US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1260

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001260 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2009 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PREL, ASEC, CG 
SUBJECT: CODEL ROYCE MEETS CONGOLESE, U.N. OFFICIALS 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Edward Bestic for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  A CODEL led by U.S. Representative Edward 
Royce met in Kinshasa with senior Congolese and U.N. 
officials on June 28-29.  GDRC Vice President Azarias Ruberwa 
focused mainly on the shortcomings and alleged perfidy of his 
political opponents in the transitional government.  GDRC 
National Assembly President Olivier Kamitatu outlined current 
legislative priorities and spoke of Congolese leaders' 
responsibility to their people.  MONUC chief and SRSG William 
Swing said the transitional government's success is still 
largely superficial in some areas, notably on military 
integration, and said MONUC resources are stretched thin by 
the current crisis.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Additional Codel members included staff members Tom 
Sheehy, Malik Chaka, LTC Tony Steadman, and Ms. Royce. 
 
 
Ruberwa Blames "Others" for Failures... 
--------------------------------------- 
3. (C) Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa, leader of the 
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) ex-rebel movement, was 
generally downcast on the current situation.  Although he 
criticized the "insurrection" by "former RCD officers" in the 
east, Ruberwa condemned "some actors" in the transitional 
government, who think they are still at war.  These 
individuals (NFI) still make key decisions through "parallel 
power structures," and deliberately promote hateful discourse 
in the public media.  (Comment:  These are standard RCD 
complaints, directed at President Kabila and his entourage. 
End Comment.) 
 
4. (C) In Ruberwa's view, the parties to the transitional 
government lack the will and the means to create a single 
unified army.  The international community should reorient 
its aid programs towards military integration, and slow down 
other forms of assistance.  He pleaded for greater USG 
involvement in this respect, and hoped the U.S. would 
"ensure" that the projected mid-July Quadripartite meeting in 
Kinshasa would be a success. 
 
 
...While Kamitatu Accepts Personal Responsibility 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
5. (C) National Assembly President Olivier Kamitatu told 
Codel the main legislative priorities for the near future are 
passing laws on nationality, voter registration and 
elections, and drafting the constitution.  (Note:  Kamitatu 
is Secretary-General of the Congolese Liberation Movement, or 
MLC.  End Note.)  "We need to be open-minded" on nationality 
in order to settle the issue once and for all.  But, he 
noted, even if parliament adopts good laws, the state is too 
weak to apply them.  Kamitatu expressed hope that the 
international community would maintain pressure on the 
Congolese to hold elections, and emphasized the importance of 
local-level elections.  Even after three million deaths and 
five years of war, he said, the Congolese do not want to 
divide their country.  Instead, they want decentralization, 
local decision-making authority, and accountability.  Local 
elected assemblies "are the basis of democracy," should 
exercise authority over the local executives, and not rely on 
Kinshasa to solve local problems. 
 
6. (C) Kamitatu, in response to Congressman Royce's comment 
that the Congolese elite seems to lack a sense of urgency, 
explained that there is indeed such a sense in the interior, 
which is separated from Kinshasa by distance and shattered 
infrastructure.  "It is our responsibility to change the 
Congo... a huge responsibility" to create the conditions for 
peace.  The population in eastern Congo, he said, "will never 
forget the war."  "We need to fight against impunity, this is 
also a moral question for us."  (Comment:  Lip service or 
not, Kamitatu is one of the few leading Congolese politicians 
who speaks in terms of duty and responsibility to the 
population.  His statement regarding impunity puts him at 
odds with GDRC Vice-President and MLC chief Jean-Pierre 
Bemba, who is sensitive to charges that MLC troops committed 
serious human rights abuses during the war.  End Comment.) 
 
 
Swing on Recent Crisis, MONUC's Difficulties 
-------------------------------------------- 
7. (C) MONUC SRSG William Swing, Deputy SRSG Behrooz Sadry, 
and Deputy PolChief Albrecht Conze met with Codel and Emboffs 
on June 29.  In Swing's view, the situation in Congo greatly 
deteriorated in May and June, almost to the point of renewed 
warfare.  The Congolese need to keep the process moving 
forward, otherwise the international community would lose 
interest.  Unfortunately, "the transitional government has 
not jelled."  It looks good on paper, there are lots of 
cabinet meetings, but there is little informal contact 
between former opponents.  The initial euphoria over the 
transition has worn off, goals are slipping, and mistrust 
between the different factions is high.  There has been 
little real military integration so far.  The Belgian-trained 
mixed brigade at Kisangani is ill-paid, ill-equipped, and 
barely supported by the government.  "Without this, training 
is useless," commented Swing, adding later that government 
troops deployed to eastern Congo are the next danger, 
precisely because of such support-related questions. 
 
8. (C) Regarding DDRRR of foreign combatants, Swing said 
MONUC had repatriated 10,000 by March 30, but had made 
virtually no progress over the past two months.  There is not 
much evidence of ex-FAR/Interahamwe fighters continuing to 
serve in government forces, and, significantly, Rwanda and 
MONUC recently agreed that the ex-FAR/I number approximately 
10-15,000 combatants and 30-40,000 family members.  The 
current deployment of government troops to the east should 
actually help in the fight against the ex-FAR/I, and MONUC is 
also trying to go after ex-FAR/I supporters in 
Congo-Brazzaville and Europe, especially Germany, who are an 
important source of funding.  Swing said Rwandan president 
Paul Kagame told him two months ago that eighty percent of 
the ex-FAR/I would return to Rwanda if it were not for "the 
hardliners," therefore it is critical to break their hold. 
If it gets more troops, MONUC can be more aggressive on DDR. 
However, Sadry noted, people's expectations of MONUC exceed 
MONUC's capacity.  The transitional government, for example, 
thinks MONUC is in the Congo to defend the government, the 
population, cities, and property, but MONUC is too weak to do 
this.  "Our mandate has been changed to Chapter 7, but there 
has been no change in capability.  We don't have enough 
strength on the ground to enact Chapter 7." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
9. (C) There were no particular surprises in these meetings. 
All interlocutors welcomed Codel Royce's visit and continued 
interest in the Congo. 
 
10. (U) Codel Royce did not have an opportunity to clear this 
message. 
HOOKS