concluded with about 30 minutes of
discussion on the diplomatic status of the Rwandan representatives
and their desire to have some sort of badge that would expedite
their movement in and out of the DRC. Although January 4 is also a
DRC national holiday, Martyr's Day, this does not present a conflict
for the DRC team and the meeting will be held as scheduled.