VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0063/01 0300026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300026Z JAN 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5704
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 0365
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0311
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 1689

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000063 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPKO UNSC XA CG RW UG
SUBJECT: UN UPDATE: CNDP JOINING DRC ARMY; DRC AND RWANDA 
MOVING AGAINST THE FDLR 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY. DPKO A/SYG Mulet told the Security Council 
the DRC/Rwanda joint operation to evict the FDLR will start 
in earnest next week.  He said MONUC will help plan this 
operation and will advise the joint force how best to protect 
civilians during its implementation.  He added that other 
rebel groups are reacting to events by integrating into the 
DRC army whereas the FDLR may retaliate against civilians. 
Mulet predicted Rwanda will not extradite former CNDP leader 
Nkunda and said MONUC will not actively seek to arrest new 
CNDP leader, and ICC indictee, Bosco Ntaganda.  The new 
Ugandan PermRep said the joint regional operations against 
the FDLR and the LRA were the "best way to end human 
suffering" in the region.  Mulet said MONUC has received 
commitments for only 1,845 of its 3,000 additional troops and 
lacks pledges for the special skill positions and air assets 
that it especially needs. END SUMMARY. 
 
DRC/RWANDA JOINT MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST THE FDLR 
 
¶2. (SBU) Assistant Secretary-General for the UN Department of 
Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Edmond Mulet told the Security 
Council on January 28 that three Rwandan Defense Force (RDF) 
battalions are working with seven DRC Army (FARDC) brigades 
in operations against the Rwandan Hutu rebel group FDLR in 
the DRC.  He said former CNDP rebels are being integrated 
into those seven FARDC brigades to immediately join in these 
military operations.  He noted that FDLR members are moving 
to the bush, with roughly 1,000 reportedly moving north and 
1,500 moving northeast of Goma. He feared the FDLR may be 
planning counterattacks, citing information that many FDLR 
family members were relocated to villages away from potential 
areas of conflict.  Mulet said the joint RDF/FARDC operation 
is expected to begin in earnest "next week" with the goal of 
evicting the FDLR and destroying its military capacity.  The 
operation will start in North Kivu and then go to South Kivu, 
he said.  He reported the RDF currently is authorized to be 
in the DRC for an initial 20 days. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Mulet said that the DRC and Rwanda have undergone a 
sea-change in their bilateral relationship, noting this is 
the first time since 1998 there is a united front against 
foreign fighters in the DRC.  He acknowledged the operation 
has great risks, including a potential humanitarian crisis 
for the 350,000 civilians in the region and possible FDLR 
reprisals, but insisted the cooperation is an "outstanding 
event" and could bring lasting peace to the Great Lakes 
region.  Mulet closed his briefing by saying that the 
Rwanda-DRC operation against the FDLR reflected a rebalancing 
of power that had the potential to address questions that 
have been unresolved since 1998. 
 
MONUC TO HELP WITH PLANNING, PROTECTING CIVILIANS, AND DDRRR 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo asked whether MONUC would be 
involved in monitoring joint exercises and how MONUC was 
ensuring the protection of civilians in its implementation. 
MONUC, Mulet said, would send six to eight liaison officers, 
and some (unspecified number) of civilians, to join the joint 
DRC/Rwanda technical planning cell in charge of the FDLR 
operation. MONUC would advise on civilian protection issues 
and help ensure compliance with international humanitarian 
law.  Further measures, such as monitoring teams to accompany 
missions, are under consideration. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Mulet said MONUC is assisting with DDRRR 
(disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration, 
and resettlement) for former FDLR fighters.  He said 100 
fighters and family members have already gone to DDRRR 
centers in the DRC. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Politically, Mulet said, Kinshasa is reporting mixed 
reactions to Rwandan forces entering the DRC.  He cited 
public and press fears that the operation against the FDLR 
could "Balkanize" the country.  In the Kivus, the reaction 
has been fairly quiet, but Mulet noted the biggest concern is 
the fear of FDLR reprisals targeting civilians. 
 
CNDP NOW INTEGRATING INTO THE FARDC; BOSCO LAYING LOW; NKUNDA 
PROBABLY STAYING PUT 
 
¶7. (SBU) Mulet reported two integration centers are being set 
up to incorporate CNDP soldiers into FARDC brigades currently 
in the Kivus.  He also said two other locations are 
integrating PARECO and Mayi-Mayi armed forces.  Further 
training, he said, is planned for these new brigades for 
after the FDLR operation.  Mulet said vetting these armed 
forces was very complicated and its focus was to ensure no 
child soldiers or foreign fighters were being allowed to join 
 
 
the FARDC. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Mulet said CNDP leader Bosco Ntaganda, indicted by 
the ICC on war crimes charges, was being discreet in not 
being present where MONUC forces could see him.  MONUC would 
not/not be involved or participate in any operations if Bosco 
were present, Mulet said.  Mulet said while it was not in 
MONUC's mandate to arrest Bosco on sight, MONUC could assist 
the FARDC in arrest operations if asked by the FARDC.  He 
said the ICC formally notified Rwanda of the arrest warrant 
issued for Bosco. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Mulet said he personally believed former CNDP leader 
Nkunda, currently under house arrest in Rwanda, would not be 
extradited to DRC. 
 
LRA OPERATION CONTINUES; LRA SPLIT INTO SEVEN GROUPS 
 
¶10. (SBU) Mulet said the joint Ugandan/DRC/Southern Sudan 
operation against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) would 
continue until at least early February.  He said several LRA 
bases have been destroyed and its supply routes had been 
disrupted.  He reported the LRA had split into seven groups 
of about 100 people each.  Mulet said the LRA had killed 560 
and abducted 430 people since this operation began, and that 
up to 160,000 people had been displaced.  MONUC, according to 
Mulet, is offering logistical support and air transport, but 
is not part of the ground operation. 
 
NAIROBI TALKS ARE ON HOLD 
 
¶11. (SBU) Mulet said the Nairobi negotiations between the 
CNDP and the DRC government, led by Special Envoy Obasanjo, 
have been suspended due to recent events after enjoying 
"considerable success" in helping improve Kinshasa-Kigali 
relations.  Obasanjo wants to see what happens during the 
Great Lakes Summit on January 31 and the African Union heads 
of state meeting on February 2 before deciding his next 
steps, Mulet said.  Most Security Council members expressed 
support for Obasanjo to continue his negotiation efforts. 
 
MONUC STILL NEEDS TROOPS AND ASSETS; WILL SHARE PLANS 
 
¶12. (SBU) In response to a question from Ambassador DiCarlo, 
Mulet reported MONUC still needs additional troops authorized 
by SCR 1843 in November.  MONUC has commitments for 1,845 of 
the 3,000 additional troops, including Egypt's recent 
commitment to supply one formed police unit (FPU).  MONUC 
still needs one battalion, one FPU, two special forces 
companies, military trainers, intelligence equipment, and air 
assets.   Mulet referenced a letter from UN Secretary-General 
Ban, dated January 27, which called on countries to give 
troops, a C-130 aircraft, and 18 helicopters to meet MONUC's 
needs. 
 
¶13. (SBU) MONUC will share its new Concept of Operations 
(ConOps) and Rules of Engagement (ROEs), due this week, in 
February with troop contributing countries and the Security 
Council, Mulet said.  The new ConOps and ROEs take into 
account the recent events in the region and MONUC's new 
mandate which emphasizes the protection of civilians as its 
highest priority. 
 
NEW UGANDAN PERMREP STRONGLY SUPPORTS MILITARY OPERATIONS 
 
¶14. (SBU) New Ugandan PermRep Rugunda said this new 
DRC/Rwanda cooperation was a "golden opportunity" that all 
should embrace and support. Rugunda said he personally met 
with MONUC last week and was happy with the regional and UN 
cooperation.  He praised the great regional support for the 
operations against both the FDLR and the LRA, and said these 
operations were the "best way to end human suffering" and 
were a definitive way to end the chronic humanitarian crisis 
in the region. 
 
MEMBERS CALL FOR PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS 
 
¶15. (SBU) Burkina Faso welcomed and supported the joint 
operation and stressed the need for continued frank political 
dialogue to reestablish regional peace.  Ambassador DiCarlo 
welcomed the integration of CNDP and PARECO groups into the 
FARDC and the new progress in Rwandan/DRC relations.  Most 
other members supported the joint operation and joined 
DiCarlo in calling for MONUC to ensure the protection of 
civilians. 
Rice