: INCREASING MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE DRC: NEW

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001288 SIPDIS SIPDIS AFRICOM FOR GEN WARD OSD FOR TWHALEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: APER MASS MOPS PGOV KPKO CG SUBJECT: : INCREASING MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE DRC: NEW GOALS, NEW DEMANDS AND REQUEST FOR ODC PRESENCE IN KINSHASA REF: A. A. KINSHASA 1248 ¶B. B. KINSHASA 1232 ¶C. C. KINSHASA 1247 ¶D. D. USEUCOM LETTER DATED 26 MAR 2007 FROM GEN WARD ¶E. TO AMB ROGER MEECE KINSHASA 00001288 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 5. ¶2. (U) Summary. While military assistance to the GDRC has grown over the past several years, staffing levels have not kept pace with resulting demands on the Mission. If newly proposed engagement materializes, all military assistance, including current programs, is expected to top USD 15 million per year in the near future. Post urges the Departments of State and Defense to approve this request for additional personnel resources -- the standing up of an ODC presence in Kinshasa plus TDY support as needed -- to more effectively manage the Mission's broad range of military assistance projects. End summary. ¶3. (U) Significant increases in military assistance programs in recent months to the Democratic Republic of Congo recognizes the need for additional security cooperation and the importance of our growing military-to-military relationship. They also highlight the need for additional qualified personnel to manage USG resources for continued operational improvements within the DRC's military. In addition to the money currently managed by the DAO (USD 694k in FMF funds, USD 500k in IMET funds, and USD 800k in HIV/AIDS funds for FY 08),recent increases in FY 08 will add an expected USD 5.5 million in FY 08 Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) funds to the current FY 07 total of USD 5 million in military program funds. Continued oversight of the Tripartite Fusion Cell (TFC) in Kisangani, and proposed observer status in the bilateral Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM) at the DRC/Rwanda border are additional opportunities for military assistance. Further funding increases have been requested and are envisioned through FY 09 funds, and the total of military assistance could conceivably rise beyond USD 15 million per year in FY-09. ¶4. (U) The relevance of these programs is great. In addition to ongoing training of brigade and battalion level staff officers of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC),Post is sponsoring general officer training seminars, managing assistance programs for military justice, and supervising improvements to the FARDC's staff college training center. Additional programs envision training and equipping a rapid response unit, expanding training for the crucial non-commissioned officer corps, and increasing training and infrastructure support within the military justice sector. Each of these individual projects and proposals will have a positive impact on the operational capacity of the FARDC; combined, they offer the opportunity for the USG to play a significant role in supporting the modernization and professionalization of the DRC's military, thereby contributing to the overall security of the central African region. ¶5. (U) In order to better carry out these current and future projects, Post requests the designation of an Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) presence in Kinshasa. Such a move has long been discussed (ref D); further discussion, in our view, is a luxury we cannot afford. In the interim, between approval of an ODC office and the arrival of the appropriate personnel, Post also requests immediate TDY support in order to foster positive relationships with the DRC's military and manage the numerous and diverse programs in country. ¶6. (U) The best officer(s) for this position would be a graduate of the DSCA's DISAM security management course. He or she should also possess experience in African affairs, perhaps with previous military experience at an African post, experience in managing security assistance programs, and a high level of fluency -- written and spoken -- in French. ¶7. (U) Comment: The recent increase in U.S.-DRC military cooperation is a logical outcome of recent political KINSHASA 00001288 002 OF 002 developments -- the creation of new democratic institutions and free and fair elections -- in this nation of vital strategic interest to the United States. A democratic RDC is destined to play a critical role in contributing to peace and stability is the entire Central Africa region. The projects noted in this cable are either in progress or will begin shortly. U.S. interests would be best served by routing all assistance through one central office staffed by personnel with specialized experience. Qualified staff to administer military assistance programs is a sine qua non if U.S. military assistance is to succeed in this, perhaps Africa's most important source of strategic minerals and one of the world's most bio-diverse nations. End comment. BROCK