US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1366

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 1.6X.6 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: GDRC SLOWLY PREPARING FOR GREAT LAKES CONFERENCE 
 
REF: KINSHASA 414 
 
Classified By: Poloff Gons Nachman for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (C) Summary. The DRC's National Preparatory Committee for 
the Great Lakes Region Conference (on security, economic 
integration and social issues) met for the first time on July 
5th to develop a national agenda. Baudoin Hamuli, National 
Coordinator, acknowledged that GDRC preparations are behind 
schedule and that the President's Office remains divided 
about the Congo's participation due to suspicions over 
Rwanda's intentions. End Summary. 
 
DRC National Committee Behind Schedule on Preparations 
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2. (U) The first summit of the  International Conference for 
the Great Lakes Region (IC/GLR) is scheduled to take place in 
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in November 2004. This regional 
meeting is being coordinated by the Special Representative of 
the United Nations Secretary General (SRSG) for the Great 
Lakes region, Ibrahima Fall, and it is expected to address 
security, regional economic integration, and various social 
issues of relevance to the region (reftel). 
 
3. (U) Poloff met with Baudouin Hamuli, DRC National 
Coordinator for the IC/GLR July 15. Hamuli said that DRC 
national commission for this conference had finally been 
created and included 97 members representing various 
ministries, the office of the presidency, and all four 
vice-presidents. This committee met for the first time the 
week of July 5th. 
 
4. (SBU) Hamuli acknowledged that the DRC's preparations for 
the conference were behind schedule, but indicated that 
commission members would strive to do their best to prepare 
the DRC's agenda. Their goal is to have the first draft of 
the national agenda in two months and the final draft in 
three. Only a core group of 10 committee members is expected 
to travel to the November summit. 
 
GDRC Remains Ambivalent About Great Lakes Conference 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
5. (SBU) Hamuli said that his office was working well with 
the Ministry of Regional Cooperation and the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs in preparing for the conference. Various 
other ministries like Social Affairs and Human Rights are 
also actively supporting DRC participation in this event. 
 
6. (C) According to Hamuli, Presidential Advisor Andre 
Kapanga is now also supportive of DRC participation in the 
IC/GLR. However, he noted that Presidential Advisor for 
Security, Samba Kaputo, remained skeptical of this regional 
conference due to suspicion that Rwanda would try to 
manipulate events to the DRC's detriment. In Hamuli's view, 
this division within the President's office accounts for the 
ambivalent GDRC attitude towards the conference and it also 
calls into question the President's attendance at the 
November summit. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7. (C) GDRC preparations for the IC/GLR are proceeding slowly 
and inefficiently. The newly formed national preparatory 
commission consisting of 97 participants will be hard to 
coordinate and will make it difficult for the GDRC to 
formulate a realistic and focused agenda. Moreover, the 
continued ambivalence within the Presidency to DRC 
participation in the conference hampers preparation efforts 
and calls into question the DRC's participation. 
SCOTT