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Cablegate: Senior Adviser Shortley's Meeting with Srsg Doss And

Published: Thu 12 Jun 2008 02:59 PM
VZCZCXRO7785
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0521 1641459
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121459Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8117
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS KINSHASA 000521
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG UN
SUBJECT: SENIOR ADVISER SHORTLEY'S MEETING WITH SRSG DOSS AND
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE NGWEJ
REF: A. Kinshasa 463 B. Kinshasa 488
1. (SBU) Summary: SRSG Alan Doss told AF Senior Adviser Tim
Shortley June 2 that international supervision will be necessary at
brassage centers for ex-combatants from North and South Kivu. He
and Shortley agreed that disarmament and relocation or repatriation
of FDLR members will be important to pressure Nkunda to send his own
troops to brassage. Congolese Ambassador-at-Large Seraphin Ngwej
cautioned that the GDRC is having difficulties convincing local
communities to accept relocation of former FDLR combatants.
Shortley and Doss agreed that that return to Rwanda should be the
first option. Shortley suggested that re-establishing diplomatic
relations between the DRC and Rwanda is critical to accelerate
cooperation on the FDLR and Nkunda. End summary
2. (SBU) A/S Frazer's Senior Adviser Tim Shortley, joined by EU
Great Lakes Special Envoy Roeland van de Geer, discussed progress in
the Goma and Nairobi processes with SRSG Alan Doss and GDRC
Ambassador-at-Large Seraphin Ngwej June 2. DCM and PolOff
(notetaker) also participated in the meeting at MONUC headquarters
in Kinshasa.
3. (SBU) Prior to Ngwej's arrival, Doss said that international
supervision will be necessary at brassage centers. He said this
should include U.S., EU and MONUC representatives. He also called
for lengthening the time each ex-combatant spends in brassage; the
current process of 45 days does not provide for sufficient training.
Shortley and van de Geer noted that Defense Minister Chikez had
balked at sending ex-CNDP combatants to the brassage center at
Luberizi in South Kivu (septel).
4. (SBU) Doss cited the May 26-27 Kisangani conference (reftels)
and agreed that disarmament and relocation or repatriation of FDLR
members will be important to pressure Nkunda to send a commensurate
number of his own troops to brassage. Shortley noted that
demilitarized zones and the presence of a non-FARDC force in
formerly CNDP-controlled areas will be essential points for Nkunda.
He said the Amani program will have to work out how to return state
authority to formerly CNDP-controlled areas.
5. (SBU) With Ngwej joining the meeting, van de Geer outlined a
proposed agenda for the upcoming Nairobi process Joint Monitoring
Group (JMG) session in Gisenyi, Rwanda, including a proposal that
Ngwej present the GDRC's view of the Kisangani conference. Van de
Geer stressed that it will be important to highlight the success of
the conference in promoting FDLR-RUD disarmament and address how to
convince other FDLR elements to join the process.
6. (SBU) Ngwej cautioned that the GDRC is having some difficulties
convincing communities to accept relocation of FDLR combatants and
their dependents. He said that financing a
reinsertion/reintegration strategy could diminish this resistance.
Shortley and Doss agreed that funding for relocation will be
important, but that return to Rwanda should be the first option in
any case. Doss said that, at the least, FDLR ex-combatants should
be moved as far away as possible from the Rwandan border, which may
be enough to reassure the Rwandan government. Ngwej insisted that
the primary goal is disarmament. He said that fewer combatants will
be willing to do so if relocation is seen as a temporary measure.
7. (SBU) Participants discussed at length re-establishment of
diplomatic relations between the DRC and Rwanda. Ngwej said that
holding back diplomatic relations is the only leverage the DRC has
over Rwanda. He called on the U.S. and EU to facilitate talks
between Presidents Kabila and Kagame. Shortley said that the two do
meet: the problem is not a lack of meetings, but a lack of trust
and lack of capacity in Congo to implement what has already been
agreed.
8. (SBU) Finally, Ngwej complained about a lack of pressure on
Nkunda to turn over Bosco Ntaganda, his chief of staff, who was
recently indicted by the ICC. Van de Geer noted that Nkunda had
never stated definitively he would protect Bosco, and that the Goma
process International Facilitation would raise the issue in
forthcoming meetings with Nkunda.
9. (SBU) Comment: Concerns expressed by Ngwej about financing the
follow up to Kisangani are serious and will require a serious effort
to convince donors to contribute to the process. Ngwej recognized
the urgent need to improve bilateral relations with Rwanda and was
open to further U.S. assistance. End comment.
10. (U) This message has been approved by Senior Adviser Shortley.
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