VZCZCXRO7534
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0655/01 2240759
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110759Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8288
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000655
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MOPS PREL CG
SUBJECT: CNDP PARTICIPATES IN AUGUST 6-7 MEETING IN GOMA
OF AMANI PROCESS STEERING COMMITTEE
1. (SBU) Summary: The Steering Committee of the Amani Process met
in Goma August 6-7 with the presence of the CNDP and FRF, which had
not participated in recent meetings. Interior Minister Kalume
presided over the deliberations with greater assertiveness than
Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, the Amani process coordinator. The
decision to hold the meeting in Goma was a deliberate ploy by the
GDRC to bring greater attention to the Amani process. Future
meetings will rotate on a monthly basis between Kinshasa, Goma, and
Bukavu. The official commuinique on the meeting (at paras. 5,
French text; and 6, unofficial Embassy translation) outlines a
number of specific decisions taken in Goma to re-ignite the process.
These include beginning immediately a DDR program for groups which
have already turned themselves in; prosecuting human rights
violations and adopting an operational plan with deadlines. The
decision to begin DDR immediately with the 19 armed groups which
have already turned themselves in will put the spotlight on General
Laurent Nkunda, hopefully pressuring him to demobilize the CNDP.
End Summary.
2. (U) The two day Steering Committee meeting was well attended,
with representatives of the government (para. 3), MONUC (SRSG, Force
Commander and North Kivu staff), and the armed groups. Ambassadors
of the U.S., the UK and Belgium, as well French Embassy's DCM,
attended. The program included two plenary sessions and a meeting
with three individual Mai-Mai groups to allow the government, MONUC
and the international facilitators to hear groups' concerns and
suggestions. In the first plenary session one of the leaders of the
armed read a statement signed by all the groups except FRF and CNDP.
3. (U) The government was represented by the Interior Minister (the
Steering Committee chair), the National Security Advisor, Vice
Minister of Defense, and the Amani Coordinators, Fr. Malu Malu and
Admiral Didier Etumba. All armed groups were represented by their
regular negotiating teams. To everyone's surprise the CNDP and FRF,
which had withdrawn from the process in recent weeks, showed up and
participated both days. It is unclear if they have returned to the
process or simply showed up for this steering committee meeting.
4. (SBU) Comment: The objective of holding the meeting in Goma
instead of Kinshasa, where the two previous steering committee
meetings were held, was a deliberate choice by the Government to
call attention to the Amani process and to reassure participants
that the government and the international community are still
committed to the peace process. Interior Minister Kalume was
clearly more assertive (see communique below) than Amani process
coordinator Fr. Malu Malu, who takes a more collaborative approach.
It will be interesting to see the reaction to this meeting of the
armed groups, particularly the CNDP and FRF. The CNDP, led by
General Laurent Nkunda, is by far the most important of the six
armed groups (of a total of 23) that have thus far refused to lay
down their arms. The decision to begin DDR immediately with those
armed groups that have turned themselves in will put the spotlight
on Nkunda and, it is hoped, result in greater pressure on him to
demobilize. End comment.
5. (U) Following is original text in French of the official
communique of the meeting (informal English translation is at para.
6):
Begin Communique (original French text)
COMMUNIQUE
IL S'EST TENU EN DATE DU 6 AU 7 AOUT 2008 A GOMA SOUS LA PRESIDENCE
DU MINISTRE D'ETAT EN CHARGE DE L'INTERIEUR, DECENTRALISATION ET
SECURITE UNE REUNION DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE DU PROGRAMME AMANI ELARGI
A LA FACILITATION INTERNATIONALE. LE COMITE A ENTENDU LE RAPPORT DE
LA COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE SUR L'ETAT
D'AVANCEMENT DES TRAVAUX DE LADITE COMMISSION ET LES PREOCCUPATIONS
DES GROUPES ARMES SIGNATAIRES DES ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT.
LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE S'EST REJOUIS DU RETOUR DANS LE PROCESSUS DU
CNDP ET DES FRF ET A RAPPELE A TOUS LES GROUPES LEUR RESPONSABILITE
DE PARTICIPER AUX TRAVAUX SANS CONDITIONS PREALABLES, CONFORMEMENT
AUX ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT.
A L'ISSUE DE CETTE RENCONTRE, LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DECIDE CE QUI
SUIT :
- ACCELERATION DU PROCESSUS AMANI ;
- FINALISATION ET ADOPTION DU PLAN DE DESENGAGEMENT DANS LE PLUS
BREF DELAI ;
- LANCEMENT IMMEDIAT DU PROGRAMME DDR POUR LES GROUPES QUI SE SONT
DEJA REGROUPES SPONTANEMENT ;
KINSHASA 00000655 002 OF 002
- RETABLISSEMENT DE L'AUTORITE DE L'ETAT SUR TOUTE L'ETENDUE DES
PROVINCES DU NORD-KIVU ET DU SUD-KIVU ;
- DEMANTELEMENT DE TOUTES LES BARRIERES IRREGULIERES ET LIBRE
CIRCULATION DES PERSONNES ET DES BIENS ;
- POURSUITE JUDICIAIRE SYSTEMATIQUE A L'ENCONTRE DE TOUTES
VIOLATIONS DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET SPECIFIQUEMENT DES VIOLENCES
SEXUELLES ;
- PRISE EN COMPTE ET EXAMEN PAR LA CTMPS DES TOUTES LES
PREOCCUPATIONS DES DIFFERENTS GROUPES ARMES ;
- TENUE D'UNE REUNION TOUTES LES DEUX SEMAINES DE LA PLENIERE DE LA
COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE (CTMPS) ;
- TENUE D'UNE REUNION MENSUELLE DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE ALTERNANT
ENTRE BUKAVU, GOMA ET KINSHASA.
LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DONNE UNE SERIE D'INSTRUCTIONS A LA CTMPS ET
DEMANDE A CE QUE LA COMMISSION ADOPTE UN PLAN OPERATIONNEL AVEC DES
DELAIS PRECIS DE SA MISE EN QUVRE.
FAIT A GOMA, LE 7 AOUT 2008
DENIS KALUME NUMBI
MINISTRE D'ETAT
End Communique (original text in French)
6. Following is unofficial Embassy translation of communique:
Begin unofficial translation
Communique
A meeting of the expanded Steering Committee of the Amani Process,
including International Facilitation, was held August 6-7 in Goma
under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Interior,
Decentralization and Security.
The Committee listened to the report of the mixed Technical
Commission for Peace and Security on the state of progress of said
Commission's activities and the concerns of armed groups that are
signatories of the Goma Agreement.
The Steering Committee was pleased by the return of the CNDP and FRF
to the process and reminded all groups of their obligation to
participate in the process without pre-conditions in accordance with
the Goma Agreement.
Following the meeting the Steering Committee decided the following:
- To speed up the Amani process;
- To finalize and adopt the disengagement plan as quickly as
possible;
- To launch immediately the DDR program for groups which have
already turned themselves in spontaneously;
- To reestablish the authority of the state throughout the provinces
of North and South Kivu;
- To dismantle all irregular barriers to the free circulation of
persons and goods;
- To legally prosecute in a systematic way all human rights
violations and, specifically, acts of sexual violence;
- To have the Mixed Technical Commission for Peace and Security
(CTMPS) take into account and consider all concerns of the different
armed groups;
- To hold a meeting every two weeks of the plenary of the CTMPS;
- To hold a monthly meeting of the Steering Committee, rotating
between Bukavu, Goma and Kinshasa.
The Steering Committee has given instructions to the CTMPS and has
asked the Commission to adopt an operational plan with specific
deadlines for the plan's implementation.
Signed in Goma, August 7, 2008
Denis Kalume Numbi
Minister of State
End unofficial translation