VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0324/01 0931034
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031034Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3979
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KIGALI 000324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C, AMB JLEADER 
EUCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MARR MONUC KPKO RW
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL TRIPARTITE PLUS HELD IN RWANDA 
 
REF: KIGALI 281 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. The GOR hosted the U.S. facilitated 
Tripartite Plus Joint Commission (TPJC) and sub-commission 
meetings in Kigali 14-16 March.  Delegations from the DRC, 
Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda took part in the diplomatic and 
defense and security sub-commission meetings on 14 March in 
order to provide recommendations to their respective 
Ministers on the Tripartite Plus Fusion Cell (TFC), a 
strategy to eradicate the threat posed by Negative Forces in 
the region, the status of diplomatic relations, and creating 
and acting on a common list of "most wanted" individuals. 
The Ministerial-level TPJC, 15-16 March, discussed and made 
progress on the sub-commission's recommendations and 
reaffirmed their over-all common goal of peace and security 
in the region.  The DAS Swan-led U.S. delegation also held 
positive bi-lateral consultations on the margins of the 
conference with delegations from the member states, MONUC and 
President Kagame.  End summary. 
 
Sub-Commission Meetings 
----------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) Much of the groundwork for the Ministerial was 
accomplished by diplomats and military and intelligence 
officers in the two sub-commission meetings guided by DAS 
Swan.  (Note. The two meetings were combined due to a last 
minute schedule change by the GOR. End note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) After opening statements by Rwandan Head of 
Delegation Ambassador Richard Sezibera, DAS Swan and the 
heads of member delegations, the participants cordially 
discussed the agenda items: 
-- Overall strategy to increase military and political 
pressure on armed groups to lay down arms and reintegrate or 
repatriate; 
-- Status and way forward of the TFC, including the proposed 
transition to a "Virtual TFC"; 
-- Enhanced regional military cooperation; 
-- Next steps towards a common list of "most wanted"; 
-- Resumption of full diplomatic relations; 
-- Next steps for ending the threat from "most wanted" 
individuals. 
The sub-commission delegates also reaffirmed their support to 
the "Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great 
Lakes Region." 
 
¶4. (SBU) With the exception of a few minor issues, including 
a disagreement between the Rwandans and Congolese on the 
number of combatants returned to Rwanda between December 2005 
and 2006, the session went smoothly.  Each delegation took 
the lead vis--vis an individual representative to draft 
recommendation papers which were subsequently edited and 
agreed to by all present.  Key points from the four 
recommendation papers submitted to the Ministerial were: 
-- Global strategy aimed at eradicating the threat posed by 
Negative Forces.  "All parties agreed to eradicate the threat 
posed by Negative Forces using military and political 
pressure." 
-- TFC. "All Tripartite Plus delegations urged the 
facilitator reconsider closing the TFC by the end of 
September 2007 in view of recent progress making the TFC 
effective and the prospect of future action based on 
intelligence shared through the TFC." 
-- Next Steps for Creating and Acting Upon a Common List of 
"most wanted." There was consensus to move forward on 
uncontested lists and to make available legal mechanisms 
required by member states to take action. 
-- Status of Diplomatic Relations. "Consensus among all 
Tripartite Plus member countries to retain the objective of 
full normalization of diplomatic relations, and that progress 
towards such relations should proceed on the basis of 
bilateral discussion." 
 
The Ministerial 
--------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Delegations from the African Union (AU), European 
Union (EU), UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) and the World Bank's 
Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Programme 
(MDRP) joined the member and facilitator delegations for the 
opening session.  Opening remarks from Minister Murigande, 
DAS Swan and the heads of member delegations, were followed 
by brief declarations of support from the EU and AU 
representatives and then a more detailed statement from MONUC 
Special Representative of the Secretary General Ambassador 
William Swing. 
 
¶6. (SBU) SRSG Swing emphasized MONUC's need to remain engaged 
in DRC noting UN failures in Haiti and East Timor due to 
early withdrawal.  Swing emphasized the importance of 
 
security sector reform and successful local elections in 
order to extend state power to the immediate future of the 
DRC.  He was followed by an overview of the African Command 
by OSD representative Patricia Jacubec and a brief statement 
from the World Bank's Ingo Wiederhofer on the status of the 
MDRP's efforts in the region. 
 
¶7. (SBU) At the conclusion of the opening session the 
observer delegations departed and DAS Swan guided the member 
delegations through the sub-commission recommendation papers. 
 In a non-contentious manner, the heads of delegations 
quickly agreed with the sub-commission's recommendations 
regarding the TFC, Global Strategy and diplomatic relations. 
There was more extensive discussion required to come to the 
eventual conclusions on the way ahead for the "Most Wanted." 
 
¶8. (SBU) On the margins of the conference, DAS Swan conducted 
bi-lateral meetings with each delegation in order to review 
the commission and sub-sommission agendas.  Upon conclusion 
of the final TPJC session on March 16, DAS Swan met with 
President Kagame (reftel). 
 
The Final Decisions 
------------------- 
¶9. (SBU) The TPJC Ministerial Decisions: 
 
//Begin Text// 
 
Tripartite Plus Joint Commission 
Ministerial Decisions 
March 16, 2007 
 
- Global strategy aimed at eradicating the threat posed by 
Negative Forces. 
-- A mechanism is required to take action on intelligence 
produced on the Negative Forces by the TFC. 
-- All TPJC Chiefs of Defense Forces should meet within the 
next month in Bujumbura to develop strategies and actions 
against the Negative Forces for presentation to the TPJC for 
decision. 
-- All delegations accepted the principle of concerted action 
provided it respects the sovereignty of each member state. 
- Tripartite Fusion Cell. 
-- Available fused intelligence, order of battle, and 
analysis will be passed on to the Chiefs of Defense Forces 
for consideration in an operational strategy aimed against 
the Negative Forces at the meeting to be convened within the 
next month in Bujumbura. 
-- The facilitator will review the question of extending the 
TFC beyond 30 September 2007, while continuing with plans to 
transition to a virtual TFC. 
-- When the TFC transitions to virtual status, member states 
agree to a plan for rotation of TFC meetings in each country 
every 90-120 days at a convenient location. 
 
- Next Steps for Creating and Acting Upon a Common List of 
"Most Wanted." 
-- The TPJC received and considered lists of each 
delegation's most wanted persons submitted at the meeting by 
each member state.  The Congolese list will be furnished 
within ten days.  The facilitation will transmit these lists 
to the TFC to prepare detailed intelligence assessments of 
each name to be completed by 30 April 2007.  The TFC will 
report its findings to the TPJC through the facilitation. 
The TPJC will consider this information with a view to 
adoption of a common list at its next meeting.  The TPJC 
received the Burundian list, which will only be activated at 
the request of the government of Burundi. 
-- Members agreed on the need (1) to develop legislation to 
criminalize any act of aggression or subversion against other 
states by individuals or groups operating in their respective 
states, (2) to review existing extradition arrangements and 
consider whether new measures are needed, (3) to proceed 
quickly to ratify the Great Lakes conference pact and 
protocols, (4) to furnish more details regarding persons on 
the list, via the TFC or other agreed mechanisms, (5) to 
prosecute aggressively listed persons for common crimes they 
may commit and (6) to examine options for freezing assets and 
implementing immigration and travel restrictions on named 
individuals, among other measures. 
-- In view of the technical and legal issues involved, each 
member delegation agreed to submit the name of its legal 
advisor to the other delegations within ten days so that the 
advisors could consult on these issues and propose solutions 
to their governments.  To help initiate this discussion, the 
Congolese delegation,s legal advisor will circulate a 
discussion paper on extradition options. 
 
- Status of Diplomatic Relations 
-- Tripartite Plus member countries should proceed towards 
full normalization of diplomatic relations on the basis of 
bilateral discussions. 
-- The status of diplomatic relations should be reviewed at 
the next TPJC meeting to determine what progress has been 
made. 
 
Signed in English and French, all texts being equally 
authentic, 
 
In Kigali on March 16, 2007, 
 
THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI 
 
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 
 
THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA 
 
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA 
 
//End Text// 
 
Heads of Delegations 
-------------------- 
¶10. (U) Member States and Facilitator 
-- Burundi- Antoinette Batumubwira, Minister of External 
Affairs and International Cooperation 
-- DRC- Mbusa Nyamwisi, Min. of State for Foreign Affairs and 
International Cooperation 
-- Rwanda- Dr. Charles Murigande, Min. of Foreign Affairs and 
Cooperation 
-- Uganda- Issac Isanga Musumba, Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation 
-- United States- James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
African Affairs 
Observers 
-- African Union- Pierre Yete, AU Ambassador to DRC 
-- European Union- Christian Clages, German Ambassador to 
Rwanda 
-- United Nations Mission in the DRC- William Swing, SRSG 
-- World Bank, Ingo Weiderhofer, Senior Operations Officer 
 
¶11. (U) DAS Swan has cleared this cable. 
THURSTON