PRESIDENT KAGAME SUPPORTS REWARDS FOR JUSTICE IN RWANDA INITIATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002990

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/WCI, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM KJUS PHUM KJUS RW RWPREL
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KAGAME SUPPORTS REWARDS FOR JUSTICE IN
RWANDA INITIATIVE

REF: A. A) KIGALI 1137

B. B) KIGALI 1132

CLASSIFIED BY: ACTING POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR GARY ROBBINS FOR REA
SONS 1.5(B)(D)

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1. (C) SUMMARY: AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR WAR CRIMES ISSUES
PIERRE-RICHARD PROSPER AND NSC SR. DIRECTOR DR. JENDAYI
FRAZER DISCUSSED WITH RWANDAN PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME ON JUNE
13 THE LAUNCHING OF AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN TO APPREHEND
PERSONS INDICTED FOR GENOCIDE BY THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL
TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA (ICTR). THESE FUGITIVES ARE ALSO FUELING
THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN THE CONGO. PRES. KAGAME EXPRESSED
GRATITUDE FOR THE INITIATIVE AND SAID HE WOULD PROVIDE ANY
INFORMATION THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA HAS THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE
TO THEIR APPREHENSION. DR. FRAZER CALLED FOR AN
INVESTIGATION OF THE SUPPRESSION OF THE MUTINY IN KISANGANI.
PRES. KAGAME DENIED ANY INVOLVEMENT AND COMPLAINED ABOUT
ASSUMPTIONS OF RWANDAN CONTROL OF THE RCD. END SUMMARY.

REWARDS FOR JUSTICE
--------------


2. (C) AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR WAR CRIMES ISSUES
PIERRE-RICHARD PROSPER AND SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT
AND NSC SR. DIRECTOR FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS DR. JENDAYI FRAZER
MET ON JUNE 13 WITH RWANDAN PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME, WHO WAS IN
ROME FOR A WORLD FOOD SUMMIT. AMB. PROSPER DESCRIBED THE
LAUNCHING OF THE REWARDS FOR JUSTICE CAMPAIGN (REFTEL A) THAT
IS TARGETING FELICIEN KABUGA IN NAIROBI, KENYA. AMB. PROSPER
STATED THAT HE PLANS TO EXPAND THIS CAMPAIGN TO THE CONGO
REGION TO APPREHEND PERSONS INDICTED FOR GENOCIDE WHO REMAIN
AT LARGE THERE. THESE FUGITIVES WHO HOLD POSITIONS OF
LEADERSHIP WITH ALIR (A TERRORIST GROUP RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
MURDER OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN BWENDI, UGANDA IN 1999) ARE
FUELING THE WAR IN CONGO. DR. FRAZER VOICED WHITE HOUSE
SUPPORT TO APPREHEND THE INDICTED LEADERSHIP, SO THAT
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LOWER-LEVEL FIGHTERS COULD BE DEMOBILIZED AND REPATRIATED.
AMB. PROSPER ASKED FOR ANY INFORMATION ON KABUGA OR OTHER
FUGITIVES THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA MAY HAVE.


3. (C) PRES. KAGAME EXPRESSED HIS APPRECIATION FOR THIS
&CRUCIAL8 EFFORT. HE STATED THAT THESE FUGITIVES
CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE SECURITY PROBLEM IN THE
REGION AND THEREFORE TO RWANDA,S PRESENCE IN THE CONGO. HE
COMMITTED TO SHARING ANY AVAILABLE INFORMATION THAT MAY
CONTRIBUTE TO THE APPREHENSION OF THESE FUGITIVES AND
WELCOMED THE REPATRIATION OF LOWER-LEVEL INDIVIDUALS FROM THE
CONGO.


4. (C) DR. FRAZER STRESSED THAT THE EFFORT TO APPREHEND
GENOCIDAIRES SOUGHT TO BUILD CONFIDENCE THAT RWANDA,S
SECURITY CONCERNS ARE BEING ADDRESSED. DR. FRAZER SAID THAT
THERE IS A NEED TO DEAL WITH BORDER SECURITY, SUGGESTING A
TECHNICAL TEAM LOOK INTO A POSSIBLE BUFFER ZONE.


5. (C) THE IDEA OF A BUFFER ZONE WAS A GOOD CONCEPT, KAGAME
STATED, ESPECIALLY WITHIN A LARGER CONTEXT OF DEALING WITH
RWANDA,S SECURITY CONCERNS. HE SAID IT IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO
SET A BUFFER ZONE IF THE OTHER SIDE CONTINUES TO TRAIN
COMBATANTS. PRES. KAGAME SAID RWANDA IS ANXIOUS TO LEAVE THE
CONGO, BUT THE QUESTION IS WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF THE FORCES
THAT WOULD COME IN TO THE VACUUM THERE AND THUS THREATEN
RWANDA.

ICTR COOPERATION CONCERNS
--------------

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6. (C) AMB. PROSPER RAISED WITH KAGAME HIS MEETING WITH
GENOCIDE SURVIVOR GROUPS ON JUNE 11 IN KIGALI DISCUSSING
THEIR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ICTR (REFTEL B) AND TOLD KAGAME
THAT HE SUBSEQUENTLY PRESSED THE ICTR REGISTRAR, ADAMA DIENG,
FOR FURTHER REFORMS AT THE ICTR TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.
AMB. PROSPER STRESSED TO PRES. KAGAME THAT IF IT IS PERCEIVED
THAT RWANDA IS NOT COOPERATING WITH THE ICTR IT WILL CREATE
PROBLEMS WITH GETTING THE NECESSARY COOPERATION OF THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO AND OTHER STATES TO
APPREHEND WANTED FUGITIVES. AMB. PROSPER TOLD PRES. KAGAME
THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE HIS HELP IN GETTING THE SURVIVOR
GROUPS TO RESCIND THEIR SUSPENSION OF COOPERATION WITH THE
ICTR.


7. (C) PRES. KAGAME SAID HE HAD GIVEN FULL SUPPORT TO THE
ICTR DESPITE ITS SHORTCOMINGS. HINTING AT ICTR
INVESTIGATIONS OF THE RPA, PRES. KAGAME STATED THAT THE WORK
OF THE ICTR IS BECOMING POLITICIZED AND THAT THE FRENCH HAVE
A LOT OF INFLUENCE TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AMB. PROSPER RESPONDED THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO THIS, STATING
HE DID NOT WANT THE PROCESS TO BE POLITICIZED.

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ACTION SWCI-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00
USNW-00 DODE-00 PERC-00 DS-00 EUR-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /003W
-------------- BF57C8 191005Z /38
R 191026Z JUN 02
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4315
INFO RWANDA COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY KIGALI
NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 002990

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/WCI, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM KJUS PHUM KJUS RW RWPREL
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KAGAME SUPPORTS REWARDS FOR JUSTICE IN
RWANDA INITIATIVE


8. (C) AMB. PROSPER STATED THAT HE HOPED HIS NEXT MEETING
WITH PRES. KAGAME COULD EXPLORE IDEAS TO TRANSFER CASES FROM
THE ICTR TO RWANDA AS PART OF THE GOAL OF REACHING A
SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF ICTR CASES BY 2008. PRES. KAGAME
STATED THAT HE WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO HAVE SUCH
DISCUSSIONS. HE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO TRY GENOCIDAIRES IN
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RWANDA RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT RESPECTED THAT THE
TRIALS HAD TO BE OUTSIDE OF RWANDA.

KISANGANI
--------------


9. (C) DR. FRAZER STRESSED TO PRES. KAGAME THAT RWANDA NEEDS
TO INVESTIGATE THE SUPPRESSION OF THE MUTINY IN KISANGANI TO
HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE. PRES. KAGAME STATED THAT
HE WISHED A DISTINCTION COULD BE MADE BETWEEN RWANDA AND THE
RCD. HE ASKED WHY THE FAILURES OF THE MLC ARE NOT ATTRIBUTED
TO UGANDA, OR KABILA,S ACTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO ZIMBABWE OR
ANGOLA, TO WHICH DR. FRAZER COMMENTED THAT WE HAVE HAD A
SIMILAR MESSAGE TO UGANDA IN THE PAST. PRES. KAGAME STATED
THAT THE RWANDANS WERE THE FIRST TO LEAVE KISANGANI TWO YEARS
AGO, AND SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN NO RWANDAN SOLDIERS
THERE. HE COMMENTED THAT THERE ARE CONGOLESE OF RWANDAN
ORIGIN IN KISANGANI WHO VISIT RWANDA, AND COMPLAINED THAT IF
THESE CONGOLESE SPEAK IN KENYARWANDA THEN PEOPLE CLAIM THEY
ARE RPA.


10. THIS CABLE HAS BEEN CLEARED BY AMB. PROSPER.
SEMBLER

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2002ROME02990 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL