INTERNATIONAL FACILITATION MEETING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001004 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL FACILITATION MEETING WITH FORCE COMMANDER BABUKAR GAYE KINSHASA 00001004 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Representatives from the International Facilitation (IF) and MONUC Force Commander Gaye met on November 11 in Goma to discuss various issues. EU Special Representative Roeland van de Geer provided a brief overview of the Nairobi Summit, emphasizing that the IF will support Obasanjo's efforts. Force Commander Gaye lamented that there is no effective FARDC and that we are paying the price for the failure to implement security sector reform (SSR). The international community must devise an emergency plan for SSR and work together to implement it, in an effort to rebuild totally and mentor strongly the FARDC. MONUC's Alpha Sow said that it was very important that the IF maintain the progress achieved with other armed groups in the Kivus and not abandon the Amani program. It appears clear that Nkunda is building coalitions in Ituri, specifically with the Popular Front for Justice in Congo (FPJC). End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Representatives from the International Facilitation (IF) and MONUC Force Commander Gaye met November 11 in Goma to discuss various current issues. (Note: Gaye returned to the DRC November 7 to once again command MONUC forces following the abrupt departure of his successor, Spanish General Vicente Diaz de Villegas. End note.) EU Special Representative Roeland van de Geer gave a brief overview of the Nairobi Summit, stressing that the IF will support Obasanjo's efforts. Van de Geer said there are two essential elements for a peace plan: Obasanjo needs to be able to force both sides to accept a ceasefire and the GDRC needs to provide a path, such as the Kamerhe plan, to provide some perspective, especially to the FARDC. However, Bernard Sexe, French Poloff in Goma, questioned how there could be a political solution: Nkunda wants power, and what legitimate regime could accept this? ¶3. (SBU) General Gaye opined that the Actes d'Engagement would never be implemented. He also lamented that there is no effective FARDC and that we are paying the price for the failure to implement security sector reform (SSR). The international community must devise an emergency plan for SSR and work together to implement it, in an effort to rebuild totally and mentor strongly the FARDC. This will require a certain amount of cajoling and gentle pushing with the MoD. Furthermore, the CNDP must merge with the FARDC and afterwards commit to take on the FDLR. Standing by the current model, which does not allow integrated CNDP soldiers to remain in the Kivus, is untenable. Gaye's personal opinion, which, he stressed, was not MONUC's position, is that CNDP soldiers should be represented on a proportional basis in all the integrated brigades. ¶4. (SBU) Van de Geer agreed that the lack of coordination among international donors on SSR is a serious problem. He identified the U.S., South Africa, Angola, France and Belgium as all serious about SSR, but said that the last Round Table was a failure and that he will put more pressure on the international community to coordinate in this area. ¶5. (SBU) MONUC's Colonel Cunliffe (UK) mentioned that early views on the new Minister of Defense are not encouraging, and that he is a hardliner. He also raised the idea of using the key sector lead approach as was done in Afghanistan. He explained that in Afghanistan, for example, the EU had the lead in military justice reform while the U.S. had the lead on army reform. This does not mean that the lead nation is the only one involved in any given activity, but that other interested states would fall behind the lead and coordinate with them. ¶6. (SBU) MONUC's Alpha Sow said that it was very important that the IF maintain the progress made with other armed groups in the Kivus and not abandon the Amani program. All of the work with those groups could unravel if we are not careful, he added. ¶7. (SBU) Concerning the FDLR, General Gaye reiterated that the containment strategy, which calls for four zones of operation to contain the FDLR coupled with protecting the population against reprisals, is still valid. The problem is that several battalions must still be trained by MONUC and those that are trained must be equipped. MONUC is ready to provide food, but intelligence and psychological operations support is still needed for the FARDC to be effective. ¶8. (SBU) Sow maintained that the GDRC's commitment to fight the FDLR is weak. Soldiers are consistently diverted to fight the CNDP and the FARDC has consistently violated the ceasefire. Sow suggested that, if the CNDP and the FARDC are kept in their respective corners, MONUC could take care of the FDLR. In Gaye's opinion, the GDRC is facing a crisis, which it is managing with its heart rather than with its mind. ¶9. (SBU) IF members, including USAID TDY officer, noted that Nkunda KINSHASA 00001004 002.2 OF 002 is building coalitions in Ituri, specifically with the Popular Front for Justice in Congo (FPJC). Sharif, the ex-FNI commander who leads the FPJC, is a known associate of Bosco. There is evidence of some financial flows to the FPJC via Bosco. Furthermore, FPJC rhetoric and military strategy are virtually identical to those of the CNDP. BROCK