LUBUMBASHI TRIPARTITE PLUS MEETING NOTES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000706 SIPDIS SENSTIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO CG SUBJECT: LUBUMBASHI TRIPARTITE PLUS MEETING NOTES REF: (A)KINSHASA 698 (B)KINSHASA 629 (C)BUJUMBURA 301 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Tripartite Plus Joint Commission Sub-Commission and Ministerial Meetings took place in Lubumbashi June 5-7. Delegates from Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda joined Congolese officials to continue discussion of threats to regional security from negative forces, the Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell, the "Most Wanted" list, and the status of diplomatic relations. The atmosphere of the talks was positive, with all delegations interacting comfortably. In addition to the delegates, observer missions from the African Union, European Commission, European Union, and MONUC attended the Open Sessions of the Ministerial. The next Tripartite meeting will be held in Kampala in September. End summary. -------------- Sub-Commission Meetings -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The groundwork for the Ministerial Meeting was laid by delegates to the joint meeting of the Sub-Commissions on Defense and Security and on Diplomatic Affairs June 5-6. Chaired by Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs James Swan and DRC Ambassador-a-Large Seraphin Ngwej, the Sub-Commission agenda included strategies aimed at ending threats to regional security from negative forces, the Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell (TFC), handling "most wanted" individuals, and the status of diplomatic relations. Ambassador Ngwej opened the discussions with an update on the security situation in DRC, including the May 28 massacre in South Kivu and continued threats in the east. ¶3. (SBU) The Sub-Commission delegates reached consensus on four recommendation papers to be presented at the Ministerial Meeting. Key points from those papers were: Negative Forces: Political Strategies. Members agreed to restate their positions on negative forces in the press release for the meeting in order to encourage armed groups to disarm and repatriate or reintegrate into their communities. --Negative Forces: Military strategies. Member countries discussed the FDLR problem in eastern DRC and agreed that the DRC government was acting in concordance with Scenario One of the Chiefs of Defense (CHOD) proposals adopted in Bujumbura April 16-18 (reftel C))by stepping up anti-FDLR operations. They agreed the CHOD should meet in Kigali to review progress against the Negative Forces within two months. �A;--Tripartite Fusion Cell (TFC). Member countries agreed that the TFC was important and also discussed the value of meeting face to face, in addition to the proposed virtual TFC. They welcomed the U.S. decision to continue funding the TFC through March 2008. --Most Wanted List. Member states postponed until the next ministerial agreement on a common list because of continuing disagreement between the Rwandan and Ugandan delegation over the existence of the People's Resistance Army (PRA). The PRA Order of Battle provided by the Ugandan delegation was judged insufficient evidence by Rwanda and the other member countries. Member countries proposed to submit the Order of Battle to the TFC for vetting. In addition, members states decided to have their legal experts meet in Goma within one month to review, harmonize, and, if necessary, propose draft laws for acting against wanted individuals. --Diplomatic Relations. Member countries stated that there were bilateral discussions underway to normalize diplomatic relations. -------------- Ministerial Meeting -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Observer delegations from the African Union, European Commission, European Union, and MONUC joined the member and facilitator delegations for the opening session of the Ministerial meeting June 6. DAS Swan and co-chair DRC Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi made remarks on the importance of regional stability and cooperation. MONUC Special Representative of the Secretary General William Swing spoke positively about the opportunity for peace in the region. ¶5. (SBU) The members' only session of the Ministerial continued after the departure of the observer missions. Subjects of particular debate included recognition of the PRA and a way to move forward on the "Most Wanted" list with consensus. The Ugandan delegation withdrew its entire list of most wanted persons, KINSHASA 00000706 002 OF 002 including LRA, ADF/NALU and PRA names, when the other member countries declined to accept the PRA list. The GOU said it would submit an updated list within six weeks. ¶6. (SBU) The ministers accepted most Sub-Commission draft recommendations with minor drafting changes. They agreed on a decision document addressing each of the topics previously discussed by the Sub-Commission delegates as well as on a joint statement released at a press conference at the conclusion of the meeting June 7 (reftel A). The text of the Ministerial decisions was sent in reftel B. -------------- Heads of Delegations -------------- ¶7. (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 ¶8. (SBU) The delegations agreed that the next Tripartite Plus Joint Commission meeting will be held in Kampala, Uganda, September 15-17, ¶2007. MEECE