VZCZCXRO3296
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0720 2461559
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021559Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8372
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0612
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
UNCLAS KINSHASA 000720
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
UN, EUN
SUBJECT: Goma Report: August 29 meeting of Joint
Monitoring Group Task Force
1. Summary: Rwandan side called for faster deployment of FARDC
battalions to combat FDLR. DRC side said it regretted missing
deadlines but pointed to progress, e.g., in increased rates of
repatriation of FDLR. End summary.
2. In another amicable meeting of the Task Force of the Joint
Monitoring Group August 29, DRC's Col. Mamba evaluated DRC's
performance since the last JMG as not meeting everyone's hopes but
moving in the right direction. He said that, according to MONUC
figures, the average number of FDLR repatriating to Rwanda per month
had doubled in recent months, going from roughly 30 to 60 combatants
per month. In its four-phase anti-FDLR military plan, the present
second phase (about to come to an end) projected deployment of 24
FARDC battalions. Eight had been deployed and another nine were
being trained by MONUC and would soon be deployed. Mamba regretted
that DRC would not be fully able to meet the deadline with 24
battalions. Meanwhile, DRC had made a good start on disarming FDLR
with the admittedly small RUD group at Kassiki. Important contacts
were being made with FOCA, about which the time was not ripe for
fuller discussion.
3. The Rwandan side, again led by its deputy head of delegation
Rudasingwa, reviewed point by point Rwanda's obligations under the
Nairobi Communique, asserting it had fully accomplished every
requirement. On the point of not supporting Nkunda, Rudasingwa went
into some detail about Rwanda's rules on nationality (citizenship
granted to anyone who speaks Kinyarwanda and one of whose parents
was born in Rwanda). He said that there were thus many dual
nationals who, when arrested in DRC, could claim Rwandan citizenship
in the hope of being sent to Rwanda. In any case, he said, DRC
should not assume that someone with Rwandan citizenship was sent
into DRC by Rwanda.
4. For the meeting of the Special Envoys in the Joint Monitoring
Group to be held in Kinshasa September 1, Rudasingwa recommend that
the international community push MONUC and DRC to have closer and
fuller access to FDLR, implement UNSC resolution 1804 on clamping
down on travel of FDLR leaders, and put pressure on DRC to speed up
deployment of the promised 24 battalions. He described the effort
at Kassiki as a "good parenthesis" but inadequate.
5. Task Force agreed upon a field visit to Rwanda September 12 or
19 to observe UNHCR handling of repatriated FDLR classified by
Rwanda as not being ex-combatants.
GARVELINK