CNDP PARTICIPATES IN AUGUST 6-7 MEETING IN GOMA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000655 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MOPS PREL CG SUBJECT: CNDP PARTICIPATES IN AUGUST 6-7 MEETING IN GOMA OF AMANI PROCESS STEERING COMMITTEE ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Steering Committee of the Amani Process met in Goma August 6-7 with the presence of the CNDP and FRF, which had not participated in recent meetings. Interior Minister Kalume presided over the deliberations with greater assertiveness than Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, the Amani process coordinator. The decision to hold the meeting in Goma was a deliberate ploy by the GDRC to bring greater attention to the Amani process. Future meetings will rotate on a monthly basis between Kinshasa, Goma, and Bukavu. The official commuinique on the meeting (at paras. 5, French text; and 6, unofficial Embassy translation) outlines a number of specific decisions taken in Goma to re-ignite the process. These include beginning immediately a DDR program for groups which have already turned themselves in; prosecuting human rights violations and adopting an operational plan with deadlines. The decision to begin DDR immediately with the 19 armed groups which have already turned themselves in will put the spotlight on General Laurent Nkunda, hopefully pressuring him to demobilize the CNDP. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The two day Steering Committee meeting was well attended, with representatives of the government (para. 3),MONUC (SRSG, Force Commander and North Kivu staff),and the armed groups. Ambassadors of the U.S., the UK and Belgium, as well French Embassy's DCM, attended. The program included two plenary sessions and a meeting with three individual Mai-Mai groups to allow the government, MONUC and the international facilitators to hear groups' concerns and suggestions. In the first plenary session one of the leaders of the armed read a statement signed by all the groups except FRF and CNDP. ¶3. (U) The government was represented by the Interior Minister (the Steering Committee chair),the National Security Advisor, Vice Minister of Defense, and the Amani Coordinators, Fr. Malu Malu and Admiral Didier Etumba. All armed groups were represented by their regular negotiating teams. To everyone's surprise the CNDP and FRF, which had withdrawn from the process in recent weeks, showed up and participated both days. It is unclear if they have returned to the process or simply showed up for this steering committee meeting. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The objective of holding the meeting in Goma instead of Kinshasa, where the two previous steering committee meetings were held, was a deliberate choice by the Government to call attention to the Amani process and to reassure participants that the government and the international community are still committed to the peace process. Interior Minister Kalume was clearly more assertive (see communique below) than Amani process coordinator Fr. Malu Malu, who takes a more collaborative approach. It will be interesting to see the reaction to this meeting of the armed groups, particularly the CNDP and FRF. The CNDP, led by General Laurent Nkunda, is by far the most important of the six armed groups (of a total of 23) that have thus far refused to lay down their arms. The decision to begin DDR immediately with those armed groups that have turned themselves in will put the spotlight on Nkunda and, it is hoped, result in greater pressure on him to demobilize. End comment. ¶5. (U) Following is original text in French of the official communique of the meeting (informal English translation is at para. 6): Begin Communique (original French text) COMMUNIQUE IL S'EST TENU EN DATE DU 6 AU 7 AOUT 2008 A GOMA SOUS LA PRESIDENCE DU MINISTRE D'ETAT EN CHARGE DE L'INTERIEUR, DECENTRALISATION ET SECURITE UNE REUNION DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE DU PROGRAMME AMANI ELARGI A LA FACILITATION INTERNATIONALE. LE COMITE A ENTENDU LE RAPPORT DE LA COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE SUR L'ETAT D'AVANCEMENT DES TRAVAUX DE LADITE COMMISSION ET LES PREOCCUPATIONS DES GROUPES ARMES SIGNATAIRES DES ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT. LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE S'EST REJOUIS DU RETOUR DANS LE PROCESSUS DU CNDP ET DES FRF ET A RAPPELE A TOUS LES GROUPES LEUR RESPONSABILITE DE PARTICIPER AUX TRAVAUX SANS CONDITIONS PREALABLES, CONFORMEMENT AUX ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT. A L'ISSUE DE CETTE RENCONTRE, LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DECIDE CE QUI SUIT : - ACCELERATION DU PROCESSUS AMANI ; - FINALISATION ET ADOPTION DU PLAN DE DESENGAGEMENT DANS LE PLUS BREF DELAI ; - LANCEMENT IMMEDIAT DU PROGRAMME DDR POUR LES GROUPES QUI SE SONT DEJA REGROUPES SPONTANEMENT ; KINSHASA 00000655 002 OF 002 - RETABLISSEMENT DE L'AUTORITE DE L'ETAT SUR TOUTE L'ETENDUE DES PROVINCES DU NORD-KIVU ET DU SUD-KIVU ; - DEMANTELEMENT DE TOUTES LES BARRIERES IRREGULIERES ET LIBRE CIRCULATION DES PERSONNES ET DES BIENS ; - POURSUITE JUDICIAIRE SYSTEMATIQUE A L'ENCONTRE DE TOUTES VIOLATIONS DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET SPECIFIQUEMENT DES VIOLENCES SEXUELLES ; - PRISE EN COMPTE ET EXAMEN PAR LA CTMPS DES TOUTES LES PREOCCUPATIONS DES DIFFERENTS GROUPES ARMES ; - TENUE D'UNE REUNION TOUTES LES DEUX SEMAINES DE LA PLENIERE DE LA COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE (CTMPS) ; - TENUE D'UNE REUNION MENSUELLE DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE ALTERNANT ENTRE BUKAVU, GOMA ET KINSHASA. LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DONNE UNE SERIE D'INSTRUCTIONS A LA CTMPS ET DEMANDE A CE QUE LA COMMISSION ADOPTE UN PLAN OPERATIONNEL AVEC DES DELAIS PRECIS DE SA MISE EN QUVRE. FAIT A GOMA, LE 7 AOUT 2008 DENIS KALUME NUMBI MINISTRE D'ETAT End Communique (original text in French) ¶6. Following is unofficial Embassy translation of communique: Begin unofficial translation Communique A meeting of the expanded Steering Committee of the Amani Process, including International Facilitation, was held August 6-7 in Goma under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Interior, Decentralization and Security. The Committee listened to the report of the mixed Technical Commission for Peace and Security on the state of progress of said Commission's activities and the concerns of armed groups that are signatories of the Goma Agreement. The Steering Committee was pleased by the return of the CNDP and FRF to the process and reminded all groups of their obligation to participate in the process without pre-conditions in accordance with the Goma Agreement. Following the meeting the Steering Committee decided the following: - To speed up the Amani process; - To finalize and adopt the disengagement plan as quickly as possible; - To launch immediately the DDR program for groups which have already turned themselves in spontaneously; - To reestablish the authority of the state throughout the provinces of North and South Kivu; - To dismantle all irregular barriers to the free circulation of persons and goods; - To legally prosecute in a systematic way all human rights violations and, specifically, acts of sexual violence; - To have the Mixed Technical Commission for Peace and Security (CTMPS) take into account and consider all concerns of the different armed groups; - To hold a meeting every two weeks of the plenary of the CTMPS; - To hold a monthly meeting of the Steering Committee, rotating between Bukavu, Goma and Kinshasa. The Steering Committee has given instructions to the CTMPS and has asked the Commission to adopt an operational plan with specific deadlines for the plan's implementation. Signed in Goma, August 7, 2008 Denis Kalume Numbi Minister of State End unofficial translation