Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE53811
2009-05-26 23:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

UNSC DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONSULTATIONS MAY 28

Tags:  EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER ZF UNSC 
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VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #3811 1470107
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 262342Z MAY 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 6261
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 9755
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHINGTON DC 0402
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC 3389
UNCLAS STATE 053811 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER ZF UNSC
SUBJECT: UNSC DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONSULTATIONS MAY 28

UNCLAS STATE 053811

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER ZF UNSC
SUBJECT: UNSC DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE CONSULTATIONS MAY 28


1. USUN may draw on the following points in the May 28
consultations of the Security Council Committee established
pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC):

-- The United States thanks the Democratic Republic of the
Congo Sanctions Committee's Group of Experts for its recent
report. The Group of Experts continues to produce thorough,
unbiased reporting, despite the difficult circumstances under
which it operates.

-- The DRC sanctions regime was created to address threats to
peace and security posed by the violence in eastern part of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including: the entry
of arms and other military materiel into the DRC; violations
of human rights and international humanitarian law, in
particular sexual violence against women and girls; the
recruitment and use of children in armed groups; and illegal
exploitation of the natural resources and other sources of
wealth of the DRC. It is troubling that these problems
persist five years after the establishment of the sanctions
regime.

-- The United States supports the Group of Experts
recommendations in its interim report of May 4, 2009, and
urges the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
to:


1. Establish a human rights vetting mechanism for
officers of the DRC Armed Forces, in the context of broader
security sector reform;


2. Implement fully the existing 2002 Mining Code,
facilitate legitimate trade of natural resources, and enhance
transparency, in particular through continued and concerted
steps to prepare for the validation process within the
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; and


3. Seek alternatives to charcoal, the production and sale
of which harm the environment and create financial benefits
for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

-- We share the Group of Experts' concerns about rebel
groups' reported arms caches and note that careful control,
reporting and monitoring of arms flows into the DRC are
important elements of reestablishing security throughout the
country. In this vein, we are concerned by the Group of
Experts reports that there continue to be violations of the
arms embargo. The United States inadvertently erred by
providing military training to the DRC without notifying the
Committee in advance. We regret this oversight, and will
work to ensure this does not happen again. We similarly urge
all Member States to abide by their UN obligations to
implement the arms embargo and comply with the notification
procedures.

-- Lastly, the United States would like to take this
opportunity to express our grave concern over the recent
increase in violent incidents ) both in number and in their
level of brutality ) in the eastern DRC. We concur with the
Group of Experts that dramatic changes to the
political-military context over the past five months have
potentially laid the groundwork for long-term positive
developments. However, the May 9-10 massacre at Busurungi,
which occurred five days after the circulation of the Group
of Experts' draft report and is thus not included in it,
highlights the continuing insecurity and very real dangers to
the Congolese people that this Council, the DRC Committee and
the Group of Experts must all continue to address.
CLINTON