UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING RWANDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000346

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018
TAGS: RW PREL UNSC PGOV ETTC
SUBJECT: UNSC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING RWANDA
RECOMMENDED FOR TERMINATION

REF: STATE 35385

Classified By: Minister Counselor Jeffrey DeLaurentis for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: During informal consultations of the UNSC
Committee established pursuant to resolution 918 (1994)
concerning Rwanda, delegations agreed to the Indonesian
Chair's proposal to recommend termination of the committee,
which has been largely inactive for the past decade. The UK,
China, and the U.S. spoke in favor of the recommendation, and
the Belgian delegation expressed its readiness to support the
committee's termination but said the timing should not be
rushed. The Chair will prepare an oral report for the
Security Council, the substance of which it will first
circulate at the expert level. End summary.


2. (C) The Security Council's sanctions committee concerning
Rwanda met informally April 11 and agreed to the Indonesian
Chair's proposal to recommend to the Council the termination
of the committee. The Chair justified the proposal by
explaining that the committee has no monitoring mechanism and
there have been no arms transfers violating its provisions,
and by noting Rwanda's stability, the 2007 DRC - Rwanda
agreement, and the DRC sanctions regime.


3. (C) The UK representative offered strong support for
ending the committee, and said the issue of timing is a
technical rather than a political issue. He recommended that
the Council also consider whether obligations under UNSC 1011
(1995) should be continued. These obligations prohibit the
sale and supply of arms and related material to
non-governmental forces for use in Rwanda, as well as the
transfer of arms or related material sold or supplied to the
Government of Rwanda to neighboring States.


4. (C) The Belgian representative welcomed the Indonesian
initiative and signaled readiness to support terminating the
committee. He said the Council should not rush this,
however, in order to avoid the timing being perceived as an
unwanted political signal. He added that Belgium is not
prepared at this stage to abolish UNSC 1011 measures but
would be willing to take a closer look.


5. (C) The Chinese and our delegation also spoke in favor of
terminating the committee. The Chair then offered to prepare
an oral presentation for the Council drawing attention to the
committee's views and recognizing Belgium's nuanced view
regarding timing. Committee members agreed with this
approach, and the Chair will circulate the substance of this
report at the expert level before giving it to the Council
for consideration.
Khalilzad