MONUC AT THE UN: "ZERO TOLERANCE" FOR SEXUAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000687 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC CG XA ZF RW SUBJECT: MONUC AT THE UN: "ZERO TOLERANCE" FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN DRC ARMY ¶1. (SBU) ACTION REQUESTS: PLEASE SEE PARAGRAPHS 11 AND 12. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY. MONUC SRSG Doss on July 10 told the Security Council that significant progress was being made on integrating the DRC army (FARDC) and combating the FDLR and LRA rebel groups. He warned of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC due to FDLR reprisals. Doss made another pleas for an additional 16 helicopters for MONUC and intelligence on the armed groups. Doss said DRC President Kabila had announced a "zero tolerance" policy for the FARDC and that Kabila had suspended the "infamous five" (senior FARDC officers accused of sexual violence) from positions of command. Ambassador DiCarlo noted the critical need to address sexual violence and the humanitarian situation in the east, and expressed appreciation for MONUC's innovative efforts to protect civilians. The Council President (Uganda) delivered a press statement, proposed by Costa Rica through France, that expressed support for MONUC, welcomed the recent announcement by Congolese authorities of a "zero tolerance" policy on misconduct by the armed forces, and encouraged those authorities to take further steps in this regard. In a bilateral meeting between Doss and Ambassador Rice on July 9, Doss asked the U.S. for real-time intelligence, especially information on the location of FDLR and LRA members. He told Rice he has been considering including in the next MONUC report a suggestion that a way be found for the international community to provide $150 million to pay FARDC troops in the belief that the troops would then behave responsibly during the orderly drawdown of both the FARDC and MONUC. END SUMMARY. PROGRESS TOWARDS TROOP INTEGRATION AND AGAINST THE FDLR ¶3. (SBU) On July 10, UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) Alan Doss told the Security Council in an open session that since his last report three months ago, MONUC has made significant progress in two of its mandated tasks: 1) the integration of former rebel combatants into DRC's national army (FARDC) and 2) operations "Kimia II" to combat the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR),and Rudia II to combat the Lord's Resistance Army of Uganda (LRA). Doss said that the DRC is presently experiencing grave humanitarian consequences at the 
hands of these rebel groups. ¶4. (SBU) MONUC's capacity is stretched thin, Doss stated, with about two-thirds of the troops in the Kivus, and another 20 percent stationed in LRA-affected north DRC. Although he explained that the arrival of the additional troops mandated in SCR 1843 would alleviate some of the problem, the opposition from rebel groups remains strong. He described the initial success of Operation Kimia II against the FDLR in South Kivu, noting the rebel group has already lost some of its hold in certain areas and MONUC's achievement of repatriating 10,000 Rwandans since January 2009, 1,206 of whom were former combatants. In Operation Rudia II against the LRA, Doss said 109 LRA members had been killed and 115 arrested. However, he expressed concern about the LRA's increased abduction of children, who are then trained as soldiers in order to replenish LRA's lost troops. Doss repeated his request to the Council for 16 additional military helicopters and aerial forces needed to track and combat rebel groups, and specifically asked for intelligence from international partners on the armed groups in the DRC. "ZERO TOLERANCE" FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE FARDC ¶5. (SBU) Doss described the deepened cooperation between the FARDC and MONUC, particularly in addressing the scourge of sexual violence. He noted that President Kabila announced a "zero tolerance" attitude towards FARDC soldiers accused of sexual violence and said Kabila was sending his Minister of Defense to all military commands to convey that commanders would be held accountable for the actions of their troops. Doss confirmed that Kabila had ordered the removal from command of the four senior FARDC officers given to the DRC government by the Security Council during its visit to Kinshasa on May 19, and that military tribunals were to be called to bring those four to justice (Note: the fifth named officer of the "infamous five" was already in custody on other charges. End Note). MONUC TO TRAIN FARDC ¶6. (SBU) MONUC would train two FARDC brigades this year, Doss said, and an additional two in May 2010. He thanked Tanzania for offering 200 trainers to help the FARDC integrate its diverse elements, primarily former militia members in the USUN NEW Y 00000687 002 OF 003 east. Doss noted that the FARDC army, with all its problems and abuses, was the "political price for peace," and he lauded the improved bilateral Rwandan/DRC relationship. Doss also expressed hope for local elections to be held in early 2010 in the DRC, but commented they would require logistical support from the international community. SEXUAL VIOLENCE OF GRAVE CONCERN TO THE COUNCIL ¶7. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo, as the meeting continued in closed consultations, acknowledged some of the recent positive developments in eastern DRC, but noted the critical need to address the problem of sexual violence and the grave humanitarian situation stemming from the "Kimia II" operation. She expressed appreciation for MONUC's innovative efforts to protect civilians, and suggested the possibility of replicating its successful approaches in other UN missions. ¶8. (SBU) All Council members condemned the human rights abuses, humanitarian violations, sexual crimes, violence against women and children, and attacks on civilians by the FDLR and LRA. There was widespread agreement on the need to end impunity for members of the FARDC as well as to promote regional cooperation, especially between the DRC and Rwanda. Finally, there was general consensus on the need to pursue a multidimensional--as opposed to a purely military--approach to security sector reform. France called for measurable benchmarks with which to judge MONUC's ability to perform its mandate. Mexico requested additional information on MONUC's limitations regarding its ability to protect civilians. Burkina Faso encouraged greater cooperation in planning military operations between MONUC and the FARDC. The UK suggested a "consortium of the willing" for international donors to assist with a coordinated program for security sector reform. PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED TO SUPPORT MONUC AND CONDEMN ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS ¶9. (SBU) France, at the request of Costa Rica, tabled a press statement expressing, inter alia, the Council's full support for MONUC's efforts to protect civilians and its grave concern regarding targeted attacks against civilians. Ambassador DiCarlo expressed support for this press statement, but noted the need for a strong Council message of concern if the DRC government failed to act on its commitments to address sexual violence and hold the "infamous five" to account. Ugandan PermRep Rugunda, as President of the Security Council for July, delivered the remarks to the press following the session. DOSS TELLS U.S. HIS PLAN TO DEAL WITH FDLR ¶10. (SBU) In a bilateral meeting with Ambassador Rice on July 9, Doss confirmed Kabila had ordered the removal of the "infamous five" from their positions of command. Doss asked for time, until the end of July, to pressure Kabila quietly to hold the "five" accountable before anyone "name and shame" the DRC government. On the issue of how to address the FDLR, Doss suggested keeping them "bottled up" by using special operations forces and by offering incentives to those FDLR members not connected to the Rwandan genocide, including the possibility of offering DRC citizenship to those with a genuine claim and to resettle them elsewhere the DRC. He said Rwanda could be more forthcoming in welcoming home FDLR members, but noted that no reports of Rwandan abuse of returnees had surfaced. DOSS ASKS THE U.S. FOR REAL-TIME INTELLIGENCE HELP... ¶11. (SBU) Doss requested additional intelligence access from the U.S., especially regarding real-time position information for members of the LRA and FDLR. ACTION REQUEST: USUN seeks guidance from the Department regarding this request. ... AND HELP IN GETTING THE 16 HELICOPTERS ¶12. (SBU) In response to Ambassador Rice's question regarding what other nations could provide the 16 additional military utility helicopters authorized in SCR 1856, Doss said South Africa, Switzerland, Peru, Moldova, and Ukraine were potential donors. ACTION REQUEST: USUN requests that the Department includes these countries in its efforts to identify additional air support for MONUC. DOSS' IDEA TO PAY TROOPS TO DRAW FARDC DOWN ¶13. (SBU) Finally, Doss said he realized that it makes little USUN NEW Y 00000687 003 OF 003 long-term sense to maintain a massive FARDC to counter a total of 6,000 FDLR and LRA combatants. He said that in the shorter term, however, "Kabila can't put 50,000 former FARDC troops on the street at once." He said that FARDC troops tended to behave properly and perform professionally when they got paid regularly. He said he is considering inclusion in the next SYG report on MONUC a suggestion that the international community find a way to raise the $150 million it would take to pay all FARDC troops for a year to ensure an orderly drawdown of the army and set the stage for MONUC's own eventual drawdown. RICE