UNSC DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE ARMS EMBARGO

UNCLAS STATE 070831

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER ZF UNSC
SUBJECT: UNSC DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE ARMS EMBARGO
EXEMPTION (AF/RSA)


1. This is an action request. USUN is requested to send a
letter to the Chair of the Security Council Committee
established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the
Democratic Republic of the Congo ("the DRC Sanctions
Committee" - www.un.org/sc/committees/1533/index.shtml) with
the information found in para 2 below in connection with
United States' military training programs for the Government
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

--------------
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
--------------

2. The strategic objective is for the United States to comply
with its UN obligation to notify the DRC Sanctions Committee
in advance of any shipment of arms and related materiel for
the DRC or any provision of assistance, advice or training
related to military activities in the DRC. Advance arms
embargo exemption requests to the DRC Sanctions Committee
should contain all relevant information, including, where
appropriate, the end-user, the proposed date of delivery and
the itinerary of shipments (per operative paragraph 5 of UN
Security Council resolution 1807 (2008)).

--------------
LETTER
--------------

3. The United States inadvertently erred by providing
military training and assistance to the Government of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) without notifying in
advance the Security Council Committee established pursuant
to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the DRC. We regret this
oversight, and will work to ensure this does not happen
again. Additionally, the United States requests approval
consistent with paragraph 5 of UN Security Council resolution
1807 (2008) in connection with its efforts to support
security sector reform in the DRC by providing additional
military training and equipment to the Government of the DRC.
Finally, the United States requests the Chair share this
information with the Group of Experts established pursuant to
resolution 1533 (2004) and thank them for their continuing
diligence in ensuring all UN Member States comply with the
measures renewed by resolution 1857 (2008).

The United States Government (USG) has provided the following
training and assistance to the Government of the DRC:

- Military Information Support Team: The USG sent a team to
eastern DRC to assist the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and
the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) in developing and
delivering messages to negative forces in eastern DRC,
particularly the FDLR, urging them to demobilize. (February
) September 2009)

- HIV/AIDS Conference: The USG provided an HIV/AIDS
prevention program within the FARDC. (One week in December
2008)

- Anti-Corruption Seminar: The USG provided two "Legal
Aspects of Combating Corruption" seminars in a regional
capital outside of Kinshasa. (One week in February and one
week in March 2009)

- Center for Civil Military Relations: The USG provided two
seminars on the role of the military in a peacetime period.
(February 2008, July 2008)

- Defense Resource Management Initiative Seminar: The USG
conducted a seminar to provide an overview of defense
resource management to the FARDC. (March 2009)

- Defense Acquisition Management Seminar: The USG conducted
a seminar to provide an overview of planning and acquisition
best practices. (February 2009)

- DRC Military Officer Professionalization Training: The USG
provided support to the professionalization of the FARDC
through training officers at the brigade and battalion
commander levels. Training included courses in leadership,
human rights issues, and basic officer skills. Officer
training took place outside of Kinshasa at the Groupement des
Ecoles Superieures Militaires. (September 2007 ) September
2010)

- Refurbishments to Officer Training Center: The USG funded
physical infrastructure improvements at the Groupement des
Ecoles Superieures Militaires to allow for a more
professional environment for the military to learn. (November
2007 - January 2009)

- Officer Training Center - Operations and Maintenance
Training: The USG provided operations and maintenance
assistance and training to support the FARDC training center
for six months to build the capacity of the FARDC to operate
and maintain its facilities. (April ) August 2009)

- Military Justice Training: The USG provided four
iterations of sex crimes investigations training for FARDC
military magistrates, prosecutors and investigators.
Additional training is now being provided to focus on
building the capacity of the Ministry of Defense to properly
discipline the military, particularly in regard to addressing
crimes committed by FARDC personnel in eastern Congo, and
educating FARDC personnel on human rights issues.
Participants received Congolese law books and investigator
kits. (February 2008 ) September 2011)

- Advisory Support to the Ministry of Defense: The USG
supports building the institutional capacity of the Ministry
of Defense (MoD) by offering an advisor to assist in the
development of a comprehensive training strategy for the
FARDC. The advisor works with the MoD and the Chief of
Defense to ensure necessary support (i.e., pay, food,
clothing, lodging, transport, etc) of the FARDC personnel who
will participate in upcoming Rapid Reaction Force training.
(September 2008 ) September 2010)


Additionally, the United States requests approval consistent
with paragraph 5 of UN Security Council resolution 1807
(2008) in connection with its efforts to support security
sector reform in the DRC by providing the following military
training to the Government of the DRC:

- Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) Training to Address Negative
Forces in Eastern DRC: The USG requests to provide training
and equipment to the FARDC to support a light infantry
battalion. The assistance package, worth $20,000,000, will
include refurbishments to a training center in Kisangani,
commander and instructor training in Kinshasa, and training
and equipping of a FARDC battalion in Kisangani. The
training would be conducted by U.S. military officers and
U.S. contractors. The purpose of this training would be to
develop a model unit that is well-trained, led, equipped, and
supported by the Government of the DRC. A subset of the
successfully trained FARDC officers would then be able to
serve as future trainers in training activities undertaken by
the FARDC itself. (June 2009 ) August 2010)

- HIV/AIDS Conference: The USG would like to provide another
HIV/AIDS prevention program within the FARDC. (One week in
December 2009)

- Anti-Corruption Seminar: The USG would like to provide the
FARDC another "Legal Aspects of Combating Corruption" seminar
in a regional capital outside of Kinshasa. (One week in
September 2009)

- English Language Training and Labs: The USG requests to
provide the FARDC training and equipment to support English
language training and technical assistance to establish
English language training labs in Kinshasa. (October )
December 2009)


Finally, the USG would like to provide the following
equipment for use during the Rapid Reaction Force (RRF)
Training to Address Negative Forces in Eastern DRC:
- Trucks, to transport students to various training
activities (3-6 carrying trucks or 1-2 buses - Rentals)
- Binoculars, waterproof, 8x40 (20)
- Radios handheld with batteries (15)
- Global Positioning Satellite / Navigation set (20)
- Compasses (220)
- Chem lights for signaling and marking sites (1,000)
- Medic aid bags-M17 series (4)
- Protractors for map reading (400).
- Litters/stretchers (5)
- Map sheets, 1:50,000 series, for navigation training (400)
- Moulage kits/first aid kits (1)

END LETTER


4. Department appreciates Mission's efforts.
CLINTON