Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KINSHASA1063
2007-09-05 17:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:  

RWANDAN, DRC FOREIGN MINISTERS COMMIT

Tags:  PREL PGOV CG RW KPKO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 051724Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6817
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITY
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1478
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KINSHASA 001063 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ADDIS ABABA PLS PASS TO A/S FRAZER; KIGALI PLS PASS TO
SPECIAL ADVISOR SHORTLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV CG RW KPKO
SUBJECT: RWANDAN, DRC FOREIGN MINISTERS COMMIT
TO GREATER COOPERATION

Classified By: CHARGE S. BROCK (1.4 B, D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KINSHASA 001063

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

ADDIS ABABA PLS PASS TO A/S FRAZER; KIGALI PLS PASS TO
SPECIAL ADVISOR SHORTLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV CG RW KPKO
SUBJECT: RWANDAN, DRC FOREIGN MINISTERS COMMIT
TO GREATER COOPERATION

Classified By: CHARGE S. BROCK (1.4 B, D)


1. (C) Summary: Rwandan foreign minister Charles Murigande's
official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from
September 2-4, the first by a Rwandan official to the DRC
since the end of the second Congo war in 2004, is a
potentially significant step in a slow process of
reconciliation between the two countries. The visit
culminated in a signing ceremony before international and
domestic media of a joint communiqu (para 9) committing both
countries to close coordination on a number of issues.
Murigande also met with President Kabila; no information is
available on what transpired at their meeting. The resolve
of both sides to honor the commitments agreed to during the
visit remains to be seen. International support for efforts
to implement the commitments, as well as encouragement for
continuing dialogue between the two countries, are key to
consolidating a nascent DRC-Rwanda rapprochement. End
summary.


2. (C) Murigande arrived Sunday September 2, meeting with
SRSG Swing that afternoon before joining Mbusa for dinner.
His official schedule began Monday morning. Mbusa told us
August 29 that he and Murigande had agreed to the
participation of international observers at the bilateral,
but differences remained up to the morning of the event.
Rwandan objections appears to have prevailed; observers were
invited to attend opening and closing sessions but not, as
Mbusa had proposed, participate in working meetings.
Observers were asked to attend the opening ceremony at 9:30
am on September 3; the meeting began more than two hours
late. Observers included the EU Special Envoy for the Great
Lakes region; South Africa's Special Envoy for the Great
Lakes region; the Special Representative of the UN Secretary
General; a Kinshasa-based diplomat representing the AU; and
the U.S. Charg d'Affaires.

Opening ceremony
================


3. (SBU) The delayed opening ceremony was attended by the

local and international press, the international observers
and both delegations. Mbusa gave the first speech, an
off-the-cuff statement that touched on the volatility in the
east and evoking the "great expectations" for the meeting by
peoples of both countries. He specifically mentioned the
need to deal with the ex-FAR and Interahamwe (Hutus who
originally fled Rwanda during the 1994 massacre, now known as
the FDLR) who were "pillaging, raping and robbing every day
in the Congo. He also mentioned the threat to innocent
civilians posed by the activities of renegade General Laurent
Nkunda but stopped short of asking for Rwandan assistance in
dealing with Nkunda's forces. Mbusa was clearly concerned
that the tensions in the east could degenerate into
widespread violence and asked both delegations to bear in
mind that preventing violence was the main objective of the
bilateral meeting.



4. (SBU) Murigande struck a more somber tone. Reading from a
prepared text in English, he criticized the ex-FAR and
Interahamwe "who are the root cause of much of the insecurity
and instability in our region." He blamed the FDLR's ethnic
cleansing of Tutsis for the "General Nkunda problem" and
expressed his "ardent hope" that the visit would lead to a
commitment by the DRC to track down the FDLR. Murigande
stated that his government was willing to open an embassy in
Kinshasa and offered to facilitate a peaceful solution to the
Nkunda problem. The meeting ended with broad smiles as both
foreign ministers shook hands before the press.


5. (C) Comment: Although the opening ceremony ended on a
high note with handshakes and grins, the friendly, informal
style and brief, short-on-substance statement by Mbusa was in
sharp contrast to the more business-like speech read by a
Murigande who did not mince words. Also, the deliberate use
of English was commented on by some observers since he,
Murigande, is a francophone and interpreters had not
translated Mbusa's speech into English. Murigande began
reading his statement with help from an RDC consecutive
translator but dismissed her quickly. He then continued
reading in English, translating it himself into French, a

KINSHASA 00001063 002 OF 004


technique that lengthened his presentation to almost 45
minutes. End comment.

Joint communiqu
================


6. (U) After a short reception for the visiting delegation
and international observers, the two ministers and their
teams withdrew to continue their working meeting. Observers
were informed that a closing session with the press to report
on the day's work and to issue a joint communiqu would begin
at 7:00 pm. The closing ceremony convened at 8:30. After
signing the joint communiqu before international observers
and media representatives, the communiqu (see para 9) was
read. The communiqu commits both sides to structured
dialogue and calls for coordination on a number of fronts,
including:

-- Establishment of a "Regular Mechanism for Discussion,
Follow-up and Discussion of their mutual commitments,
involving the ministers responsible for foreign affairs and
defense, the chiefs of staff of the armies, as well as the
heads of the intelligence services."

-- Implementation of a "Joint Verification mechanism to
address respective concerns in the area of security," to be
activated within 48 hours.

-- Efforts to "intensify surveillance operations along the
common border between the Republic of Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, in cooperation with the
countries' armed forces."

-- Standing up of a "Joint Working Commission responsible for
replacing the border markers inherited from the colonial
period."

-- Creation of a "Tripartite RDC-Rwanda-UNHCR Commission to
undertake the repatriation of Congolese refugees living in
Rwanda.


7. (C) The press reports that Murigande met with President
Kabila early September 4 prior to departing for Kigali via
commercial flight to Nairobi. We do not have information on
that meeting but sources have told us that Kabila and
Murigande met alone for a short period. Although it is not
unusual for Kabila to meet alone with visiting foreign
ministers, a one-on-one with Murigande bolsters the
perception that the President does not totally trust Mbusa.
It is worth noting that members of Kabila's staff
participated in the Congolese delegation, including
diplomatic advisor Marcellin Cishambo and roving ambassador
Seraphin Ngwej.


8. (C) Comment: The initiatives in the communiqu to
establish bilateral channels to address common challenges
such as the Joint Verification Mechanism and Joint Working
Commission hold the promise of a thaw in DRC-Rwanda
relations. By addressing surmountable problems, such as
demarcating the border, these initiatives could add momentum
to the effort to tackle tougher issues separating the two
countries. Seeing the two sides talk is encouraging, but the
Murigande-Mbusa meeting likely has little bearing on the
implementation of concrete proposals to address negative
forces' activity in eastern DRC. The Joint Communiqu asked
MONUC to do more, but MONUC's capacity and willingness to
wade deeper into the Kivus crisis is unclear. No new
thinking or specific suggestions were raised on how to disarm
and repatriate FDLR back to Rwanda. International support
for efforts to implement the commitments, as well as
encouragement for maintaining a dialogue between the two
countries, are key to consolidating a nascent
DRC-Rwanda rapprochement.


9. (U) Following is unofficial translation of the Joint
Communiqu


Begin text of JOINT COMMUNIQUE
==============================

(1) At the invitation of His Excellency Antipas MBUSA

KINSHASA 00001063 003 OF 004


NYAMWISI, Minister of State responsible for Foreign Affairs
and International Cooperation of the RDC, His Excellency
Charles MURIGANDE, Minster of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
of the Republic of Rwanda, made an official visit to Kinshasa
from September 2-4, 2007.

(2) Minister MURIGANDE led a delegation composed of four
high-ranking officials of the Rwandan government including
Ambassador Richard SEZIBERA, Special Envoy for the Great
Lakes Region of the Rwandan President, Paul KAGAME.

(3) The Congolese delegation, led by Antipas MBUSA NYAMWISE,
consisted of CHIKEZ DIEMU, Minister of Defense and Veterans
Affairs; Marcellin CISHAMBO principal political and
diplomatic counselor to the Head of State; and Seraphin
NGWEJ, ambassador-at-large to the Head of State.

(4) The opening session of the meeting was graced by the
presence of international observers, including:

-- The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General
RDC;
-- The Special Representative of the African Union in the RDC;
-- The Special Envoy of the European Union for the Great
Lakes region;
-- The Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the United States
in the DRC;
-- The Special Envoy of the Republic of South Africa for the
Great Lakes region.

(5) The two delegations reviewed issues of common interest,
in particular the prevailing situation in the East of the RDC.

After exchanging views, the two sides concurred on the need
to institute a regular Mechanism for Discussion, Follow-up
and Evaluation of their mutual commitments, involving the
ministers responsible for foreign affairs and defense, the
chiefs of staff of the armies, as well as the heads of the
intelligence services.

(6) The two sides also agreed to the activation within 48
hours of a Joint Verification mechanism to address their
respective concerns in the area of security.

(7) The two sides call on MONUC to intensify surveillance
operations along the common border between the Republic of
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in cooperation
with the countries' armed forces.

(8) Regarding the border issues, the two sides agreed to set
up a Joint Working Commission responsible for replacing the
border markers inherited from the colonial period.

(9) Regarding the issue of Congolese refugees living in
Rwanda, the sides agreed to the creation of a Tripartite
RDC-Rwanda-UNHCR Commission to undertake their repatriation.

(10) The two parties agreed on a common approach of
commitment and coordination to resolve the issue of the
ex-FAR and Interahamwe living in the RDC.

(11) The two parties commit to take all necessary steps so
that the ex-FAR and Interahamwe disarm and return to Rwanda.

(12) The two sides reiterated their commitments to respect
the principles agreed to in the Pact on Security, Stability
and Development in the Great Lakes, particularly Article 5
which stipulates that each of the Pact's member states will:

"Abstain from sending or supporting armed oppositions or
armed or rebel groups or in the territory of another member
State, or tolerating within its own territory armed or rebel
groups engaged in armed in armed conflicts or implicated in
acts of violence or subversion between the Government of
another state."

(13) The two parties have agreed that resolution of the issue
of the Ex-Far and Interahamwe, as well as that of Congolese
refugees living in Rwanda remain the exclusive competence of
States and not of individuals.

(14) The working session was conducted in an atmosphere of

KINSHASA 00001063 004 OF 004


cordiality and mutual understanding.

(15) Finally, the Rwandan delegation expressed its
appreciation to the Congolese government for its warm welcome
and its hospitality.


Signed in Kinshasa, 3 September, 2007


For the RDC
Antipas MBUSA NBYAMWISI

For Rwanda
Charles MURIGANOE

End text Joint Communiqu
BROCK