CODEL ROYCE MEETS CONGOLESE, U.N. OFFICIALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001260

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2009
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL ASEC CG
SUBJECT: CODEL ROYCE MEETS CONGOLESE, U.N. OFFICIALS


Classified By: Poloff Edward Bestic for Reasons 1.5 B and D


1. (C) SUMMARY: A CODEL led by U.S. Representative Edward
Royce met in Kinshasa with senior Congolese and U.N.
officials on June 28-29. GDRC Vice President Azarias Ruberwa
focused mainly on the shortcomings and alleged perfidy of his
political opponents in the transitional government. GDRC
National Assembly President Olivier Kamitatu outlined current
legislative priorities and spoke of Congolese leaders'
responsibility to their people. MONUC chief and SRSG William
Swing said the transitional government's success is still
largely superficial in some areas, notably on military
integration, and said MONUC resources are stretched thin by
the current crisis. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Additional Codel members included staff members Tom
Sheehy, Malik Chaka, LTC Tony Steadman, and Ms. Royce.


Ruberwa Blames "Others" for Failures...
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3. (C) Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa, leader of the
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) ex-rebel movement, was
generally downcast on the current situation. Although he
criticized the "insurrection" by "former RCD officers" in the
east, Ruberwa condemned "some actors" in the transitional
government, who think they are still at war. These
individuals (NFI) still make key decisions through "parallel
power structures," and deliberately promote hateful discourse
in the public media. (Comment: These are standard RCD
complaints, directed at President Kabila and his entourage.
End Comment.)


4. (C) In Ruberwa's view, the parties to the transitional
government lack the will and the means to create a single
unified army. The international community should reorient
its aid programs towards military integration, and slow down
other forms of assistance. He pleaded for greater USG
involvement in this respect, and hoped the U.S. would
"ensure" that the projected mid-July Quadripartite meeting in
Kinshasa would be a success.


...While Kamitatu Accepts Personal Responsibility
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5. (C) National Assembly President Olivier Kamitatu told
Codel the main legislative priorities for the near future are
passing laws on nationality, voter registration and
elections, and drafting the constitution. (Note: Kamitatu
is Secretary-General of the Congolese Liberation Movement, or
MLC. End Note.) "We need to be open-minded" on nationality
in order to settle the issue once and for all. But, he
noted, even if parliament adopts good laws, the state is too
weak to apply them. Kamitatu expressed hope that the
international community would maintain pressure on the
Congolese to hold elections, and emphasized the importance of
local-level elections. Even after three million deaths and
five years of war, he said, the Congolese do not want to
divide their country. Instead, they want decentralization,
local decision-making authority, and accountability. Local
elected assemblies "are the basis of democracy," should
exercise authority over the local executives, and not rely on
Kinshasa to solve local problems.


6. (C) Kamitatu, in response to Congressman Royce's comment
that the Congolese elite seems to lack a sense of urgency,
explained that there is indeed such a sense in the interior,
which is separated from Kinshasa by distance and shattered
infrastructure. "It is our responsibility to change the
Congo... a huge responsibility" to create the conditions for
peace. The population in eastern Congo, he said, "will never
forget the war." "We need to fight against impunity, this is
also a moral question for us." (Comment: Lip service or
not, Kamitatu is one of the few leading Congolese politicians
who speaks in terms of duty and responsibility to the
population. His statement regarding impunity puts him at
odds with GDRC Vice-President and MLC chief Jean-Pierre
Bemba, who is sensitive to charges that MLC troops committed
serious human rights abuses during the war. End Comment.)


Swing on Recent Crisis, MONUC's Difficulties
--------------

7. (C) MONUC SRSG William Swing, Deputy SRSG Behrooz Sadry,
and Deputy PolChief Albrecht Conze met with Codel and Emboffs
on June 29. In Swing's view, the situation in Congo greatly
deteriorated in May and June, almost to the point of renewed
warfare. The Congolese need to keep the process moving
forward, otherwise the international community would lose
interest. Unfortunately, "the transitional government has
not jelled." It looks good on paper, there are lots of
cabinet meetings, but there is little informal contact
between former opponents. The initial euphoria over the
transition has worn off, goals are slipping, and mistrust
between the different factions is high. There has been
little real military integration so far. The Belgian-trained
mixed brigade at Kisangani is ill-paid, ill-equipped, and
barely supported by the government. "Without this, training
is useless," commented Swing, adding later that government
troops deployed to eastern Congo are the next danger,
precisely because of such support-related questions.


8. (C) Regarding DDRRR of foreign combatants, Swing said
MONUC had repatriated 10,000 by March 30, but had made
virtually no progress over the past two months. There is not
much evidence of ex-FAR/Interahamwe fighters continuing to
serve in government forces, and, significantly, Rwanda and
MONUC recently agreed that the ex-FAR/I number approximately
10-15,000 combatants and 30-40,000 family members. The
current deployment of government troops to the east should
actually help in the fight against the ex-FAR/I, and MONUC is
also trying to go after ex-FAR/I supporters in
Congo-Brazzaville and Europe, especially Germany, who are an
important source of funding. Swing said Rwandan president
Paul Kagame told him two months ago that eighty percent of
the ex-FAR/I would return to Rwanda if it were not for "the
hardliners," therefore it is critical to break their hold.
If it gets more troops, MONUC can be more aggressive on DDR.
However, Sadry noted, people's expectations of MONUC exceed
MONUC's capacity. The transitional government, for example,
thinks MONUC is in the Congo to defend the government, the
population, cities, and property, but MONUC is too weak to do
this. "Our mandate has been changed to Chapter 7, but there
has been no change in capability. We don't have enough
strength on the ground to enact Chapter 7."

COMMENT
--------------

9. (C) There were no particular surprises in these meetings.
All interlocutors welcomed Codel Royce's visit and continued
interest in the Congo.


10. (U) Codel Royce did not have an opportunity to clear this
message.
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