DRC RESPONSE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT)

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000143 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR ISN/MNSA, UNVIE FOR IAEA, USUN FOR POL, USNATO FOR POL, AND USEU FOR POL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AORC CDG ENRG KNNP MNUC PARM PGOV PREL UNGA IAEA, NPT, CG SUBJECT: DRC RESPONSE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT) REF: STATE 6970 ¶1. (SBU) Post sent reftel questions in advance to Alice Kimpembe Bamba, Head of the MFA's International Organizations Directorate. PolCouns followed up with Kimpembe on February ¶10. Kimpembe confided that the GDRC, while supporting the overarching goals of the NPT, did not actively participate in PrepComs or RevCons. According to Kimpembe, disarmament discussions dealing with small arms/light weapons (SALW) were more topical for the DRC. ¶2. (SBU) The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has been working to enhance U.S.-DRC cooperation in the field of nuclear science over the past several years. In particular and in conjunction with the NPT priority to secure nuclear material, the NNSA has been negotiating to repatriate all U.S.-origin nuclear fuel from the DRC's Nuclear Science Research Center (CREN-K). The IAEA's Technical Committee hosted the last meeting with NNSA, State, and the GDRC in November 2008, during which NNSA offered a Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) package of $1-3 million toward a national source storage facility and replacement functionality for the two now defunct Triga nuclear reactors in Kinshasa. While the GDRC may not participate in NPT proceedings, the NNSA will pursue nonproliferation objectives through these negotiations. ¶3. (U) GDRC POC for NPT matters is Alice Kimpembe Bamba (kimpembe alice@yahoo.fr). Embassy POC for NPT issues is PolOff Steele Means (meansjs@state.gov or meansjs@state.sgov.gov). GARVELINK