Joint Monitoring Group Task Force (JMG-TF)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001426 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG SUBJECT: Joint Monitoring Group Task Force (JMG-TF) Meeting of 29 December 2007 REF: (A) Kinshasa 1419 ¶1. The second meeting of the JMG-TF was held December 29 at MONUC headquarters in Goma. Ref (A) is a report on the first meeting, held December 22 at the same venue. Participants -------------- ¶2. The following is a list of attendees: Government of Rwanda: -- Team Leader: Maj. Franco Rutagengwa, Office of the President. -- Mr. James Burabyo. -- Mr. Damascene Rudasingwa -- Mr. Fidele Mwinyaishaka Government of the DRC: -- Lt. Col. Augustin M. Mamba, team leader. (Note: Mamba accompanied AMB Garvelink and LTC Bryson on flight to Goma and Bukavu last month. He works at the Ministry of Defense in the Intelligence section in Kinshasa. -- Ambassador Seraphin Ngwej United States: -- Major J. Reitz, Deputy Defense Attache, Kinshasa European Union: -- Hugues Chantry, Belgian Consul General in Bukavu MONUC -- Mr. Gernot Sauer, political affairs chief, Goma -- Ms. Christine Rwezaura, MONUC DDRRR -- Mr. Jean Baptiste Fortes, MONUC Secretariat Off to a late start -------------- ¶3. The meeting started an hour late due to the delayed arrival of the Rwandan delegation which was awaiting one member who had come straight from Kigali. With the delay, the proceedings took six hours. The first hour and a half of the meeting was devoted to clarifying points of order. The first was whether the group should produce just detailed minutes, just a summary document, or both, and whether the summary document should be signed or not. At the conclusion, it was agreed to produce both documents and to sign the summary document. Furthermore, in an effort to prevent potential errors, the English summary will be the document of record. The Congolese begin -------------- ¶4. After lunch break, the meeting resumed, focusing on substantive issues required by the Nairobi Accord. The DRC Team Leader began with a review of the Nairobi Accord's requirement to eliminate foreign armed groups as well as national armed groups. For the DRC, Nkunda was the most urgent and menacing threat. Starting January 1, 2008 the GDRC will begin addressing the ex-FAR/Interhamwe through an awareness-raising campaign in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the international community and the World Bank. The DRC Team Leader stated that the GOR had not helped. The DRC is still waiting for the list of "genocidaires," and Rwandan soldiers are still fighting alongside Nkunda. The DRC Team Leader then cited two "proofs" of Rwandan complicity. First was the recent capture of two soldiers from the Rwandan Presidential Guard in Bukavu, and the second was the November 17 capture by the UPDF of eleven Rwandan, Burundian, and Ugandan troops, four of whom were child-soldiers. The children were turned over to the appropriate UN agency and the others have been sent to Kinshasa. ¶5. Finally, the GDRC accused the GOR of allowing free passage of insurgents through its borders. The GDRC representative offered as proof the testimony of 17th Battalion UPDF officer Major Gwisage who confirmed the movement of 300 Rwandan personnel from Rwanda to the DRC, among whom was the commander, Colonel Mutebesi (former Rwandan-supported RCD commander). Furthermore, he said, a Burundian national who traversed Rwanda on his way to the DRC in support of Nkunda was captured three days ago. The DRC team leader concluded his remarks by requesting that the international community help in building up the Congolese armed forces. Rwanda replies -------------- ¶6. The GOR team leader took the floor and addressed four points. KINSHASA 00001426 002 OF 002 First, the GOR had taken all necessary measures to seal its borders against all armed groups and has stopped arming and proving personnel to armed groups. Second, the representative reaffirmed that Rwanda is still committed to giving a list of wanted "genocidaires" to the GDRC and MONUC. The GOR has committed on two occasions to provide this list, but needs time to do it right. Third, the representative confirmed that the GOR has not made any statements in support of any armed groups since the Nairobi Accord. Finally, the team leader confirmed that the GOR had been encouraging the return of the ex-FAR/Interhamwe since before the Nairobi Accord. ¶7. Regarding allegations levied by the GDRC, the Rwanda represented noted that, first, there was no fixed date for the list. Second, the matter of the POW's should go to the Joint Verification Team (JVT) process; Rwanda does not have soldiers in the DRC or Uganda. Finally, as for the Burundian soldier, the team leader asked what that issue had to do with Rwanda. In closing, the Rwandan rep affirmed that Rwanda is still committed and wants the peace process to work. Next meeting -------------- ¶8. For the next meeting, January 4, the Chair requested that the GDRC and GOR address all aspects of the Communique and specific actions taken in order to accomplish the requirements outlined in the document. The meeting concluded with about 30 minutes of discussion on the diplomatic status of the Rwandan representatives and their desire to have some sort of badge that would expedite their movement in and out of the DRC. Although January 4 is also a DRC national holiday, Martyr's Day, this does not present a conflict for the DRC team and the meeting will be held as scheduled.