VZCZCXRO5018
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0808/01 2431221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311221Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0043
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000808
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
Dept for AF/C, INL, S/SAI (Ross), S/P, PM, DRL/AE, EEB/ESC/IEC
USAID for A, AA/AFR, AFR/EA, AFR/SD, AFR/DP and AA/DCHA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCOR PGOV PREF ECON EAGR EAID KJUS EINV MASS
CG
SUBJECT: ADVANCING THE SECRETARY'S INITIATIVE FOR DRC VIA US
TECHNICAL EXPERTS TEAMS
REF: KINSHASA 787
1. (SBU) The Secretary's August 10/11 visit to the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) resulted in several new areas for
cooperation and assistance. Building on the Secretary's offer to
President Kabila of U.S. technical assistance and expertise, post
has launched a strategy for the five themes discussed during the
visit for this new assistance. These five themes include:
addressing corruption, promoting good economic governance,
supporting Security Sector Reform (focused on reform of the police
and military), combating sexual and gender-based violence, and
enhancing food security.
2. (SBU) The first step in the process of defining specific new
mechanisms and initiatives will be the visit of teams of US
technical experts in each of these five themes. The objective of
these teams will be to define, in coordination with the GDRC,
specific new initiatives and mechanisms to assist the DRC to address
its continuing development challenges. To maintain the current
positive momentum from the Secretary's visit, we request that each
of these teams visit the DRC no later than the end of October. Key
for the successful implementation of the Secretary's initiative for
DRC will be the swift identification of resources for this new
commitment. Specific information on post's strategy is provided
below.
U.S. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND EXPERTISE: THEMES
--------------------------------------------- ---
3. (SBU) The Secretary's visit provided an opportunity to build on
our robust USG assistance programs in the DRC by developing a new
cooperative relationship with the GDRC in key areas. The themes
identified by the Secretary during her discussions with President
Kabila and Prime Minister Muzito reflect key challenges facing the
GDRC. Post's strategy is to move quickly on the Secretary's
commitment to provide USG technical assistance and expertise in each
area.
a) Addressing Corruption. Pervasive corruption stands as perhaps
the greatest challenge to the DRC's social, economic and political
development. President Kabila identified anti-corruption assistance
as his priority under the Secretary's initiative. New
anti-corruption efforts under the Secretary's initiative could
include identifying and defining specific mechanisms to combat
corruption within two key areas: the Congolese military (FARDC) and
the Congolese civil service. Post has already identified an
internationally-recognized anti-corruption expert (reftel) to visit
the DRC in September to launch the discussions. This visit will be
followed by a US team of experts.
b) Promoting Good Economic Governance. The Congolese people have yet
to benefit from the DRC's vast resource wealth. The US technical
experts team working under the Economic Governance theme would focus
on three distinct issues: 1) improving the DRC's investment climate
(including through more transparent and efficient tax
administration, reduction of bureaucracy for business registration,
and enhanced contract enforcement); 2)better management of the DRC's
mineral wealth (including stemming the illegal minerals trade in
eastern DRC and improving fiscal management of the minerals trade
throughout the country; 3) improving fiscal transparency and public
Qthroughout the country; 3) improving fiscal transparency and public
financial management.
c) Security Sector Reform (Police and Military). Security Sector
Reform (SSR) remains essential to ending impunity for human rights
violations by the military and police, including sexual and gender
based violence (SGBV), and supporting long-term stability in the
DRC. Under the Secretary's initiative, technical expertise in this
area would focus on defining specific initiatives and mechanisms to
sensitize Congolese police and military on combating SGBV with the
aim of directly reducing violations. US expertise could also be used
to address issues such as ensuring payment of salaries as a means of
reducing human rights violations by the police and military.
Enhancing the capacity of military justice will be addressed through
established programs, not/not under the Secretary's initiative.
d) Combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). Ending SGBV
was a major focus of the Secretary's visit and continues to be a
priority for post. Post welcomes the visit of Senior Advisor Alec
Ross to explore specific new mechanisms as part of broader USG
initiatives in this area.
KINSHASA 00000808 002 OF 002
e) Enhancing Food Security. The DRC remains highly food insecure,
despite enormous and untapped agricultural production potential.
Mechanisms and initiatives in this area would build on the USG's
broader goals and objectives of promoting global food security.
US EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT THE SECRETARY'S INITIATIVE
--------------------------------------------- -----
4. (SBU) Post envisions teams comprised of four experts in each
area. We request that each of these teams visit the DRC during
September or October. Each team would include a senior-levelUSG
team leader. We anticipate the teams to incude USG experts, from a
broad range of agencies and departments (at a minimum State and
USAID), accompanied by one member from the private sector, civil
society or academia. As noted above, the objective of these teams
will be to work with the GDRC to indentify specific mechanisms and
define new initiatives in under each of the five areas. The teams
will take into account existing initiatives by the USG and other
donors. These visits will serve as the basis for the development and
launching of new programming.
RESOURCES
---------
5. (SBU) The Secretary's initiative reflects new mechanisms and
areas for US-DRC cooperation. As such, the success in responding
quickly to the Secretary's offer of US technical expertise and
assistance will require new resources. We encourage all relevant
Department of State and other USG offices to assist in the prompt
identification and allocation of sufficient new resources to ensure
we can respond to the Secretary's commitment to provide assistance.
GARVELINK