DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE HEARS CONCERNS OF NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000254 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC AF ETTC KPKO SUBJECT: DRC SANCTIONS COMMITTEE HEARS CONCERNS OF NEW GROUP OF EXPERTS Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On March 11, the newly-appointed Group of Experts (GOE) briefed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Sanctions Committee on its plan for monitoring implementation of the DRC sanctions measures. The GOE highlighted its concern over regional non-cooperation with the sanctions measures, noted its tenuous relations with MONUC, and sought Committee guidance on issues related to natural resources, human rights, and children's issues. The GOE made several private follow-up requests to USUN, mostly involving requests for information on financial transactions, email correspondence of FDLR-related persons, and U.S. military assistance to the Congolese Army (FARDC). END SUMMARY. UN EXPERTS LAY OUT THEIR PRIORITIES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The DRC Sanctions Committee ("1533 Committee") on March 11 received a briefing from the newly-appointed Group of Experts (GOE). (NOTE: the GOE is a UN-mandated body charged with monitoring implementation of the sanctions measures imposed in the DRC. In December 2008, the Security Council renewed the GOE's mandate through November 2009. END NOTE.) The GOE's coordinator, Dinesh Mahtani (UK, finance expert),introduced the members of his team: Raymond Debelle (Belgium, regional expert),Christian Dietrich (US, aviation expert),Claudio Gramizzi (Italy, arms expert),Mouctar Kokouma Diallo (Guinea, customs expert),and Claudia Seymour (UK, Human Rights and Children's issues expert). Mahtani told the Committee that the GOE intended to implement the same methodology as the previous GOE had, but would widen its exploration of the role played by Rwandan diaspora communities (largely in Europe and some other African nations) in supporting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel gro up. The GOE's core focus, he said, will be on the FDLR's activities in the region, specifically its use of natural resources to support its activities, its blocking of humanitarian assistance, and its recruitment of child soldiers. Mahtani explained that the GOE also plans to explore the state of integration of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) rebel group into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC),as well as the effect of natural resources on the local economy, inflow of arms to rebel groups and possible leaking of arms from the FARDC. The GOE, he told the Committee, plans also to explore the new political and military relations on the ground since the Rwandan military left DRC after its joint operations with the FARDC earlier this year. GOE raises concerns for the Committee's consideration -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The GOE noted to the Committee that the DRC had been the only cooperative state in the region. The GOE reported concern that it would face trouble getting such cooperation from other states in the region, adding that this was a problem the GOE experienced in its last mandate. The GOE explained that it intended to keep the Committee informed of regional state non-cooperation, but also asked for the Committee's assistance in approaching those governments that are not complying with the experts' requests. (COMMENT: The Committee has considered inviting regional representatives to discuss these issues with the Committee; the UK and France, however, have sought to postpone such invitations because of political sensitivities. END COMMENT) ¶4. (SBU) The GOE noted that its limited resources prohibited it from giving due diligence to its mandate to assess the role of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in DRC, but noted it would spend some time looking at the use of aviation and natural resources by the LRA. The GOE cautioned that targeted sanctions against field commanders have been poorly implemented and undermined the relevancy of the sanctions regime. GOE Tenuous Relations with MONUC -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The GOE raised concerns about MONUC's lack of support and cooperation with its work. The GOE reported that the Head of Children Protection for MONUC was particularly uncooperative and that it was difficult to get information from MONUC on human rights and children related issues. The GOE also reported that SRSG Alan Doss had not responded to letters requesting a higher level of cooperation between MONUC and the GOE and Doss had said that the GOE "does not fall under the security protection of the United Nations." ¶6. (C) The U.S. delegate expressed an interest in knowing the GOE's opinions about the effect of targeted sanctions in the field. She also noted U.S. concern about the GOE's difficulties with MONUC, and encouraged the Chair and Secretariat to explore ways to improve MONUC support for the GOE in the field. The Uganda delegate said he was happy to see that the GOE's focus went beyond the FDLR, particularly related to LRA activities and most importantly, abuses against women and children. He asked the GOE if, in their evaluation of the FARDC/CNDP integration process, it would be mindful of the political sensitivities of the process. The GOE said it would. GOE Request US Assistance in Private -------------- ¶7. (C) At a private meeting with USUN, the GOE requested follow-up from the United States on the following outstanding requests for information: -- A previous request (forwarded to the U.S. Department of Treasury) regarding U.S. dollar transactions between Ms. Uwasse's and Mr. Bilal's CitiBank accounts in New York (related to Raphael Soriano) to determine whether there was evidence linked to CNDP accounts in Rwanda. -- Whether Treasury was able to subpoena the information from a PayPal account-used for online donations at www.kivupeace.org, a website used by CNDP for its propaganda, that would include information on the owner of the account and all financial transactions. -- A response to a November 2008 letter from the GOE asking the United States clarify the nature of any U.S. military training provided to the FARDC. (NOTE: On November 19, USUN provided a written response indicating that it would research the matter and inform the group of its findings, which to date has not happened. END NOTE.) -- Access to review the available content from the email correspondence of the previously subpoenaed Yahoo (emutambukat@yahoo.fr and shika95@yahoo.fr) and Gmail accounts (used by Mr. Tribert Rujugiro, rujugiro@gmail.com). Wolff