RWANDA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS KIGALI 000865 SENSITIVE SIPDIS S/CT FOR RHONDA SHORE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC RW SUBJECT: RWANDA: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM REF: STATE 120019 ¶1. (SBU) The Government of Rwanda (GOR) reinforced border control measures to identify potential terrorists and to prevent the entry into Rwanda of armed groups operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda's intergovernmental counterterrorism committee and a counterterrorism reaction team in the police intelligence service continued to operate. In June, a U.S. Coast Guard team trained Rwanda Defense Force marines on border control operations on Lake Kivu (bordering the Congo),including harbor security, interdiction of illegal traffic in goods and persons, the law of naval warfare, anti-narcotrafficking, and counterterror drills and procedures. ¶2. (SBU) Rwandan officials (particularly in the Central Bank and Ministry of Finance) continued to cooperate on terrorist financing issues. In 2008, Parliament approved new comprehensive legislation supporting the prevention and suppression of money laundering and financing of terrorism. The legislation, expected to be gazetted by the end of the year, included provisions to enhance the transparency of financial transactions, establish a financial investigations unit and authorize the freezing of assets of individuals and organizations involved in illicit or terrorism-related activities. Rwanda officially committed itself to locating and freezing terrorist assets identified by the international community. ¶3. (SBU) Rwanda is not a safehaven for terrorist groups, and does not support or condone the existence of terrorist groups on its territory. ¶4. (SBU) Rwanda participated in regional initiatives on international counterterrorism cooperation, including the East Africa Standby Brigade. In November 2007, Rwanda hosted a meeting of the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa, which brought intelligence and security officials together to address security challenges faced by members of the African Union through information sharing and strategic intelligence coordination. In October 2008, Rwanda hosted a meeting of African Union Attorney Generals and Ministers of Justice, which considered a broad range of law enforcement issues, including counterterrorism cooperation and legislation. Rwanda also hosted several extensive training courses for senior police commanders on counterterrorism and other issues in cooperation with the United Kingdom. ¶5. (SBU) Besides reinforcing border security and refining counterterrorism legislation and intelligence sharing, the GOR developed counterterrorism response strategies. The Rwandan national tourist office continued its development of a communications network to alert embassies should their citizens be harmed in Rwanda's national parks. Work continued as well on increased disaster preparedness. The national Civil Aviation Authority, working in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation, reviewed East African Community security measures for airports and airlines in Rwanda, focusing in particular on security and disaster response at Kigali International Airport, the nation's gateway entry point for tourists and other visitors to Rwanda. 2008 marked the first year that Rwanda sent Rwanda National Police officers to the International Law Enforcement Academy for a range of criminal investigation courses with counterterrorism applications. SYMINGTON