URGENT DEMARCHE: THREATENED INDIAN PEACEKEEPER

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 000432 SIPDIS FOR AF/C CHRISTOPHER LAMORA AND IO/PSC HEATHER VON BEHREN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2019 TAGS: KPKO PREL UNSC CG IN SF SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE: THREATENED INDIAN PEACEKEEPER WITHDRAWAL FROM DRC REF: A. STATE 18863 ¶B. KINSHASA 195 ¶C. BRUSSELS 289 ¶D. NEW DELHI 396 ¶E. PARIS 298 Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Raymond L. Brown for R easons 1.4 b and d. 1.(C) Deputy Political Counselor met with Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) DRC Desk Officer G. Warnich on March 3 regarding India's plannned withdrawal from MONUC (Ref A). Warnich said he would discuss this development with South African military authorities to determine what action might be appropriate for Pretoria. Warnich was reluctant to assure us that South Africa would try to persuade India to maintain its presence in DRC, and he even suggested that the withdrawal might be manageable and was not unexpected. 2.(C) Comment: DFA's lack of urgency is surprising given that South African troops are deployed in North Kivu. The short-staffed DFA Great Lakes operation continues to tread water between the departure of the former Great Lakes Special Envoy and the expected arrival of his replacement. LA LIME