VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUEHLGB #0865 3571246
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221246Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5799
INFO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS KIGALI 000865
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
S/CT FOR RHONDA SHORE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM
REF: STATE 120019
1. (SBU) The Government of Rwanda (GOR) reinforced border
control measures to identify potential terrorists and to
prevent the entry into Rwanda of armed groups operating in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda's
intergovernmental counterterrorism committee and a
counterterrorism reaction team in the police intelligence
service continued to operate. In June, a U.S. Coast Guard
team trained Rwanda Defense Force marines on border control
operations on Lake Kivu (bordering the Congo), including
harbor security, interdiction of illegal traffic in goods and
persons, the law of naval warfare, anti-narcotrafficking, and
counterterror drills and procedures.
2. (SBU) Rwandan officials (particularly in the Central
Bank and Ministry of Finance) continued to cooperate on
terrorist financing issues. In 2008, Parliament approved new
comprehensive legislation supporting the prevention and
suppression of money laundering and financing of terrorism.
The legislation, expected to be gazetted by the end of the
year, included provisions to enhance the transparency of
financial transactions, establish a financial investigations
unit and authorize the freezing of assets of individuals and
organizations involved in illicit or terrorism-related
activities. Rwanda officially committed itself to locating
and freezing terrorist assets identified by the international
community.
3. (SBU) Rwanda is not a safehaven for terrorist groups,
and does not support or condone the existence of terrorist
groups on its territory.
4. (SBU) Rwanda participated in regional initiatives on
international counterterrorism cooperation, including the
East Africa Standby Brigade. In November 2007, Rwanda hosted
a meeting of the Committee of Intelligence and Security
Services of Africa, which brought intelligence and security
officials together to address security challenges faced by
members of the African Union through information sharing and
strategic intelligence coordination. In October 2008, Rwanda
hosted a meeting of African Union Attorney Generals and
Ministers of Justice, which considered a broad range of law
enforcement issues, including counterterrorism cooperation
and legislation. Rwanda also hosted several extensive
training courses for senior police commanders on
counterterrorism and other issues in cooperation with the
United Kingdom.
5. (SBU) Besides reinforcing border security and refining
counterterrorism legislation and intelligence sharing, the
GOR developed counterterrorism response strategies. The
Rwandan national tourist office continued its development of
a communications network to alert embassies should their
citizens be harmed in Rwanda's national parks. Work
continued as well on increased disaster preparedness. The
national Civil Aviation Authority, working in conjunction
with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the
Department of Transportation, reviewed East African Community
security measures for airports and airlines in Rwanda,
focusing in particular on security and disaster response at
Kigali International Airport, the nation's gateway entry
point for tourists and other visitors to Rwanda. 2008 marked
the first year that Rwanda sent Rwanda National Police
officers to the International Law Enforcement Academy for a
range of criminal investigation courses with counterterrorism
applications.
SYMINGTON