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