US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1271

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: TRAINING THE CONGOLESE POLICE IN TIME FOR ELECTIONS 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Gons Nachman for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (C) Summary. In recent meetings with Congressman Royce and 
Charge, SRSG Swing stressed the importance of having at least 
6,000 well-trained and equipped police to provide security 
for elections. The GDRC officially agrees that training an 
electoral police is a top priority, but has not committed 
sufficient funds to this end. France is currently training 
two integrated police units in Kinshasa which will total 2000 
by the end of September. Greater support from the broader 
international community will be needed, however, to 
successfully train and equip the force MONUC envisions and 
which we agree is needed. End Summary. 
 
Current Training is a Good Initiative but Much More is Needed 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Poloff spoke with a MONUC Civ Pol source in Kinshasa 
on July 2, about current training programs for the Congolese 
police. The source indicated that France has a bilateral 
assistance program to train 1000 policemen from the Rapid 
Intervention Police (PIR). Five hundred of these individuals 
have already completed their training and the rest will begin 
training in September. This training focuses on crowd 
control. 
 
3. (SBU) Another initiative is to establish an Institutional 
Police Unit (IPU), financed by the European Union and also 
implemented by France. This program seeks to relieve MONUC's 
Neutral Force in Kinshasa of tasks such as guarding the 
airport and maintaining security perimeters by replacing 
MONUC elements with 1000 police. In addition to training, 
France will also provide them with equipment to assist them 
in carrying out their duties. 
 
4. (C) The MONUC source said that the French were impressed 
by the quality of Congolese participating in this training. 
He also added that they had displayed a willingness to work 
together, regardless of their association with the various 
former government and rebel components. However, MONUC 
remains concerned about long term morale problems due to low 
salaries (currently $5-10 per month) and lack of proper 
logistical support from the GDRC. The only security unit that 
is well-equipped at this time is the Special Presidential 
Security Guard (GSSP.) The national police lack vehicles, 
communications equipment and arms. After the PIR and IPU 
units complete their training in October, they will receive 
equipment from the French. However, this will only represent 
2000 properly trained and equipped Congolese police officers 
providing security in Kinshasa, a city of over 6 million 
people. 
 
GDRC: Priority is Training Electoral Police 
------------------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Vice Minister of Interior, Paul Musafiri, told poloff 
on June 30th that the GDRC's top priority for the police was 
training a force to provide security during the elections. He 
said that since the DRC doesn't have experience with 
elections, the country needs to prepare police officers who 
understand the specific challenges of the electoral process 
and how to deal with them. 
 
7. (C) Musafiri acknowledged the serious challenges facing 
the Congolese police. He said that most current policemen are 
former soldiers who have not received any training in crowd 
control and who would be ill-suited for the elections. He 
also acknowledged lack of proper equipment and logistical 
support. However, he noted that the GDRC has very limited 
resources and would need the assistance of the international 
community to properly train and equip a police force in time 
for the elections. 
 
 
MONUC Plans to do Training but is Concerned About Resources 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
8. (C) Poloff spoke with MONUC Civil Police (CivPol) Advisor 
to the SRSG, Major Thomas Charles, on July 7. Charles said 
that MONUC's CivPol was taking a realistic approach to 
training the Congolese police for the elections and would try 
to do its best with the limited resources available. He 
explained that MONUC would ideally like to train 20,000 
officers for the elections, but given the lack of time and 
money, they would plan on training 6,000. This figure 
represents the minimum force necessary to provide security 
during the electoral process. In light of this smaller force, 
MONUC will seek to have these police posted to the larger 
urban centers and places that are most likely to face 
security risks, such as the East. 
 
9. (C) According to Charles, training will include 
refurbishing centers and will require a minimum of two months 
(Note: Currently there is only one operational training 
center in the DRC located in Kisangani. End Note.) MONUC 
estimates this training will cost $30 million. Charles stated 
that the GDRC allocated only $3 million for the police for 
the current year and have said that they lack further funds. 
He also noted that aside from training, the police will also 
need equipment and a guarantee of salaries for at least 4 
weeks to ensure that they will actually start working. 
 
10. (C) Charles was candid about his concerns over security 
during the electoral period. He indicated that the first 
electoral police units would only be ready in February of 
2005 and that the entire force would not be operational 
before April 2005. He noted that this schedule does not fit 
well with the pre-electoral period, starting with voter 
registration, which could start as soon as November 2004, 
which could be a time of increased tensions and potential 
civil unrest. In his view, both the Congolese and the 
international community should devote greater attention to 
the need for security during the electoral process, and try 
to accelerate the training schedule. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
11. (C) The current training of two police units by France to 
provide security and crowd control in Kinshasa is much 
needed, since the Congolese police have not received any 
professional training for several years. Although the GDRC 
has said training the electoral police is a top priority, it 
has so far failed to back its statements with the necessary 
funds for training, supporting and paying the police. MONUC's 
plans to train an electoral police should be encouraged and 
supported, as security will be a key element in organizing 
and conducting free, transparent, and legitimate elections in 
the DRC. 
HOOKS