US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1010

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPKO, CG, UN 
SUBJECT: DPKO AFRICA CHIEF TITOV VISIT TO THE DRC 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Roger Meece.  Reason 1.4 (b/d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: UN DPKO Africa Division Chief Dmitry Titov 
briefed several diplomats June 11 on his visit to the DRC, 
the first in two years.  Titov spoke of particular concerns 
regarding Ituri District, and negative influence from 
neighboring states.  In addition, Titov reported &palpable8 
tension in the Kasai and Katanga provinces in the lead-up to 
June 30, lack of progress to-date securing FDLR returns to 
Rwanda, and continuing weaknesses in Independent Electoral 
Commission operations around the country.  Concerns 
notwithstanding, Titov sounded a relatively hopeful note on 
the situation in the Kivus, in fact we think a bit too 
hopeful.   The Ambassador and others encouraged DPKO to 
submit MONUC elections support financial requirements to the 
UNSC as soon as possible.  Titov,s visit was useful, 
although it is discouraging that the DPKO African section 
chief has not paid a field visit in two years to DPKO,s 
biggest operation.  End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Several diplomatic missions were invited to a 
briefing session June 11 by UN DPKO Africa Division Chief 
Dmitry Titov at MONUC headquarters in Kinshasa.  The South 
African, French, and American ambassadors, along with the 
Belgian and British Charges attended.  Titov had just 
completed roughly a week of travel in the DRC,s interior as 
part of his first visit to the DRC in roughly two years. 
Titov noted that he had not yet had time to review his 
observations with SRSG Bill Swing, out of the country on 
official travel, and therefore qualified his comments as 
preliminary personal thoughts. 
 
3. (C) Titov provided an extensive tour d,horizon, touching 
on most of the subjects familiar to those following the DRC 
transition process, including military integration and 
security sector reform programs, elections planning, arms 
trafficking, security concerns in various regions, especially 
in eastern DRC, and continuing ill effects of ongoing illegal 
resource exploitation by foreign and Congolese operators. 
Titov expressed particular concern about the situation in 
Ituri District despite progress in recent months to disarm 
large numbers of militia combatants (further details septel). 
 Titov particularly singled out Ugandan Ituri-related 
activities contributing to renewed security threats. 
Titov,s comments implied doubt as to MONUC,s capacity to 
undertake major new military operations in the Kivu provinces 
while maintaining a high tempo of ongoing operations in Ituri. 
 
4. (C) Titov also reported what he said was palpable tension 
in Lubumbashi (Katanga) and Mbuji-Mayi (Eastern Kasai), as 
well as Kinshasa in the run-up to the June 30 two-year DRC 
Transition anniversary date.  (Note: Tensions being fed by 
opposition UDPS call for the transition to end June 30, with 
street demonstrations intended to result in UDPS leader 
Tshisekedi,s installation in a newly-established Prime 
 
SIPDIS 
Minister position.  End note.)  He expressed hope that 
efforts at dialogue could bring Tshisekedi around to some 
kind of political compromise.  Ideally, UDPS support for 
election preparations could be secured. 
 
5. (C) Titov also noted that the San Egidio-brokered Rome 
declaration of FDLR readiness to return to Rwanda has thus 
far not produced any significant movement.  He observed that 
the FDLR president would soon be completing his travel to the 
field and held out hope that efforts could still produce 
significant FDLR returns.  Speaking of North and South Kivu 
provinces more generally, Titov took a somewhat more 
optimistic tone.  He praised the performance of current MONUC 
units in North and South Kivu, and suggested that concerns 
over tensions focused on the Banyamulenge community in South 
Kivu may be exaggerated.  Noting that there have been recent 
significant Banyamulenge returns to the province, he said he 
believed there is decreasing hostility in the province, with 
concern more centered on the lack of economic opportunity for 
the provincial population in general.  Titov spoke of the 
possibility of generating renewed donor programs to create 
&islands of hope8 in the Kivus. 
 
6. (C) Titov also noted that the visible presence of the 
Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) in much of the country 
is very weak.  More needs to be done to increase its 
presence, as well as to reinforce its communications program. 
Related, Titov described plans to extend further MONUC-run 
Radio Okapi operations, included in the Kasai provinces. 
Titov also pushed for early adoption of an electoral &code 
of conduct8 to establish ground rules for parties and 
candidates leading to general elections. 
 
7. (C) During subsequent discussion, the Ambassador and 
others strongly encouraged DPKO to put on the table as soon 
as possible financial requirements for needed MONUC logistics 
support to the election process to permit planning to move 
forward.  Regarding continuing serious concerns about needed 
DRC election money, the French Ambassador speculated about 
getting the issue on the G8 Summit agenda.  The Ambassador 
and others cautioned that, while Ituri,s security situation 
may indeed take some extended time to be normalized, the 
Kivus cannot simply be put on a back-burner awaiting Ituri 
stability.  Progress is needed in both regions.  With others 
concurring, the Ambassador expressed some skepticism that the 
UDPS could be brought around to a compromise regarding June 
30 and the transition, given Tshisekedi,s past record and 
general unwillingness to engage in political negotiation. 
Efforts, however, are worth pursuing.  The South African 
Ambassador spoke of the need to begin thinking about a 
post-election role for the international community.  Several 
of the diplomats also praised MONUC,s reorganization, more 
aggressive military posture, the performance of Eastern 
Division Commander Major-General Cammaert, and SRSG Swing. 
 
8. (C) Comment: The visit appeared to be useful in giving 
Titov an exposure to MONUC current operations and the 
situation on the ground in the DRC.  It is disappointing, 
however, that this is the first visit in two years of the 
DPKO Africa Chief to the site of the UN,s largest 
peacekeeping operation.  We think Titov may be a bit too 
optimistic regarding tension levels focused on South Kivu,s 
Banyamulenge community, and believe that this will continue 
to be an area needing continuing attention and active 
international community engagement for some time to come. 
Nonetheless, Titov is on target regarding the need for 
stepped-up development efforts in the east.  Finding 
productive activities for the very large numbers of current 
or former combatants will be a key to durable stability in 
the region.  Titov,s comments about MONUC capacity in Ituri 
and the Kivus appears to reflect concerns in MONUC about 
being stretched too tightly for too long a period of time in 
a high-tempo operational pace over very large areas with 
limited capacity.  This is likely to be an ongoing discussion 
in the foreseeable future.  While this involves many factors, 
including views of the troop-contributing countries and their 
units in-country, some UN actions could help as well. 
Notably, loosening DPKO,s highly restrictive rules regarding 
night operations by the night-capable MONUC helicopter 
flights crews in eastern Congo could significantly extend 
MONUC,s overall combat effectiveness.  End comment. 
MEECE