US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1776

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 001776 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, CG 
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 21 MEETING WITH PRESIDENT, VP'S: 
ELECTIONS, WAGES, SECURITY SECTOR 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Roger Meece.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
1.(C) Summary: The International Committee to Accompany the 
Transition (CIAT) met with the DRC,s President and Vice 
Presidents October 21 to review election preparations, the 
impact of current civil service strikes and wage 
negotiations, and problems in security sector reform 
activities.  Election concerns focused on the tight election 
calendar and the pending draft electoral law.  The potential 
deficit impact of public sector wage settlements was 
discussed, with VP Bemba suggesting potential revenue hikes 
to cover the bill.  Security sector questions centered on 
delays starting the "second wave" of military integration 
training programs, adoption and implementation of the 
European Union Security Mission (EUSEC) reform report, and 
deployments of formed integrated brigades to operational 
zones.  Discussion indicated steps underway or imminent in 
all areas, but we believe CIAT follow-up will be needed. 
While significant issues were covered by the three-hour plus 
meeting, the results were less definitive than hoped or 
achieved in some previous similar sessions.  End summary. 
 
First Up in All Discussions: Elections 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2.(C) Chiefs of Mission of the member states of the CIAT met 
for over three hours with President Kabila and Vice 
Presidents Ruberwa, Bemba, and Yerodia (the "Espace 
Presidentiel") on Friday afternoon, October 21.  Vice 
President Z,Ahidi Ngoma was not present.  Various other 
officials, including the Defense and Civil Service Ministers, 
the Vice President of the Independent Election Commission 
(CEI), and the IMF Resident Representative were also invited 
to participate in relevant portions of the meeting.  The 
session had been postponed for over two weeks, due to the 
absence in Kinshasa of one or more of the Vice Presidents. 
 
3.(C) Discussion began with the centerpiece issue of the DRC 
Transition, election preparations.  The CEI Vice President 
opened with a status update, reporting that over 17 million 
voters had been registered, but acknowledging delays in rural 
registration deployments in the last two provinces going 
through the voter registration process, Bandundu and 
Equateur.  Bandundu, roughly the size of Ivory Coast, is a 
particular problem with substantially less than half the 
planned registration centers open.  The CEI official stated 
that registration in those two provinces is likely to have to 
continue until the end of November, even while registration 
everywhere else should be completed by the November 13 target 
date.  General discussion focused on the need to maintain the 
(delayed) constitutional referendum target date of December 
18.  Vice Presidents Bemba and Ruberwa also voiced various 
specific concerns primarily related to their respective home 
provinces of Equateur and South Kivu, respectively.  All 
parties underscored concerns about keeping the overall 
election calendar on track to ensure full completion of 
general elections prior to the statutory end of the 
Transition, June 30, 2006 
 
4.  (C) The CEI also reported that civic education efforts 
have just been started to publicize the draft constitution in 
anticipation of the constitution referendum.  Sample 
publications were distributed of education booklets and local 
language translations of the draft Constitution. 
 
5. (C) The GDRC leaders reported that the Council of 
Ministers started reviewing the draft general election law in 
a marathon session October 19, with the review to continue 
October 24.  President Kabila and VP Ruberwa expressed some 
annoyance with a CIAT October 13 communique that had 
criticized the delay in getting a draft law to Parliament, 
observing that communication by communique is not the most 
desirable means of talking.  The leaders also pledged 
themselves to rapid completion of the review and transmission 
of an adopted draft to Parliament.  (Comment: The communique 
seems to have had its desired effect.  End comment.) 
 
Wages, Deficits and Social Unrest 
---------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) The Civil Service Minister read out a rather lengthy 
statement asserting the government,s commitment to civil 
service reform and adequate pay, in reference to the ongoing 
parallel strikes of teachers and many civil service 
employees.  (Note: As reported previously, Kinshasa teachers 
have gone back to work for at least three months under a 
tentative deal, but teachers in the interior and most civil 
service employees remain on strike.  Emotions are still 
tending to run very high over how the government can and will 
deal with the wretched pay and support levels now provided to 
most mid- and lower-level public sector employees.  End 
note.)  The Minister also noted that an Inter-Ministerial 
Committee has been established to deal with the ongoing 
problem. 
 
7. (C) Both CIAT and GDRC officials noted the need to 
maintain the integrity of the DRC,s IMF program, including a 
balanced budget, while trying to reach a solution to the 
problems.  VP Bemba noted that the GDRC,s budget has tripled 
in three years, but remains in balance.  Further increases 
are expected in 2006, but the wage increases under discussion 
will need offsets.  Bemba suggested that the government will 
be looking at further revenue increases, including potential 
new taxes on air travel or in other areas, to close any 
deficit gaps.  Responding to CIAT statements about further 
expenditure controls, Bemba also asserted that substantial 
reductions in discretionary areas (e.g., travel), have 
already been achieved, but observed that the executive does 
not control the Parliamentary budget where similar reductions 
have yet to be made.  All parties also agreed on the need for 
completion of a civil service "census" as quickly as 
possible, with significant anticipated reductions in the 
claimed payroll available to offset at least a portion of the 
prospective needed wage increases. 
 
Security Sector Reforms 
----------------------- 
 
8.(C) The need to improve military pay and support was the 
first major security-related topic, with current systems 
widely acknowledged as being totally inadequate.  Defense 
Minister Onusumba attempted to present a summary of steps 
being taken to improve the situation, and referenced the 
pending European Union Security Mission (EUSEC) report, which 
he said "will permit improvements".  The Ambassador and other 
CIAT members pressed the Espace officials regarding the 
status of the EUSEC report.  VP Ruberwa reported that it 
should be discussed at a Superior Defense Council meeting the 
week of October 24.  Responding to further questions, 
Ruberwa, Bemba, and President Kabila indicated general 
support for the report, but both Ruberwa and Kabila stated 
that "two or three" amendments will be required, without 
specifying what those will be.  In response to the 
Ambassador,s question about an implementation timetable, 
Ruberwa indicated that implementation should begin in 
November.  Ruberwa and Defense Minister Onusumba also 
reported that savings realized from the ongoing military 
census exercise to-date showing lower numbers of troops than 
previous claimed, were already been utilized to implement 
long-promised adjustments of flat salaries to ones based on 
rank and grade. (Comment: Although this falls far short of 
the kind of wage improvements that are urgently needed.  End 
comment). 
 
9.(C) Designated in advance to take the lead for the CIAT 
regarding the security sector agenda item, the Ambassador 
laid out a list of issues, with a particular focus on the 
growing delays to start the "second wave" of army integration 
training camps, and related delays in the associated DDR 
program.  The Ambassador also underscored concerns about 
getting formed and trained integrated brigades deployed to 
operational areas.  He observed that reported long-awaited 
deployments to South Kivu in recent days were welcome, but 
these appeared to be from the Kamina (Third) Integrated 
brigade, rather than the Second Brigade as provided in the 
national strategic plan.  On behalf of CIAT, the Ambassador 
advanced two specific ideas, to prepare a summary report in 
coming days of exactly where all soldiers are in terms of 
regroupment or orientation centers for the next integration 
cycle, and to convene a meeting chaired by President Kabila 
to include VP,s Ruberwa and Bemba, the Ministers of Interior 
and Defence, the military Chief of Staff, military district 
commanders, and CIAT members to ensure "mutual" comprehension 
of integration, DDR, and other reform plans. 
 
10.(C) Responses, mainly from VP Ruberwa and President 
Kabila, noted that changes to the national strategic plan may 
be required in response to changing circumstances (Comment: 
thus implicitly confirming the Kamina brigade deployment 
reports.  End comment).  Both, as well as Defense Minister 
Onusumba, asserted that significant progress should be seen 
in the next two weeks to start the next integration training 
cycle.  None of the GDRC officials addressed the two specific 
suggestions, deflecting discussion toward the next Joint 
Commission on Security Meeting (expected the week of October 
24), other logistics and deployment issues, and other 
security-related topics.  In subsequent discussion, Onusumba 
defended charges that soldiers going into integration or DDR 
programs were not turning in their weapons, asserting that 
many of these had not been previously issued arms. 
Referencing voiced concerns that Presidential Guard (GSSP) 
units had not been included in national integration plans, 
Kabila countered that all GSSP units would indeed to subject 
to the integration process at a future date, and that there 
is an approved plan to this end, but he did not provide 
details.  Several comments were made about former Zairian 
army officers in Congo-Brazzaville seeking to return to the 
DRC; Kabila said that he considered them perfectly eligible 
for DDR programs. 
 
Post-Meeting 
------------- 
 
11.(C) The meeting closed with a President Kabila request to 
SRSG Swing to provide a read-out of how things were going at 
the Tripartite Plus meeting in Kampala; Swing had just 
returned from Kampala.  This was followed by general 
agreement from all present on the importance of moving to 
ensure disarmament and repatriation of all foreign forces in 
the DRC following the expiration of the Sept 30 deadline, and 
the need for supplementary pressure to be exerted against 
FDLR leaders outside the region.  There was tentative 
agreement for the Espace Presidentiel group and the CIAT to 
meet again prior to the arrival in the DRC of the UN Security 
Council, currently expected November 5. 
 
12.(C) The CIAT met subsequent to the Espace meeting.  There 
was general agreement among CIAT members that CIAT concerns 
had registered, but that fewer concrete decisions were 
reached during the meeting than had been hoped.  CIAT members 
asked SRSG Swing to send a letter to the Espace reiterating 
specific CIAT suggestions in writing (e.g. the convening of a 
general military meeting and the preparation of an 
integration status summary report).  All also agreed that 
further follow-up will be required during the forthcoming 
Joint Security Commission meeting, as well as future 
Espace/CIAT meetings. 
MEECE