US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1302

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001302 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2009 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PREL, MARR, EAID, CG 
SUBJECT: DONOR COUNTRIES SET UP COMMITTEE ON MILITARY, 
POLICE REFORM 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Edward Bestic for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following up on earlier discussions, MONUC 
and member states on July 13 set up a committee on Security 
Sector Reform (SSR).  The committee includes representatives 
from the GDRC plus MONUC, the World Bank, and major 
embassies; it will meet monthly to coordinate donor efforts 
and assist the GDRC with planning and implementing SSR.  The 
committee is potentially useful mechanism for coordinating 
donor activities (a problem in the past) and spurring the 
GDRC to action.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Setting up the Committee 
------------------------ 
2. (U) MONUC SRSG William Swing convened on July 13 the first 
meeting of a Security Sector Reform (SSR) Coordination 
Committee, as discussed at SSR meetings in New York in 
February and June 2004.  This committee will meet monthly to 
coordinate donor efforts and assist the GDRC in planning and 
implementing security reform.  It will focus on three areas: 
police reform, military integration, and Disarmament, 
Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR).  Initial committee 
members include the GDRC, U.S., UK, EU, France, Belgium, 
Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Germany, South 
Africa, Angola, MONUC, and World Bank.  A separate, 
working-level group composed of the same member countries and 
organizations will meet weekly, and MONUC will create a small 
SSR cell, which will act as the committee's secretariat. 
 
GDRC Participation 
------------------ 
3. (SBU) Evariste Boshab (President Kabila's cabinet 
director) and Daniel Kawata (head of the national DDR 
commission), represented the GDRC at this first meeting. 
Boshab said police and military integration are the GDRC's 
top priorities, and hoped the committee would help combat 
rumors and avoid duplication of effort.  In future, he 
explained, the defense and interior ministers would attend. 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
4. (SBU) MONUC's Deputy SRSG, Behrooz Sadry, asked committee 
members to designate their working-group representatives by 
July 15.  He suggested that the initial agenda include 
explanations of each member's current activities and 
agreements, a discussion of how to coordinate them, and an 
update from Kawata on the status of national DDR planning. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
5. (C) The committee is a potentially useful mechanism for 
coordinating donor activities.  Currently, the GDRC's major 
partners on security-sector reform issues are Belgium, 
France, Angola, South Africa, MONUC and the EU.  The French, 
EU, and MONUC are all focused on police training; 
information-sharing and coordination is not such a problem 
there.  The Belgians, South Africans and Angolans, however, 
have a track record of "doing their own thing" security-wise 
in the Congo, and mutual rivalry (if not suspicion) is strong. 
 
6. (C) Ideally, the committee would also serve as a means of 
putting pressure on the GDRC to plan and begin to implement 
real military integration.  Boshab's attendance at the 
opening meeting was a good sign and indicates high-level 
participation, though it remains to be seen who will 
represent the GDRC at future meetings.  END COMMENT. 
SCOTT