GOR DISCUSSES REGIONAL ECONOMICS & SECURITY WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 000793 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - SUBJECT SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2019 TAGS: PREL ECON EAID MARR PINS KCRM CG RW SUBJECT: GOR DISCUSSES REGIONAL ECONOMICS & SECURITY WITH SPECIAL ADVISOR WOLPE KIGALI 00000793 001.4 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador W. Stuart Symington for reasons 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Senior Rwandan officials led by Health Minister Sezibera met on November 9 with U.S. Great Lakes Special Advisor Dr. Howard Wolpe and urged continued military pressure against the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),action against FDLR leaders living in Europe and the U.S., and support for key initiatives related to regional economic development such as infrastructure, energy and development finance. Special Advisor Wolpe praised Rwanda for its rapprochement with the DRC and cooperation with the DRC and other neighbors on security and economic integration. He noted the importance of continued concerted action against the FDLR that did not do harm to civilians. The GOR officials welcomed the renewed USG focus on the region represented by Wolpe. They agreed with Wolpe that it would be helpful for the USG to facilitate meetings of senior representatives from Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, and Burundi with wide ranging portfolios (including security architecture, but also, perhaps, health and education) as the U.S. had done under Tripartite Plus. They also indicated that they were open to the idea of a regional training retreat for key security sector players to strengthen inter-state cohesion. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) SA Wolpe and Ambassador met on November 9 with a group of senior Rwandan officials, including Health Minister Richard Sezibera, Education Minister Charles Murigande, Defense Minister Marcel Gatsinzi and MFA Permanent Secretary Amb. Eugene Munyakayanza. Other attendees included polcouns and, for the Rwandans, MFA Director General of Bilateral and Multilateral Affairs Joseph Kabakeza. Sezibera led the Rwandan side, though Gatsinzi and Murigande also spoke. ¶3. (C) Sezibera opened by remarking that although Rwanda faced the same challenge from "negative forces" as it did during the late 1990s, the overall environment had changed and there were now "better prospects" for addressing the issues. He thanked Dr. Wolpe for the USG's move to focus on FDLR leadership in the Rwandan diaspora, hoped EU countries would put pressure on FDLR leaders, and said it was "hard to �0A;understand how genocidal leaders" could live and operate freely in Europe. As for dealing with FDLR in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sezibera acknowledged human rights abuses but stressed the need for continued military operations against the FDLR, with MONUC support. Longer-term, he continued, the region needed closer economic integration through key organizations such as the Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL),East African Community (EAC) and COMESA in order to solidify peace and stability. Sezibera urged the USG to explore how best to support such integration in key areas such as tran sportation infrastructure (roads, rail, air),coordinated energy production and distribution, and facilitating the free movement of people, goods and services. On the Tripartite Process, Sezibera said the original goal of the process was to build new security architecture for the region, and "now may be a good time for this." As for the suggestion of a regional training retreat for key security players, he asked Qregional training retreat for key security players, he asked that the USG update the concept notes for this proposed retreat and send them back to the GOR. (Note: The concept notes had previously been presented to Sezibera by Michel Kassa, director of a Congolese training initiative. End Note.) "Your (overall) message is the right one," he concluded, "focusing on peace and economics." ¶4. (C) Echoing Sezibera's comments, Gatsinzi said the regional security situation had much improved over the past two years, with the FDLR and LRA weakened by successive military campaigns and the CNDP's reintegration into the FARDC. The DRC was huge and the FDLR was still not dismantled, but hopefully common efforts by countries in the region and partners would help stabilize the region. Under CEPGL auspices, Gatsinzi continued, the Rwandan and DRC foreign ministers, defense ministers, and military chiefs had met and continue to meet regularly. The EAC provided for similar high-level exchanges among member countries, he added. ¶5. (C) Murigande emphasized the need to "manage the outcry" on human rights issues so the FARDC--with MONUC support--could maintain military pressure on the FDLR. Such pressure needed to continue until the FDLR was completely dismantled and most of its members were repatriated. Regarding FDLR leaders in the West, "we don't understand why there has been no action against them." Europeans went after KIGALI 00000793 002.4 OF 002 Milosevic for crimes committed in ex-Yugoslavia, he said, but have done nothing against FDLR president Ignace Murwanashyaka, whose forces in the DRC have committed similar atrocities. "We implore you" to work with the Europeans to ensure FDLR leaders abroad can no longer support FDLR on the ground. (Note: German police subsequently arrested Murwanashyaka and his deputy. End Note.) Regarding regional economic integration, Murigande agreed that shared economic growth and interests among countries in the region would strengthen regional ties, make youth less inclined to take up arms for a living and ensure long-term regional stability. Within the CEPGL framework, one key project was to build the third and fourth dams on the Rusizi River, in order to nearly double the amount of much-needed energy to individuals and investors in the Rwanda-Burundi-Kivus region. Another was to resuscitate the CEPGL development bank, which could serve as an engine of development in the sub-region. The problem was that the DRC owed large sums of money to the bank (NFI),and faced numerous competing priorities. Donors could help by giving this amount of money to the DRC, specifying that it be used to pay off its loans to the bank. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: The GOR put together a team of heavy hitters to meet simultaneously with Dr. Wolpe. The Rwandans' message was clear: go after the FDLR in the DRC and in the West and help restore stability by underwriting regional economic development. Though not explicitly endorsing a resumption of the Tripartite Plus process, they welcomed the renewed USG role in the region represented by Dr. Wolpe's appointment and said the USG might facilitate interchanges that could help the region move towards a common security architecture and increased cooperation on other issues. END COMMENT. SYMINGTON