TRIPARTITE PLUS LEGAL EXPERTS MEET IN GOMA, DRC

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000962 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR KPKO CG BY RW UG SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE PLUS LEGAL EXPERTS MEET IN GOMA, DRC REF: KINSHASA 698 ¶1. (SBU) Legal experts from DRC, Uganda, and Burundi met in Goma, North Kivu July 23-26 to examine possible judicial mechanisms and procedures to use against negative forces in the territories of the Tripartite Plus countries, as decided at the June session of the Tripartite Plus Joint Commission (reftel). The Rwandan delegation did not participate, claiming they had not received an official invitation in time. ¶2. (SBU) The experts' final report highlights agreement on the following actions: -- to criminalize, and subject to extradition perpetrators of, acts of aggression and subversion defined in the first article of the Protocol for Non-Agression and Mutual Defense in the draft Convention on Legal Cooperation; -- to harmonize existing extradition agreements through adopting a draft Convention on Legal Cooperation between Tripartite Plus member states; -- to recommend that Tripartite Plus member states prosecute or remove from office members of negative forces whose names are on the most wanted list and who reside in members' respective territories; -- to recommend that Tripartite Plus member states investigate, identify, and establish a list of other persons threatening peace and security in their territory, and to arrest them for prosecution; -- to recommend that Tripartite Plus member states integrate into their national legislation the Pacts, Accords, and Protocols agreed through the International Conference on Peace, Security, and Democracy in the Great Lakes Region (IC/GLR),and to ratify the draft Convention on Legal Cooperation agreed by the legal experts; -- to refer the point on methods of freezing assets of most wanted person as well as the application of measures to restrict their travel and movement to another meeting after the next Tripartite Plus ministerial. ¶3. (SBU) Marie France Mubenga, the chief Congolese legal expert, told us July 26 that the conference went well and much had been accomplished. She regretted the decision of the Rwandans not to attend. She said the draft Convention on Legal Cooperation would be considered at the next Tripartite Plus ministerial in Kampala in September. ¶4. (SBU) The text of the draft Convention on Legal Cooperation has been transmitted to AF/C. MEECE