READ-OUT OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL MAY 17 MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000329

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO RW
SUBJECT: READ-OUT OF UN SECURITY COUNCIL MAY 17 MEETING
WITH PRESIDENT KAGAME

REF: KIGALI 315

Classified By: CDA Cheryl Sim for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) A local diplomatic mission (protect) shared with us
its written report on the UN Security Council team,s May 17
meeting with President Paul Kagame. The meeting preceded a
separate discussion between Kagame and U.S. Permanent
Representative to the UN Ambassador Susan Rice (reftel) and
covered similar ground.


2. (C) The report included the following points:

- Kagame said the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC)
increased "ownership" of the problem of the Democratic Forces
for the Liberation of Rwanda's (FDLR) persistent presence in
the DRC had been an essential first step toward Rwanda-DRC
cooperation. That cooperation allowed for the successful
joint Rwanda-DRC military operation in February. While
acknowledging the Congolese government's need for a "time
limit" on the presence of Rwandan troops there, Kagame said
he welcomed another opportunity to "work together with Kabila
on the kind of work that would give us significant results"
in the DRC.

- Responding to concerns of UNSC members regarding human
rights violations and illegal mineral exploitation in the
DRC, Kagame called them "symptoms" of the larger problems
caused by the FDLR's presence in eastern Congo and the lack
of effective security and governance throughout the DRC. He
suggested dealing with these "root causes" would be more
"beneficial and legitimate" steps toward improvements in the
DRC.

- Kagame was critical of MONUC: "Why pay $1 billion a year
for a mission that doesn't produce anything?" He unfavorably
compared the force's effectiveness to the joint Rwanda-DRC
operation and said "2,000 more capable troops with
intelligence back-up could really make a difference" in the
DRC instead of 17,000 peacekeepers.

- When questioned by the UNSC about his views on
international justice, Kagame said he was "skeptical" about
the International Criminal Court's investigations and
characterized them "selective justice." He called the
principle of universal jurisdiction, which allowed for the
issuance of indictments against senior Rwandan leadership, "a
recipe for chaos." Kagame said specifically mandated courts,
such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, would
be better equipped to deal with impunity in the case of poor
national justice systems.


3. (C) Comment: In a performance deemed "impressive" by the
UNSC team, President Kagame raised a standard list of Rwandan
concerns about the DRC, international justice and universal
jurisdiction in the meeting. Most concretely, he focused on
the continuing need for joint action against the FDLR, and
criticized MONUC for its lack of effectiveness. These are
all familiar themes in Kagame's public discourse, points the
UNSC members received in person. End comment
SIM