SUCCESSFUL TRIPARTITE PLUS HELD IN RWANDA

UNCLAS KIGALI 000324 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C, AMB JLEADER EUCOM FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR MONUC KPKO RW SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL TRIPARTITE PLUS HELD IN RWANDA REF: KIGALI 281 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The GOR hosted the U.S. facilitated Tripartite Plus Joint Commission (TPJC) and sub-commission meetings in Kigali 14-16 March. Delegations from the DRC, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda took part in the diplomatic and defense and security sub-commission meetings on 14 March in order to provide recommendations to their respective Ministers on the Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell (TFC),a strategy to eradicate the threat posed by Negative Forces in the region, the status of diplomatic relations, and creating and acting on a common list of "most wanted" individuals. The Ministerial-level TPJC, 15-16 March, discussed and made progress on the sub-commission's recommendations and reaffirmed their over-all common goal of peace and security in the region. The DAS Swan-led U.S. delegation also held positive bi-lateral consultations on the margins of the conference with delegations from the member states, MONUC and President Kagame. End summary. Sub-Commission Meetings -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Much of the groundwork for the Ministerial was accomplished by diplomats and military and intelligence officers in the two sub-commission meetings guided by DAS Swan. (Note. The two meetings were combined due to a last minute schedule change by the GOR. End note.) ¶3. (SBU) After opening statements by Rwandan Head of Delegation Ambassador Richard Sezibera, DAS Swan and the heads of member delegations, the participants cordially discussed the agenda items: -- Overall strategy to increase military and political pressure on armed groups to lay down arms and reintegrate or repatriate; -- Status and way forward of the TFC, including the proposed transition to a "Virtual TFC"; -- Enhanced regional military cooperation; -- Next steps towards a common list of "most wanted"; -- Resumption of full diplomatic relations; -- Next steps for ending the threat from "most wanted" individuals. The sub-commission delegates also reaffirmed their support to the "Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region." ¶4. (SBU) With the exception of a few minor issues, including a disagreement between the Rwandans and Congolese on the number of combatants returned to Rwanda between December 2005 and 2006, the session went smoothly. Each delegation took the lead vis--vis an individual representative to draft recommendation papers which were subsequently edited and agreed to by all present. Key points from the four recommendation papers submitted to the Ministerial were: -- Global strategy aimed at eradicating the threat posed by Negative Forces. "All parties agreed to eradicate the threat posed by Negative Forces using military and political pressure." -- TFC. "All Tripartite Plus delegations urged the facilitator reconsider closing the TFC by the end of September 2007 in view of recent progress making the TFC effective and the prospect of future action based on intelligence shared through the TFC." -- Next Steps for Creating and Acting Upon a Common List of "most wanted." There was consensus to move forward on uncontested lists and to make available legal mechanisms required by member states to take action. -- Status of Diplomatic Relations. "Consensus among all Tripartite Plus member countries to retain the objective of full normalization of diplomatic relations, and that progress towards such relations should proceed on the basis of bilateral discussion." The Ministerial -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Delegations from the African Union (AU),European Union (EU),UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) and the World Bank's Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Programme (MDRP) joined the member and facilitator delegations for the opening session. Opening remarks from Minister Murigande, DAS Swan and the heads of member delegations, were followed by brief declarations of support from the EU and AU representatives and then a more detailed statement from MONUC Special Representative of the Secretary General Ambassador William Swing. ¶6. (SBU) SRSG Swing emphasized MONUC's need to remain engaged in DRC noting UN failures in Haiti and East Timor due to early withdrawal. Swing emphasized the importance of security sector reform and successful local elections in order to extend state power to the immediate future of the DRC. He was followed by an overview of the African Command by OSD representative Patricia Jacubec and a brief statement from the World Bank's Ingo Wiederhofer on the status of the MDRP's efforts in the region. ¶7. (SBU) At the conclusion of the opening session the observer delegations departed and DAS Swan guided the member delegations through the sub-commission recommendation papers. In a non-contentious manner, the heads of delegations quickly agreed with the sub-commission's recommendations regarding the TFC, Global Strategy and diplomatic relations. There was more extensive discussion required to come to the eventual conclusions on the way ahead for the "Most Wanted." ¶8. (SBU) On the margins of the conference, DAS Swan conducted bi-lateral meetings with each delegation in order to review the commission and sub-sommission agendas. Upon conclusion of the final TPJC session on March 16, DAS Swan met with President Kagame (reftel). The Final Decisions -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The TPJC Ministerial Decisions: //Begin Text// Tripartite Plus Joint Commission Ministerial Decisions March 16, 2007 - Global strategy aimed at eradicating the threat posed by Negative Forces. -- A mechanism is required to take action on intelligence produced on the Negative Forces by the TFC. -- All TPJC Chiefs of Defense Forces should meet within the next month in Bujumbura to develop strategies and actions against the Negative Forces for presentation to the TPJC for decision. -- All delegations accepted the principle of concerted action provided it respects the sovereignty of each member state. - Tripartite Fusion Cell. -- Available fused intelligence, order of battle, and analysis will be passed on to the Chiefs of Defense Forces for consideration in an operational strategy aimed against the Negative Forces at the meeting to be convened within the next month in Bujumbura. -- The facilitator will review the question of extending the TFC beyond 30 September 2007, while continuing with plans to transition to a virtual TFC. -- When the TFC transitions to virtual status, member states agree to a plan for rotation of TFC meetings in each country every 90-120 days at a convenient location. - Next Steps for Creating and Acting Upon a Common List of "Most Wanted." -- The TPJC received and considered lists of each delegation's most wanted persons submitted at the meeting by each member state. The Congolese list will be furnished within ten days. The facilitation will transmit these lists to the TFC to prepare detailed intelligence assessments of each name to be completed by 30 April 2007. The TFC will report its findings to the TPJC through the facilitation. The TPJC will consider this information with a view to adoption of a common list at its next meeting. The TPJC received the Burundian list, which will only be activated at the request of the government of Burundi. -- Members agreed on the need (1) to develop legislation to criminalize any act of aggression or subversion against other states by individuals or groups operating in their respective states, (2) to review existing extradition arrangements and consider whether new measures are needed, (3) to proceed quickly to ratify the Great Lakes conference pact and protocols, (4) to furnish more details regarding persons on the list, via the TFC or other agreed mechanisms, (5) to prosecute aggressively listed persons for common crimes they may commit and (6) to examine options for freezing assets and implementing immigration and travel restrictions on named individuals, among other measures. -- In view of the technical and legal issues involved, each member delegation agreed to submit the name of its legal advisor to the other delegations within ten days so that the advisors could consult on these issues and propose solutions to their governments. To help initiate this discussion, the Congolese delegation,s legal advisor will circulate a discussion paper on extradition options. - Status of Diplomatic Relations -- Tripartite Plus member countries should proceed towards full normalization of diplomatic relations on the basis of bilateral discussions. -- The status of diplomatic relations should be reviewed at the next TPJC meeting to determine what progress has been made. Signed in English and French, all texts being equally authentic, In Kigali on March 16, 2007, THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA //End Text// Heads of Delegations -------------- ¶10. (U) Member States and Facilitator -- Burundi- Antoinette Batumubwira, Minister of External Affairs and International Cooperation -- DRC- Mbusa Nyamwisi, Min. of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation -- Rwanda- Dr. Charles Murigande, Min. of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation -- Uganda- Issac Isanga Musumba, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation -- United States- James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Observers -- African Union- Pierre Yete, AU Ambassador to DRC -- European Union- Christian Clages, German Ambassador to Rwanda -- United Nations Mission in the DRC- William Swing, SRSG -- World Bank, Ingo Weiderhofer, Senior Operations Officer ¶11. (U) DAS Swan has cleared this cable. THURSTON