UN STRESSES NEED FOR MONUC TO SUPPORT KIMIA II;

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001061 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XY CG RW SUBJECT: UN STRESSES NEED FOR MONUC TO SUPPORT KIMIA II; COUNCIL AGREES REF: TURNER/IO UNCLASS EMAIL: 11/19/09 2:27 PM ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: DPKO A/SYG Mulet requested continued Security Council support for MONUC's assistance to DRC army's (FARDC) "Kimia II" operation against the FLDR. He said both military and political pressure were needed to address the FDLR threat, and outlined MONUC's plan to clear out the FDLR, hold gained ground, and build DRC's security sector capacity. Mulet acknowledged the heavy humanitarian toll caused by the operations. He said MONUC and the UN Office of Legal Affairs had issued a policy paper which stipulated MONUC's conditionality in its support to the FARDC. All Council members encouraged MONUC to continue to support the FARDC in Kimia II, while calling for increased civilian protection. END SUMMARY. THE UN SAYS KIMIA II NEEDS MILITARY SUPPORT... ¶2. (SBU) DPKO A/SYG Mulet briefed the Council on November 19 in closed consultations on MONUC's involvement with the DRC army's (FARDC) "Kimia II" operation against the Hutu-rebel group FDLR in the Kivus (see ref. email for full briefing text). Mulet stressed the need for continued MONUC participation in Kimia II, even though some UN bodies and many NGOs were calling for MONUC to withdraw its support. He said military pressure is working and yielding concrete results. ...WITHOUT PAUSE... ¶3. (SBU) Mulet said that suspending MONUC support for the operation could encourage the FDLR. He cited the October 19 suspension of Kimia II to allow EUSEC to conduct a census on newly integrated combatants, which resulted in the FDLR attacking FARDC positions. Mulet commented that the UN recognized that no lasting peace in eastern DRC could be established without addressing the presence of the FDLR. ...AS WELL AS POLITICAL SUPPORT ¶4. (SBU) Mulet noted that military action was not sufficient, and called for increased political pressure against the FDLR Diaspora, which funded and directed many FDLR activities in the Kivus. Mulet acknowledged many grave human rights abuses, and expected more reports to come. MONUC'S PLAN-INCLUDES GREATER CONDITIONALITY ¶5. (SBU) Mulet outlined MONUC's plan as: 1) help the FARDC clear areas of the FDLR; 2) assist the FARDC in holding areas taken through military operations; and 3) build capacity in the DRC security sector, especially in the east. Mulet said that MONUC and the UN Office of Legal Affairs had written a policy paper which states, inter alia, that no UN support would be available to FARDC elements if there existed a substantial belief of a risk of human rights or other violations. Mulet reported that the UN will send an inter-agency team to the DRC to explore how to best implement its conditionality policy with the FARDC. DRC AND RWANDA MUST DEFINE END STATE FOR FDLR, INCREASE DDRRR ¶6. (SBU) Mulet said that the UN will work with both the GDRC and the Rwandan government to define the end state for addressing the FDLR issue. He noted that at present there is no plan for when operations against the FDLR should end. Mulet also said that MONUC would enhance its efforts with the DRC and Rwanda to encourage disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement, and reintegration (DDRRR). COUNCIL SUPPORTS MONUC, CALLS FOR GREATER CONDITIONALITY ¶7. (SBU) All Council members encouraged MONUC to continue to support the FARDC in Kimia II, and called for increased civilian protection. Ambassador DiCarlo expressed support for MONUC's DDRRR efforts, and encouraged it to do even more. She was joined by most members in calling for increased conditionality. Austrian PermRep Mayr-Harting said MONUC's mandate renewal must be comprehensive and should include protection of civilian requirements from SCR 1894. RICE