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