TRIPARTITE PLUS MINISTERIAL DECISIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 000697 SIPDIS SENSTIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO CG SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE PLUS MINISTERIAL DECISIONS REF: KINSHASA 629 ¶1. (SBU) Tripartite Plus Joint Commission ministerial and sub-commission meetings took place in Lubumbashi June 5-7. In addition to the communique issued on June 7 (reftel),the group published a document formalizing the Ministerial Decisions (see para 3). The next Tripartite meeting will be held in Kampala September 15-17. ¶2. (SBU) The heads of the member delegations were: Burundi - Antoinette Batumubwira, Minister of External Affairs and International Cooperation DRC - Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Rwanda - General Marcel Gatsinzi, Minister of Defense Uganda - Ruth Nankabirwa, Minister of State for Defense ¶3. (U) The final text of the Ministerial Decisions follows: //Begin Text// Tripartite Plus Joint Commission Ministerial Decisions Lubumbashi, DRC June 7, 2007 --Global Strategy aimed at eradicating the Threat posed by Negative Forces Political and Diplomatic Strategies Member countries request the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to make a statement at the highest level asking the Negative Forces to disarm, disengage, and leave its territory. Member countries welcome the Government of Uganda's continued engagement in the Peace Process in Juba, and continue to encourage the Negative Forces to utilize the existing Beni Amnesty Commission office, and call on the LRA to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement and to assemble at Ri-Kwangba. Member countries request the Government of Rwanda to continue to publicize the welcome of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) returnees and related incentive packages as a way to encourage more repatriation. Member countries urge the leadership of the National Liberation Front (FNL) to return to Bujumbura to complete implementation of the peace process. Member countries welcome the resumption of work of the Joint Verification Monitoring Mechanism (JVMM) and recommend the return of PALIPEHUTU FNL leader, Agathon Rwasa, to Burundi to implement the Global Ceasefire Agreement signed September 7, 2006 in Dar es Salaam. Member countries agree to inform the public through media outlets and other means to publicize the aforementioned positions of the Tripartite Plus member countries. Member countries agree to press MONUC to be more receptive to negative groups prepared to undertake disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and repatriation. Member countries agreed to issue a joint declaration as follows: "The Tripartite Plus member countries reaffirmed their commitment to political and military efforts aimed at eliminating the threat posed by Negative Forces. These political efforts will include among others denial of Negative Forces' safe haven, fundraising, movement (including visas),and access to media including the leaders of militias operating in eastern DRC. In this context: - The Government of Burundi expresses its concerns given the noted delay of the implementation of the Global Ceasefire Agreement with the PALIPEHUTU FNL, and calls on its leader to return to Burundi to accelerate and complete the peace process. -The Government of the DRC reiterates that negative forces are unwelcome in its territory, and urges that they disarm, disengage, and return to their home countries. It encourages the leadership of militias in Ituri and in North and South Kivu to engage in the military integration process. - The Government of Uganda affirms its continued engagement in the KINSHASA 00000697 002 OF 003 Peace Process in Juba, and calls on the LRA to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement and to assemble at Ri-Kwangba in Sudan. The Government of Uganda continues to encourage the Negative Forces to utilize the existing Amnesty Commission offices. -The Government of Rwanda reiterates that it welcomes the return of its citizens. Returnees will continue to enjoy the rights and obligations that all other Rwandans enjoy, and Rwanda has put in place incentives for repatriation. The Government of Rwanda noted that it has received and reintegrated thousands of former members of armed groups, including the FDLR, comprised of all ranks up to and including their overall commanders. Member countries urged media outlets and non-governmental organizations to disseminate this information widely, especially to areas where Negative Forces are present. MONUC's Radio Okapi, in particular, should redouble efforts to disseminate programming to encourage Negative Forces to return peacefully to their countries of origin. All media organizations - domestic, regional, and international - should avoid broadcasting interviews or other content that gives voice to those promoting violence in the region." Military Strategies Member states welcome the report of the Chiefs of Defense staff and thank them for responding to the request at the March 16 Tripartite Plus meeting to develop a list of available strategies for concerted military action against the Negative Forces. Member states reaffirm that any cross-border operations should reflect full coordination, consensus, and respect for sovereignty among member countries. Member states applaud the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for recent military actions against Negative Forces in North Kivu, which are fully consistent with Scenario 1 as proposed by the Chiefs of Defense Staff, and endorse the need for consideration of alternative scenarios as presented by the Chiefs of Defense Staff based on available intelligence. Member states endorse the proposal for a follow-up meeting of Chiefs of Defense Staff within two months in Kigali to review progress in implementing Scenario 1 and to make recommendations to the Ministers on further courses of action. At their meeting, the Chiefs of Defense staffs are to (1) involve experts from the Defense and Security Sub-Committee and (2) establish a joint planning cell to develop operational plans based on intelligence from the Tripartite Fusion Cell. --Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell Member countries welcome the U.S. Government decision to continue funding of the TFC until March 2008. Member countries approve in principle the transition to a virtual Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell by March 2008, and with the retention of mentors: one based in Kinshasa, and the other to rotate among the other capitals. Member countries will ensure that their intelligence agencies will provide an improved flow of timely and accurate intelligence to Focal Point Offices and to the TFC/Kisangani. --Next steps for creating and acting upon a common List of "Most Wanted" Member states agreed that the Most Wanted List, once adopted, will be subject to future changes as new information about target individuals becomes available. Member states agreed that: -53 names submitted by Rwanda for the FDLR and RUD-URUNANA have to date been vetted by the TFC and encountered no objections; -Burundi and Congo confirm their lists but still withhold them in view of the political evolution in their countries; nonetheless they reserve the right to activate these lists at any time if progress is insufficient; -Uganda withdraws its list subject to review and will submit a revised list, and detailed order of battle in accordance with the criteria retransmitted by the TFC to all the FPOs, within six weeks. KINSHASA 00000697 003 OF 003 Member states agreed that at the next Tripartite Plus Ministerial they will adopt as the common most wanted list those names that will have been vetted by the TFC and to which no objections will have been raised, as specified in bullet 2. The Member States agreed that a meeting of legal experts will be held in Goma, DRC, within a month, in order to: -Propose draft legislation to criminalize any act of aggression or subversion against other states by individuals or groups operating in their respective states and to review the need for harmonization of these approaches, -Review existing extradition arrangements and provide a proposal for harmonization thereof, -Propose measures to prosecute listed persons for common crimes they may commit, -Propose options for freezing assets and implementing immigration and travel restrictions on named individuals, -Report recommendations to the Tripartite Plus Ministerial for consideration. --Normalization of Diplomatic Relations and other pending Issues Member states noted continued progress toward normalization of diplomatic relations, including through contacts in multilateral fora such as the Economic Community of Great Lakes States (CEPGL). Member states welcomed the interest of the Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in obtaining observer status at the Tripartite Plus, and requested that the Rwandan delegation invite the ICGLR Executive Secretary to submit a formal request to member states via the Facilitation. Signed in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, In Lubumbashi on June 7, 2007, THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA //End Text// MEECE