CONGO'S DDR AGENCY -- AND ITS DIRECTOR -- FACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000377 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM MARR CG SUBJECT: CONGO'S DDR AGENCY -- AND ITS DIRECTOR -- FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE REF: KINSHASA 153 Classified By: Poloff KRBel for reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Summary. Daniel Kawata, director of the DRC's National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reinsertion (CONADER),is facing serious questions about both his agency's future and his own. The World Bank, which has provided $200 million for the DRC's disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs, is reported to be considering releasing an additional $50 million in funding to complete unfinished DDR work. Although Kawata believes he will continue to be involved in any DDR programs, neither the future shape of such programs nor CONADER's role in them is clear. End summary. ¶2. (C) Completion of DDR remains a contentious issue which must be addressed as part of security sector reform (SSR) (reftel). In a meeting with Emboffs on March 13, CONADER director Daniel Kawata discussed future possibilities for the process and for his agency's participation. A claimed lack of funding and poor direction have all but paralyzed CONADER's activities. CONADER claims that it is out of money, and while Kawata reports that the World Bank has identified more than $50 million to complete the DDR process, there is no consensus on the agency's future role or its activities. ¶3. (SBU) Kawata acknowledged that much remains to be done, although in the post-election period, he maintained that "there is less emphasis on speed" (comment: an opinion we do not share). He said over 99,750 soldiers have been demobilized, including 29,291 child soldiers. He estimated that an additional 87,833 current members of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) are still awaiting potential processing through DDR programs, in addition to some ex-combatants who remain outside the army -- some of whom may be excluded from formal DDR. Kawata himself supports limiting DDR to those soldiers already on FARDC rolls. Those outside FARDC include Ituri militia members (several thousand),Mai Mai fighters (13,000),"combatants on foreign soil" (10,000),and children (3,000). ¶4. (C) The GDRC is reportedly interested in being much more involved in the DDR process. Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga wants to participate in multilateral deliberations on the next phase of the program. The Minister of Defense favors a "collective" approach, in which the GDRC supports community-wide projects in those areas where ex-combatants are located. The Minister sees this as an opportunity to put both active-duty soldiers and demobilized ex-combatants to productive work. Kawata reported that a policy meeting between the GDRC, CONADER, the World Bank, and other donors will take place in early April. In the meantime, some DDR programs (notably in Ituri District) have received separate funding from USAID and other donors. ¶5. (SBU) Kawata stated that there is pressure to eliminate the Inter-Ministerial Board, which has been "managing" CONADER, and leave the remainder of the DDR program to a professional management committee. Kawata believes that CONADER itself may cease to exist. Under pressure from the Bank, the agency has already reduced its ranks from over 400 employees to fewer than 100. Kawata, however, said that some CONADER personnel will undoubtedly be incorporated into the new structure as DDR managers. ¶6. (C) Kawata stated in a later meeting that he himself is under attack, and that the Minister of Defense has proposed several new "insider" directors to assume Kawata's previous functions. According to Kawata, CONADER employees are spreading accusations that he has steered lucrative support contracts to "outside" (e.g., international and not local) companies, that he has agreed with the international community too much and too often, and that he has personally become rich through his position. ¶7. (C) Comment: Kawata's assessment of his future with CONADER (or indeed, with DDR) may be too rosy. He has already lost a great deal of support from donors and the Bank due to his dismal record as a manager, and to the numerous irregularities that have occurred under his leadership. End comment. MEECE