US embassy cable - 05BRUSSELS2668

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 002668 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF - DYAMAMOTO; AF/C - NFELLOWS; AF/RSA - 
JNAY; IO/PSC - WPSYRING; EUR/ERA - ACARNIE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, PHUM, MOPS, CG, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: DRC ELECTIONS: INCREASED FUNDING AND MONUC SUPPORT 
DEEMED CRITICAL 
 
1. (SBU) Summary.  At a July 11 conference to rally support 
for elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 
donors pledged an additional 74 million euros to largely 
cover one of the critical funding gaps.  However, UN Security 
Council (UNSC) agreement for the MONUC peacekeeping operation 
to provide logistical support is also deemed critical for 
successful elections.  The European Commission (EC) called on 
the U.S., France, and the UK to endorse MONUC,s expanded 
role.  Logistical support for the elections will cost MONUC 
an additional $103 million.  Both France and the UK asked for 
a breakdown of the budget before committing themselves to 
UNSC support. The EC contribution for DRC elections is larger 
than all other donors combined, reflecting the DRC's position 
as the principal EC priority in Africa.  End Summary. 
 
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Logistical Challenges 
------------------------ 
 
2. (U) On July 11, the EC hosted a donor conference to take 
stock of the progress in preparing for elections in the DRC, 
with a particular focus on calendar, logistical and financial 
challenges.  In his opening remarks, Development and 
Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel characterized the 
transition in the DRC as "the first challenge for the 
promises made at Gleneagles" and said that free and 
transparent elections were fundamental.  Michel stressed the 
need for a proportional system based on representation by 
district in order to guarantee a cohesive state.  In calling 
for a realistic budget, Michel warned that a lack of donor 
support could jeopardize the progress made in consolidating 
peace thus far.  He said that MONUC was the best option for 
providing election logistics and called on UNSC members to 
support Kofi Annan,s request in this regard. 
 
3. (U) UN SRSG William Swing stressed that it was "absolutely 
critical" to maintain the electoral schedule in order to 
consolidate peace.  He contrasted the hopes of the present 
with the "tragic legacy" of conflict (3.5 million deaths 
caused directly and indirectly by war, 2.4 internally 
displaced, half million refugees, 17 million food-deficient 
persons and 2000 land mine victims).  Swing said that while 
the foundation for the election had been laid through 
political will and a legal framework, remaining challenges 
included logistics and finances.  Roughly the size of Europe, 
the DRC is the largest country geographically and 
demographically ever assisted by the UN to conduct elections. 
 Elections will require 9000 registration centers (with 
40,000 registration officers) and 40,000 polling stations 
(with 200,000 polling officers).  Swing also noted that the 
DRC has been the beneficiary of unprecedented international 
support, including over $3 billion to finance peacekeeping, 
30 UNSC resolutions, 23 UNSC presidential statements, 22 
Secretary General,s reports, five international peace 
 
SIPDIS 
agreements and five UNSC missions. 
 
4. (U) The president of the Independent Electoral Commission 
(CEI), l,Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu Muhulongo, described 
achievements made to date with regard to registration efforts 
in Kinshasa.  He said the process was launched on schedule, 
and that from June 20 - July 7 a total of 1,128,728 voters 
had been registered.  Muhulongo added that for many Congolese 
the voter registration card is the first national identity 
document they have ever received.  He said that registration 
efforts had also been started in two provinces (Bas Congo and 
Province Orientale) and that registration would be expanded 
on July 25 (Katanga, Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental), July 
28 (Maniema and the Kivus), and August 5 (Bandundu and 
Equateur). 
 
5. (U) Additional elements of the electoral calendar are: 
September 25 - voter registration completed; November 27 - 
referendum on constitution; December 11 - results announced; 
January 13 - results confirmed by the Supreme Court; March 20 
- combined polls for national assembly and the first 
presidential round; April 24 - second presidential round and 
provincial; May 10 - proclamation of results; May 25 - senate 
poll; and June 30 - deadline for transition.  Voting lists 
will be publicized in two phases (during the period from 
October 1 - February 28). 
 
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Financial Challenges 
------------------------ 
 
6. (U) In discussing the financial challenges, Swing noted 
that the budget for DCR elections is quite cost effective 
when compared to other recent UN-sponsored operations.  He 
said that the $422 million being requested for the DRC,s 
population of 60 million (equivalent of $1.4 per inhabitant) 
compared favorably to Liberia ($5.8 per inhabitant) and 
Afghanistan ($5.7 per inhabitant).  Haiti, without the 
immense geography of DRC, cost $1.2 per inhabitant.  The DRC 
budget breakdown Swing presented is as follows:  security - 
$48, 440,974 (11%); logistics - $103,503,151 (25%); polls - 
$70,178, 853 (17%); referendum - $27,230,193 (6%); 
registration - $110,068,425 (27%); APEC technical unit - 
$16,948,781 (4%); Bureau National des Operations - 
$22,923,344 (5%); and CEI - $23,090,896 (5%). 
 
7. (U) The EC called on the U.S., France, the UK and Greece 
(which holds the rotating UNSC presidency) to endorse 
MONUC,s expanded role to provide logistical support for the 
elections which would cover a critical part of the budget 
funding gap.  The UK representative said that the figure 
presented by Swing (approximately $103 million) contrasted 
starkly to previous estimated ($45 million).  Swing could not 
account for the discrepancy, and UNDPKO was not present at 
the conference.  Both France and the UK asked for a breakdown 
of this budget before committing themselves to UNSC support. 
On the margins of the conference, the UK representative told 
POLOFF that the UK would probably support MONUC expansion, 
but with voluntary, not assessed contributions, and that the 
UK would contributed its fair share. 
 
8. (U) The EC also called on all countries which had made 
pledges at previous conference to disburse the funds. 
According to Swing, of the $224.5 million pledged, only $171 
million has been received.  (Note.  The U.S. continues to be 
listed as major donor, with a $10.6 million pledge.  Using 
language provided by AF/C, POLOFF stated that the final U.S. 
contribution had not been determined.  End note.) 
 
9. (SBU) Going into the conference, Swing calculated the 
remaining budget gap to be approximately $100 million (if 
MONUC expansion were approved and previous pledges were fully 
disbursed).  Final comments and major pledges at the 
conference were as follows: 
 
- The EC announced an additional contribution of 20 million 
euros, increasing its original pledge of $104.5 (which was 
already greater than all other pledges combined). 
 
- Belgium endorsed the view that the situation in DRC is 
vastly improved and that financing for the elections is 
"within reach" and noted that it had already contributed 10 
million euros to the basket fund, 1 million euros for 
security and 2 million euros for the elections.  Belgium 
announced an additional 2 million euros for the elections and 
a half million euros for security. 
 
- The UK said that it had already contributed 5 million 
pounds ($9.5 million) to the basket fund and that it would 
make an additional 8 million pounds ($15 million) available 
for security and 463,000 pounds for communications. 
 
- Germany announced it would double its pledge from 5 to 10 
million euros (subject to certain cost-sharing and investment 
limitations).  Germany will also contribute 1 million euros 
for technical cooperation.  The German representative urged 
UNDP to manage its funds more efficiently and to disburse 
them more quickly. 
 
- Switzerland announced that it would contribute 1 million 
Swiss francs to the basket fund (unearmarked for greatest 
flexibility) and that it would channel an additional 250,000 
Swiss francs through NGOs for specific activities related to 
civil society. 
 
- Sweden said that it might add 1 million euros to its 
existing pledge. 
 
- France said that it had already contributed 6 million euros 
and announced an additional 5 million euros for air support. 
 
- The Netherlands said it was considering an additional 
pledge of 2 - 3 million euros for MONUC expansion and 
intelligence. 
 
10. (U) With these pledges, the EC calculated that three 
quarters of the remaining gap was covered.  In their 
concluding remarks, both Swing and Michel stressed that the 
elections had to go forward on schedule and for this to 
happen, MONUC support was absolutely essential.  The 
consultative group will meet again in October to take stock 
of the situation. 
 
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Comment 
------------------------ 
 
11. (SBU) The DRC is the EC,s top priority in Africa. 
Because of the DRC,s size, location, potential and history 
of instability, the EC is willing to invest heavily in 
consolidating peace.  As various conference speakers noted, 
the failure to hold elections in the DRC could promote 
instability and re-ignite a conflict that has already 
contributed to 3.5 million deaths and the displacement of 3 
million others.  During Javier Solana,s recent visit to 
Washington, the EU appealed directly for U.S. financial 
support for DRC elections.  And in the U.S.-EU summit 
declaration on transatlantic efforts to promote democracy, 
the DRC is listed along with Afghanistan and Iraq as one of 
the countries where fair and free elections are needed to 
promote transitions to democracy.  However, the absence of a 
U.S. announcement of a substantial contribution at the 
conference is perceived in Brussels as a lack of genuine 
support.  As the U.S. repeatedly urges the EC to contribute 
to causes that we consider a priority, we can expect similar 
approaches (e.g., the case of DRC elections).  The USG 
position with regard to MONUC support for the DRC elections 
will be another indicator of our responsiveness to EC 
appeals, as well as what Commissioner Michel terms "the first 
challenge for the promises made at Gleneagles." 
 
McKinley 
.