US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1933

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001933 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KPKO, CG, MONUC 
SUBJECT: JVM: STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS 
 
REF: KINSHASA 1904 
 
Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C)  Summary:  Monuc DDR chief expressed doubts October 14 
that the proposed JVM office in Bukavu will be opened in the 
near future, given the recent attack on Monuc peacekeepers by 
COngoleses civilians who erroneously believed MONUC was 
transporting a Rwandan (reftel).  Monuc has informed both 
Rwanda and the DRC that it will not transport armed JVM 
participants in Monuc vehicles, since Monuc milobs who would 
be accompanying the teams will be unarmed.  Congo's lead 
representative to the JVM discussions, Ambassador-at-Large 
Antoine Ghonda, submitted his recommendations to President 
Kabila October 13. Ghonda recommends that the DRC should 
insist on a provision that all allegations should be 
investigated, regardless of the source, and that a new 
element be added to assist with the progressive repatriation 
of refugees.  As of October 16 he had not received 
confirmation that these have been approved, in large part 
because  Kabila is making his first official trip to the east 
(septel).  Ghonda hoped to have a response to Monuc on or 
about October 20, acknowledging that the JVM bureaus probably 
would not open October 18 as previously planned.  End Summary. 
 
Monuc -- Having Second Thoughts? 
 
2. (C)  PolCouns met October 14 with Monuc DDR chief Peter 
Swarbrick to discuss progress -- or lack thereof -- on the 
Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM).  (Note:  Swarbrick said 
that DDR has the lead on JVM within Monuc, in large part 
because SRSG Swing hopes that eventually the JVM will result 
in a joint Congo-Rwanda effort to deal with the FDLR 
problems.  End Note.)  Referring to an October 8 incident in 
Bukavu during which an angry crowd of approximately 1,000 
Congolese citizens threatened to burn Monuc peacekeepers 
transporting a supposed Rwandan, Swarbrick said that Monuc is 
seriously considering delaying the opening of the JVM office 
in Bukavu.  Swarbrick believes that particularly initially, 
with the low level of activity anticipated for the 
verification teams, it will be possible to conduct 
investigations in both North and South Kivu from the Goma JVM 
offices.  Then, he continued, Monuc could open the JVM office 
in Bukavu "when things are calmer," although he declined to 
speculate on when that might be.  PolCouns noted the 
importance of opening both offices as planned, particularly 
in order that the international community not be seen to be 
intimidated by mob rule, which would further undercut Monuc's 
influence in South Kivu. 
 
3. (C)  Swarbrick went on to say that Monuc has informed both 
Rwanda and the DRC that it will not transport armed JVM team 
members.  Since the Monuc milobs who will accompanying the 
teams on their missions will be unarmed (consistent with 
Monuc's operational agreement), the JVM members likewise must 
be unarmed.  Swarbrick acknowledged there is a risk that 
unarmed JVM teams -- and milobs -- could potentially 
encounter armed and hostile parties in the course of their 
investigations, but said in that case, the teams would simply 
have to break off the investigation.  As of October 16, Monuc 
had not received replies to the work plan for the 
verification teams from either Rwanda or the DRC. 
 
Congolese -- High Hopes 
 
4. (C)  PolCouns spoke October 16 with Ambassador-at-Large 
Antoine Ghonda, the DRC's senior representative at the JVM 
meeting in Kigali.  Ghonda confirmed that he had received 
Monuc's proposed changes to the work plan and said that in 
principle, Congo has no objections to unarmed team members. 
He noted that the purpose of the teams is to investigate 
allegations with the objective of resolving problems, not 
firing on miscreants.  He insisted, however, that the work 
plan must state (as do the terms of reference agreed in New 
York) that the teams will investigate "all allegations," not 
only those supplied by official government sources.  He added 
that, in light of the recent tensions surrounding the return 
of refugees from Burundi, the DRC hopes the JVM teams can 
also assist with the phased return of refugees both by 
generally improving confidence and security, and by 
investigating allegations that non-refugee elements might 
attempt to enter the Congo disguised as refugees. 
 
5. (C)  He confirmed the DRC wants the Rwandan team to stay 
each evening on the Rwandan side of the border.  While 
acknowledging the logistical problems this will pose (most 
allegations are received in the early morning hours, when the 
border is officially closed, which would prohibit Monuc's 
transporting the Rwandan team to the Congolese side, or vice 
versa), he said that the DRC is insisting on this measure to 
ensure the safety of the Rwandan team.  (Comment:  A tacit 
admission that the DRC cannot or will not guarantee the 
security of the Rwandan soldiers in Bukavu or Goma.  End 
Comment.)  Ghonda also said that others, such as Nigeria and 
South Africa, should be briefed on the JVM and its 
operations, speculating that perhaps in the future these two 
countries would wish to be involved "in some capacity."  He 
said he had submitted his recommendations to the President 
for approval, but did not expect to receive a response before 
October 20, given that the President is making his first 
official visit to the East (Kisangani, reported septel). 
 
Comment 
 
6. (C)  Perhaps not surprisingly, there already is some delay 
in agreeing on the operational terms for the verification 
teams, and an attendant lag in opening the offices.  Monuc is 
hopeful, however, that by early November the JVM will be 
operational, in one form or another.  Increasingly, however, 
the limitations imposed by all the parties -- having to 
transport the Rwandans to and from Congo daily, Monuc's lack 
of night-vision equipment and boats, etc -- suggest that the 
JVM will have a hard time living up to expectations 
particularly if, as Swarbrick suggests, Monuc hopes the JVM 
will somehow lead to a solution for the long-standing problem 
of the FDLR. 
 
 
DOUGHERTY