A/S FRAZER MEETING WITH NORTH KIVU GOVERNOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000686

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO CG
SUBJECT: A/S FRAZER MEETING WITH NORTH KIVU GOVERNOR


Classified By: PolOff TJNaber, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (SBU) Summary: During an April 4 meeting, North Kivu
Governor Eugene Serufuli told A/S Frazer and the Ambassador
that the biggest problems facing North Kivu were continued
insecurity, a lack of economic progress, and the challenge
of establishing a democratic culture. End summary.


2. (C) Serufuli began the meeting by telling A/S Frazer
that the population of North Kivu was enthusiastic about
upcoming elections. The number one issue for North Kivu,
he said, was insecurity. He cited the FDLR as the biggest
security problem, followed by the Ugandan NALU in the
north, renegade general Nkunda, and militia leader
Jackson. According to Serufuli, the Congolese army (FARDC)
so far has not been effective. He was critical of military
integration, stating that the process was too slow;
integration centers were unprepared to provide food,
medicine, and housing to soldiers; and the 45 days of
training offered were insufficient to prepare soldiers for
their mission. Even so, Serufuli stated that the
non-integrated troops were even worse than those that had
undergone integration. He reported that those troops
continue to prey on the population with impunity. He also
criticized CONADER's demobilization program, saying it
"essentially abandoned" those men who chose demoilization
over integration into the FARDC. He aked for U.S. help
with army integration, saying RC needed a structure to
ensure a unified, disciplined army. In response to a
question by A/S Fraer, Serufuli recognized that MONUC is a
source o stability and does all it can within its
mandat. He also noted that there had been cooperationwith Kigali regarding FDLR repatriation; Rwanda has
reportedly accepted FDLR officers back and treatd them well.


3. (C) Serufuli also talked about he decline in economic
standards in the province including poor education, lack
of sanitation, and deteriorating infrastruture, as well as
the failure to pay government wrkers' salaries. He said
the province had "unheled wounds" because many in the
region hadn't benefited from the transition, especially
economicaly. He said North Kivu needed American private
ivestment and added that he had been in contact wit the
African-American Chamber of Commerce in Wasington. For
her part, A/S Frazer responded that more investment would
follow successful elections


4. (C) Lamenting the intolerance and ethnic hared that
he still sees in North Kivu, Serufuli caimed that many
politicians in the region pursuea policy of exclusion and
division. In contrast,he stated that his goals are to
encourage coopertive cohabitation among all groups and to
implan a democratic culture. He cautioned the A/S againt
believing rumors, which he blamed for the recet
blacklisting of his NGO, All for Peace and Deveopment
(TPD),by the U.N. for allegedly supportig arms
trafficking. Rather obliquely, Serufuli sked for U.S.
help in ensuring that "the (U.N.) ecurity Council does not
take ill-informed decisons...," which principals
understood to refer bac to his TPD concerns.


5. (C) In subsequent convrsations with PolCouns,
Serufuli again emphasize his concern with security sector
reform, identiying this as the number one priority forincreased U.S. support and assistance. He recounted a
recent increase in the number of FDLR attacks on isolated
villages which have led to mounting frustration among
Congolese. Serufuli cautioned that failure to improve the
capacity and capabilities of FARDC, particularly in
relation to their capacity to control the FDLR problem,
could lead to a precarious situation even before the
elections.


6. (C) Comment: Serufuli was talkative and forthcoming
during this meeting, although most of his comments did not
break new ground and he kept returning to the central issue
of security. His concerns regarding TCP, however, may
indicate a growing uneasiness regarding his own
vulnerability in relation to the NGO, which has been
publicly condemned by the U.N. After an initial strategy
of denying any involvement with TCP, Serufuli now seems to
be asserting that the condemnation is all just a
misunderstanding. The recent example of Thomas Lubanga,
handed over to the International Court of Justice as a war
criminal for his involvement with armed groups in the DRC,
may be prompting Serufuli to increase his efforts in
publicly clearing his own name. End comment.

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