GOMA PROCESS UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000600 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG SUBJECT: GOMA PROCESS UPDATE REF: A. KINSHASA 593 ¶B. KINSHASA 586 ¶C. KINSHASA 599 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The International Facilitation met July 17 in Goma with Apollinaire Malu Malu, acting SRSG Ross Mountain, and a number of MONUC staff members to discuss a variety of issues related to the Goma process. With respect to the continued non-participation of the CNDP and its set of grievances (refs A and B),the International Facilitation, Malu Malu, and EU Special Envoy Roeland van de Geer will travel to Kirolirwe July 23 to meet with the CNDP leadership in an attempt to bring the organization back into the Amani process. Malu Malu stressed that the plenary of the Joint Technical Commission on Peace and Security needed to reduce the number of regroupment centers for ex-combatants envisioned by the military sub-commission in order to be congruent with funding realities. The group agreed that the $72 million of World Bank funding for DDR will be sufficient, provided that a reasonable number of combatants enter the process, as opposed to the inflated numbers provided by the armed groups. Malu Malu also made clear that Kabila will not discuss the idea of conducting brassage in the Kivus. End summary Upcoming meetings with armed groups -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The International Facilitation met July 17 in Goma with Apollinaire Malu Malu, acting SRSG Ross Mountain, and a number of MONUC staff members to discuss a variety of issues related to the Goma process. With respect to the continued non-participation of the CNDP and its set of grievances (refs A and B),the International Facilitation, Malu Malu, and EU Special Envoy Roeland van de Geer will travel to Kirolirwe July 23 to meet with the CNDP leadership in an attempt to bring the organization back into the Amani process. This follows continued efforts on the part of the U.S. Facilitation - through meetings, telephone conversations, and e-mail exchanges with the CNDP - to accomplish this goal. (Note: Malu Malu distributed the decree on the humanitarian sub-commission provincial structures to the Joint Technical Commission on Peace and Security on July 17, which fulfills a key demand of the CNDP. End note) ¶3. (SBU) The International Facilitation traveled to the Petit Nord July 18 (ref C) to meet with Colonel Mugabo, PARECO military commander for the region. The reasons for this trip were to counter perceptions that the International Facilitation is only interested in CNDP's concerns; prepare for a July 23 meeting between PARECO, van de Geer, Malu Malu, and the International Facilitation; and prepare for a meeting between CNDP, PARECO, the FARDC and the International Facilitation in the near future. ¶4. (SBU) The FRF, like the CNDP, remains outside of the Amani process at the present time. Van de Geer, Malu Malu, and the International Facilitation will travel to Kamombo on July 22 in an effort to talk the FRF back into the process. This meeting will also be used to obtain FRF concurrence for a future meeting between their representatives and those from the FARDC and the Yakatumba Mai Mai. The GDRC plan remains that once the FRF has disengaged, the FARDC will pull out of Minembwe and Monravia and will be replaced by police forces. Disengagement, DDR, and Brassage -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Malu Malu stressed during the July 17 meeting that the plenary of the Joint Technical Commission on Peace and Security needed to reduce the number of regroupment centers for ex-combatants envisioned by the military sub-commission in order to be congruent with funding realities. Mountain noted that he would consult with the World Bank on the possibility of using $4 million to fund regroupment centers (Note: The Bank heretofore has been clear in its opposition to funding such centers. End note) Malu Malu reported that Kabila had said that the GDRC will make an effort to find funding for the centers, but that donor funding would be necessary as well. ¶6. (SBU) The group agreed that the $72 million of World Bank funding for DDR will be sufficient, provided that a reasonable number of combatants enter the process, as opposed to the inflated numbers provided by the armed groups. In this sense, all agreed that the "one man, one weapon" criterion is critical (Note: this criterion holds that one can be designated a combatant eligible for brassage/DDR only if he shows up carrying a weapon. End note) This will inevitably lead to a great number of "ineligibles" as many groups have far more fighters than actual weapons. KINSHASA 00000600 002 OF 002 ¶7. (SBU) Malu Malu said that it will be necessary to put together a kind of alternative community reintegration program for the ineligibles. At the same time, it was recognized that such a program will quickly stall if the armed groups decide to bring a great number of civilians to the program and attempt to pass them off as combatants. ¶8. (SBU) Regarding brassage, Malu Malu made clear that Kabila will not discuss the idea of conducting brassage in the Kivus, but does not object to brassage in Maniema. In terms of financing, the current plan is for donors to "adopt" one or more brassage centers, by which they would provide logistical and financial support for four months of training for the newly constituted integrated brigades. There will also be a continuous International Facilitation presence at the brassage centers for monitoring purposes. ¶9. (SBU) Comment: While there is a reasonable plan now for moving the Goma process forward, the lack of monetary resources and demonstrated political will, from both Kinshasa and the armed groups, will soon manifest as a major obstacle to progress on the ground. End comment. 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