PENDING: CIAT MEETING WITH "ESPACE PRESIDENTIAL"

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001851

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO CG UNSC
SUBJECT: PENDING: CIAT MEETING WITH "ESPACE PRESIDENTIAL"
AND NOVEMBER UNSC VISIT TO KINSHASA


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROGER MEECE. REASON 1.5 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary: The International Committee to Accompany the
Transition (CIAT) met October 4 to prepare for a pending and
unprecedented meeting with the President, Vice Presidents and
other senior officials to review the transition road map and
discuss military integration and election-related
legislation. This meeting will also pave the way for a UNSC
mission to Kinshasa expected in November. End summary.


2. (C) The 18 members of the International Committee to
Accompany the Transition (CIAT) met the morning of October 4
to prepare for a meeting expected in the near future with
President Kabila, all four Vice Presidents, the leaders of
the National Assembly and Senate, and the heads of five
civilian "institutions to support democracy" (Independent
Electoral Commission, High Media Authority, Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission, Human Rights Commission). A meeting of this
nature has long been requested by the CIAT as an appropriate
forum for the CIAT to discuss major issues with the most
senior representatives of all rival components participating
in the transition government. Given the mutual mistrust
existing among the various leaders and groups, however, it
has been difficult to arrange. The projected meeting will
therefore set a precedent.


3. (C) The CIAT decided that the major items to be proposed
for the agenda will be questions related to army integration
and related questions of demobilization, and the legislative
status of specific important bills needed to proceed with
election planning. Two lists of "indicated questions" on
these topics are to be submitted as early as tomorrow,
October 4, to the GDRC members expected to participate in the
meeting to guide discussions. Both lists of questions are
based in the overall transition "road map" plan guiding the
transition. The CIAT also reviewed and concurred with the
latest revision of the road map, and a copy of that document
is also to be submitted to the GDRC officials in advance of
the meeting. (Note: Septel to cover the road map).


4. (C) CIAT members were divided as to whether to press
during this initial meeting for regularly scheduled future
meetings with the "Espace Presidentiel." After some
discussion, it was decided that it would be better for now
simply to note that the meeting will be useful as groundwork
for a UNSC visit to Kinshasa which is being planned for the
latter half of November. It is envisaged that some similar
broad and senior-level meeting would be appropriate for the
visiting UNSC members next month.


5. (C) Comment: The planned meeting will address at least in
part concerns expressed by various observers, reportedly
including during discussions held at the recent senior-level
CIAT member meeting in New York, regarding an institutional
interlocutor for the CIAT. It is unlikely nonetheless to be
a comfortable meeting, with the four Vice Presidents, for
example, deeply mistrustful of each other and largely of
President Kabila. It is all the more reason to get difficult
topics like military integration on the table with all the
former belligerents in the same room. The reported planned
UNSC mission could be a very positive move to help spur
further positive movement in Kinshasa. November, however, is
shaping up to be a busy month, with a Consultative Group
meeting planned for November 11 - 13, a francophonie summit
in Burkina Faso November 19, and an IMF review mission during
the month. End comment.
MEECE