Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE3498
2009-01-13 22:32:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

GREAT LAKES - TALKING POINTS FOR THE JANUARY 15

Tags:  PREL UNSC XA BY 
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VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3498 0132240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O P 132232Z JAN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 4491
INFO RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 6732
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 9059
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0346
UNCLAS STATE 003498 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC XA BY
SUBJECT: GREAT LAKES - TALKING POINTS FOR THE JANUARY 15
UNSC CONSULTATIONS

UNCLAS STATE 003498

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC XA BY
SUBJECT: GREAT LAKES - TALKING POINTS FOR THE JANUARY 15
UNSC CONSULTATIONS


1. This is an action request. USUN should draw from the
points in para 2 during the January 15 UN Security Council
(UNSC) consultations with Great Lakes Special Envoy Obasanjo.


2. (U) Begin points:

-- We remain seriously concerned about the present situation
in eastern Congo, in particular the humanitarian situation.

-- Reporting from the eastern DRC indicates that up to
150,000 civilians have been displaced due to the fighting of
the last couple months in the eastern regions of the DRC.
The fighting and consequent internal displacement of
civilians exacerbates what was already one of the world,s
most dismal humanitarian situations

-- We encourage the international community and concerned
parties to continue to give their full support to the peace
talks led by UN Special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo and former
Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa. These mediation efforts
between representatives of the Congolese government and the
rebel National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP)
are a positive step forward in bringing stability to the
eastern region of the DRC. We urge all parties to negotiate
in good faith.

-- We further urge all parties to honor their previous
commitments and stop all fighting immediately, to accept the
MONUC disengagement plan, and recommit themselves to full
implementation of the Nairobi and the Goma Agreements.
These agreements provide the necessary and appropriate
framework for re-establishing security and protecting the
local populations. We will continue to urge all parties to
abide by their commitments and respect a cease-fire.

-- We welcome the Council's adoption in December of
Resolution 1857, extending and more clearly defining the
mandate of MONUC. We continue to greatly appreciate MONUC's
continued efforts to protect civilians in the eastern DRC
under the most difficult of circumstances. We urge Member
States to consider contributing the additional troops and
police to MONUC that the Council first authorized in November
under Resolution 1843, and to take concrete steps to ensure
these additional forces can be deployed as soon as possible.
It is crucial MONUC have the resources it needs to fulfill
its mandate.

-- The United States calls on the states in the region, the
African Union and the international community to support the
DRC as it works to consolidate its democracy and capacity to
govern justly its entire territory and urges all DRC
neighboring states to respect the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the DRC.

-- Following up on the findings and recommendations of the
DRC Group of Experts as covered in the Group,s December 2008
report, the international community should continue to
explore more in depth how we can cooperate to ensure armed
groups cannot gain a profit from illegally exporting DRC
natural resources and selling these products on the
international market. The natural resources of the DRC
should be exploited legally and in a manner that truly
benefits the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
RICE