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S E C R E T STATE 018863 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2019 
TAGS: KPKO PREL PHUM UNSC CG IN
SUBJECT: URGENT DEMARCHE: THREATENED INDIAN PEACEKEEPER 
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE DRC 
 
Classified By: AF Acting A/S Karl Wycoff, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Department requests Embassy Kinshasa seek a 
meeting as soon as possible with President Kabila to urge him 
to issue a statement in support of the Indian peacekeeping 
contingent in the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC).  The 
Department similarly requests Embassies Brussels, London and 
Paris, as well as the U.S. Missions to the African Union 
(USAU) and the European Union (USEU), raise this situation 
with host government/organization counterparts and encourage 
them likewise to press the Congolese for such a statement. 
Please see paras 5-9 for background and supporting 
information to meet Department objectives.  Embassy New Delhi 
should note, per para 10, that the UN has specifically asked 
the USG not to raise this issue with the Indian government at 
this time, although it may be necessary to do so at a later 
date. 
 
 
OBJECTIVES (KINSHASA) 
--------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Department instructs Embassy Kinshasa to pursue 
the following objectives: 
 
--  Inform President Kabila we understand the Government of 
India is planning to withdraw its troops from MONUC; 
 
--  Outline the very negative effects this decision would 
have on the security and humanitarian situations in the DRC; 
 
--  Urge President Kabila to issue a strong public statement 
in support of India's participation in MONUC, with the goal 
of staving off an Indian withdrawal. 
 
--  Urge President Kabila to engage in direct talks with the 
Government of India to improve bilateral relations and reach 
an agreement allowing the Indians to remain. 
 
 
OBJECTIVES (OTHER ACTION ADDRESSEES) 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Department instructs Embassies Brussels, London 
and Paris, as well as USAU and USEU, to pursue the following 
objectives: 
 
--  Inform appropriate host government/organization officials 
the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has told 
Ambassador Rice the Government of India plans to withdraw its 
troops from MONUC; 
 
--  Outline the very negative effects this decision would 
have on the security and humanitarian situations in the DRC; 
 
--  Urge local officials to engage with the Congolese 
government, through either the resident DRC ambassadors or 
other channels they may deem appropriate, in favor of a 
strong positive statement from President Kabila in support of 
India's participation in MONUC. 
 
--  Urge local officials to engage with the Congolese 
government in favor of direct bilateral talks between the DRC 
and India, with the goal of reaching an agreement allowing 
the Indians to remain. 
 
 
DEPARTMENT ACTION 
----------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) AF Acting Assistant Secretary Wycoff delivered the 
points in para 2 above to DRC Ambassador to the United States 
Faida Mitifu on the afternoon of Friday, February 27. 
Ambassador Mitifu replied that she would immediately speak 
with the DRC Permanent Representative to the United Nations 
and urge him to be in contact with DPKO. 
 
 
REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (U) All posts should report the results of their efforts 
by cable to IO/PSC Heather Von Behren and AF/C Christopher 
Lamora no later than Friday, March 6. 
 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶6.  (S) UN Under Secretary General Le Roy informed Ambassador 
Rice on February 26 that DPKO had received a note verbale 
from India stating all Indian troops would be withdrawn. 
India assured DPKO its withdrawal would be gradual, but the 
effect will nonetheless be catastrophic. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  India is the largest single Troop-Contributing 
Country participating in MONUC, providing 4,571 troops 
(nearly 25% of the total 18,411).  India has also contributed 
23 of MONUC's 30 total helicopters.  MONUC is already 
struggling to fulfill its extensive mandate, which focuses on 
the protection of Congolese civilians.  For this reason the 
Security Council in November approved a 3,000-troop increase 
to the MONUC force.  Those additional troops have now been 
identified, but it may be several months before the first of 
them actually deploy to the DRC.  A withdrawal of Indian 
troops and helicopter assets would be absolutely devastating 
to MONUC's ability to carry out its mandate.  The 
humanitarian crisis in the DRC would undoubtedly worsen and 
gains made by the recent joint DRC-Rwandan operation against 
the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) 
could quickly evaporate. 
 
¶8.  (U) The Indian troops have had a rough time in the DRC. 
Some have been accused of human rights violations against the 
local population, including an accusation by a UN oversight 
body that some Indian troops were involved in a child 
prostitution ring in the DRC's troubled North Kivu province 
in late 2007 and early 2008.  The Indian government promised 
its own thorough investigation and to bring to justice those 
found guilty.  The international media have accused other 
Indian peacekeepers in the DRC of illegally exporting DRC 
natural resources and allegedly selling arms to rebels in 
exchange for minerals.  UN investigators have acknowledged 
evidence of some limited trading in gold but not in arms. 
These accounts are public and are included in the Department 
of State 2008 Human Rights Report on the DRC that was 
released on February 25, 2009. 
 
¶9.  (S) India is the main force in North Kivu and thus took 
the brunt of anti-MONUC sentiment in the region last fall 
when the GDRC agitated the population into blaming MONUC for 
the continuing insecurity.  DRC President Kabila sent a 
letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in November asking 
that the planned MONUC troop increase include no additional 
Indians.  DPKO responded that the DRC could not pick and 
choose from which contributing countries MONUC forces would 
come without solid justification, which the GDRC did not 
provide.  India has since sought a public statement of 
support from Kabila, which has not been forthcoming, and it 
seems the GOI has determined it has no desire to continue 
placing its troops in harm's way in a country where they are 
not wanted.  Secretary-General Ban will see President Kabila 
on February 28 in Goma, DRC, and plans to urge him to openly 
support India's troops. 
 
¶10.  (S)  Under Secretary General Le Roy has requested U.S. 
assistance by intervening with President Kabila.  The UN will 
be approaching the GOI separately.  Le Roy asked that the USG 
not approach the Indians directly at this time. 
CLINTON