VZCZCXRO7534
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0655/01 2240759
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 110759Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8288
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000655 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM MOPS PREL CG
SUBJECT:    CNDP PARTICIPATES IN AUGUST 6-7 MEETING IN GOMA 
            OF AMANI PROCESS STEERING COMMITTEE 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Steering Committee of the Amani Process met 
in Goma August 6-7 with the presence of the CNDP and FRF, which had 
not participated in recent meetings.  Interior Minister Kalume 
presided over the deliberations with greater assertiveness than 
Father Apollinaire Malu Malu, the Amani process coordinator.  The 
decision to hold the meeting in Goma was a deliberate ploy by the 
GDRC to bring greater attention to the Amani process.  Future 
meetings will rotate on a monthly basis between Kinshasa, Goma, and 
Bukavu.  The official commuinique on the meeting (at paras. 5, 
French text; and 6, unofficial Embassy translation) outlines a 
number of specific decisions taken in Goma to re-ignite the process. 
 These include beginning immediately a DDR program for groups which 
have already turned themselves in; prosecuting human rights 
violations and adopting an operational plan with deadlines.  The 
decision to begin DDR immediately with the 19 armed groups which 
have already turned themselves in will put the spotlight on General 
Laurent Nkunda, hopefully pressuring him to demobilize the CNDP. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The two day Steering Committee meeting was well attended, 
with representatives of the government (para. 3), MONUC (SRSG, Force 
Commander and North Kivu staff), and the armed groups.  Ambassadors 
of the U.S., the UK and Belgium, as well French Embassy's DCM, 
attended.  The program included two plenary sessions and a meeting 
with three individual Mai-Mai groups to allow the government, MONUC 
and the international facilitators to hear groups' concerns and 
suggestions.  In the first plenary session one of the leaders of the 
armed read a statement signed by all the groups except FRF and CNDP. 
 
 
¶3.  (U) The government was represented by the Interior Minister (the 
Steering Committee chair), the National Security Advisor, Vice 
Minister of Defense, and the Amani Coordinators, Fr. Malu Malu and 
Admiral Didier Etumba.  All armed groups were represented by their 
regular negotiating teams.  To everyone's surprise the CNDP and FRF, 
which had withdrawn from the process in recent weeks, showed up and 
participated both days.  It is unclear if they have returned to the 
process or simply showed up for this steering committee meeting. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment:  The objective of holding the meeting in Goma 
instead of Kinshasa, where the two previous steering committee 
meetings were held, was a deliberate choice by the Government to 
call attention to the Amani process and to reassure participants 
that the government and the international community are still 
committed to the peace process.  Interior Minister Kalume was 
clearly more assertive (see communique below) than Amani process 
coordinator Fr. Malu Malu, who takes a more collaborative approach. 
It will be interesting to see the reaction to this meeting of the 
armed groups, particularly the CNDP and FRF.  The CNDP, led by 
General Laurent Nkunda, is by far the most important of the six 
armed groups (of a total of 23) that have thus far refused to lay 
down their arms.  The decision to begin DDR immediately with those 
armed groups that have turned themselves in will put the spotlight 
on Nkunda and, it is hoped, result in greater pressure on him to 
demobilize.  End comment. 
 
¶5.  (U) Following is original text in French of the official 
communique of the meeting (informal English translation is at para. 
6): 
 
Begin Communique (original French text) 
 
COMMUNIQUE 
 
IL S'EST TENU EN DATE DU 6 AU 7 AOUT 2008 A GOMA SOUS LA PRESIDENCE 
DU MINISTRE D'ETAT EN CHARGE DE L'INTERIEUR, DECENTRALISATION ET 
SECURITE UNE REUNION DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE DU PROGRAMME AMANI ELARGI 
A LA FACILITATION INTERNATIONALE. LE COMITE A ENTENDU LE RAPPORT DE 
LA COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE SUR L'ETAT 
D'AVANCEMENT DES TRAVAUX DE LADITE COMMISSION ET LES PREOCCUPATIONS 
DES GROUPES ARMES SIGNATAIRES DES ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT. 
 
LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE S'EST REJOUIS DU RETOUR DANS LE PROCESSUS DU 
CNDP ET DES FRF ET A RAPPELE A TOUS LES GROUPES LEUR RESPONSABILITE 
DE PARTICIPER AUX TRAVAUX SANS CONDITIONS PREALABLES, CONFORMEMENT 
AUX ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT. 
 
A L'ISSUE DE CETTE RENCONTRE, LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DECIDE CE QUI 
SUIT : 
 
- ACCELERATION DU PROCESSUS AMANI ; 
- FINALISATION ET ADOPTION DU PLAN DE DESENGAGEMENT DANS LE PLUS 
BREF DELAI ; 
- LANCEMENT IMMEDIAT DU PROGRAMME DDR POUR LES GROUPES QUI SE SONT 
DEJA REGROUPES SPONTANEMENT ; 
 
KINSHASA 00000655  002 OF 002 
 
 
- RETABLISSEMENT DE L'AUTORITE DE L'ETAT SUR TOUTE L'ETENDUE DES 
PROVINCES DU NORD-KIVU ET DU SUD-KIVU ; 
- DEMANTELEMENT DE TOUTES LES BARRIERES IRREGULIERES ET LIBRE 
CIRCULATION DES PERSONNES ET DES BIENS ; 
- POURSUITE JUDICIAIRE SYSTEMATIQUE A L'ENCONTRE DE TOUTES 
VIOLATIONS DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET SPECIFIQUEMENT DES VIOLENCES 
SEXUELLES ; 
- PRISE EN COMPTE ET EXAMEN PAR LA CTMPS DES TOUTES LES 
PREOCCUPATIONS DES DIFFERENTS GROUPES ARMES ; 
- TENUE D'UNE REUNION TOUTES LES DEUX SEMAINES DE LA PLENIERE DE LA 
COMMISSION TECHNIQUE MIXTE PAIX ET SECURITE (CTMPS) ; 
- TENUE D'UNE REUNION MENSUELLE DU COMITE DE PILOTAGE ALTERNANT 
ENTRE BUKAVU, GOMA ET KINSHASA. 
 
LE COMITE DE PILOTAGE A DONNE UNE SERIE D'INSTRUCTIONS A LA CTMPS ET 
DEMANDE A CE QUE LA COMMISSION ADOPTE UN PLAN OPERATIONNEL AVEC DES 
DELAIS PRECIS DE SA MISE EN QUVRE. 
 
FAIT A GOMA, LE 7 AOUT 2008 
DENIS KALUME NUMBI 
MINISTRE D'ETAT 
 
End Communique (original text in French) 
 
¶6.  Following is unofficial Embassy translation of communique: 
 
Begin unofficial translation 
 
Communique 
 
A meeting of the expanded Steering Committee of the Amani Process, 
including International Facilitation, was held August 6-7 in Goma 
under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Interior, 
Decentralization and Security. 
The Committee listened to the report of the mixed Technical 
Commission for Peace and Security on the state of progress of said 
Commission's activities and the concerns of armed groups that are 
signatories of the Goma Agreement. 
 
The Steering Committee was pleased by the return of the CNDP and FRF 
to the process and reminded all groups of their obligation to 
participate in the process without pre-conditions in accordance with 
the Goma Agreement. 
 
Following the meeting the Steering Committee decided the following: 
 
 
- To speed up the Amani process; 
- To finalize and adopt the disengagement plan as quickly as 
possible; 
- To launch immediately the DDR program for groups which have 
already turned themselves in spontaneously; 
- To reestablish the authority of the state throughout the provinces 
of North and South Kivu; 
- To dismantle all irregular barriers to the free circulation of 
persons and goods; 
- To legally prosecute in a systematic way all human rights 
violations and, specifically, acts of sexual violence; 
- To have the Mixed Technical Commission for Peace and Security 
(CTMPS) take into account and consider all concerns of the different 
armed groups; 
- To hold a meeting every two weeks of the plenary of the CTMPS; 
- To hold a monthly meeting of the Steering Committee, rotating 
between Bukavu, Goma and Kinshasa. 
 
The Steering Committee has given instructions to the CTMPS and has 
asked the Commission to adopt an operational plan with specific 
deadlines for the plan's implementation. 
 
Signed in Goma, August 7, 2008 
Denis Kalume Numbi 
Minister of State 
 
End unofficial translation