VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKI #0334/01 0971401
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 071401Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9440

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000334 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PREL PGOV MARR MOPS CG
SUBJECT:  SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT OF CODEL ADAM SMITH TO THE 
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (APRIL 15-16) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 
continues to grapple with fundamental security challenges, 
particularly in the eastern part of the country, making it one of 
the most fragile and volatile states in the world.  Armed groups, 
including the infamous Lord's Resistance Army, continue to terrorize 
the Congolese population in the east.  At the same time, there have 
been a number of recent breakthroughs that, over time, could help to 
bring at least a modicum of stability and security to the DRC.  Most 
importantly, a recent rapprochement between the DRC and its former 
regional rival Rwanda, which in turn has led to newfound cooperation 
between the two governments to address the problems posed by two of 
the principal armed groups operating on Congolese soil - one 
traditionally supported (or at least tolerated) by Kinshasa which 
operated against Rwanda's interests, and the other supported by 
Kigali which operated against the DRC's interests.  Separately, a 
recent high-profile power struggle between the President and the 
Speaker of the National Assembly, which ran the risk of igniting 
conflict here in Kinshasa, was resolved according to established, 
democratic procedures, with the Speaker resigning his post. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary continued:  Nevertheless, the problems faced by 
the Congolese state and population remain rife: endemic corruption, 
rampant government abuse of human rights, economic crisis, and 
wrenching poverty and destitution.   Your visit here can reinforce 
the point that the USG stands ready to assist the DRC with its many 
challenges, demonstrated by the fact that overall the United States 
provides over $700 million per year in foreign and peacekeeping 
assistance to the DRC, of which more than $200 million is in the 
form of bilateral foreign assistance for development and 
humanitarian activities, with the remainder largely provided through 
contributions to multilateral organizations including MONUC. 
However, it is vitally important that the elites of this country 
make the commitment to build a transparent, modern, liberal state 
which is focused on the delivery of services - as opposed to what 
exists now, which is a situation in which the state is used almost 
exclusively as a means by which a few people can enrich themselves 
and their families.  End Summary. 
 
Peace and Security 
------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The issues surrounding the well-publicized and 
now-concluded Operation Lightning Thunder - a joint effort between 
the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), the Ugandan armed forces (UPDF), 
and the armed forces of South Sudan to combat the scourge of the 
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) - remain in focus for us.  The LRA, 
lodged in a remote and largely inaccessible region of northeastern 
DRC, has long terrorized the local population; the numbers of 
Congolese killed, raped, tortured, kidnapped, and forced into 
slavery by this group stagger the imagination.  While this joint 
operation was successful in diminishing some of the LRA's 
capability, the group remains intact and viable, and continues to 
carry out well-publicized attacks against the population.  The 
responsibility now lies with the FARDC, supported by the 
peacekeepers of the UN mission in the DRC (MONUC), to finish the job 
- but there are serious doubts as to whether these two entities have 
the capability or will to do so. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) News of a more positive nature is coming out of the Kivu 
provinces, site of long-simmering ethnic tensions and the 
battleground for both direct and proxy battles between the DRC and 
Rwanda.  A diplomatic rapprochement between the two countries 
allowed for two important agreements, both of which were, frankly, 
staggering in terms of their impact. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The first of these agreements was that the DRC permitted 
Rwandan armed forces (which had previously invaded and occupied 
large parts of the DRC) to enter its territory to fight the armed 
group known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda 
(FDLR), an outfit comprised in part of those complicit in the 1994 
genocide and to which Kinshasa had given tacit and direct support at 
various times over the years.  The second agreement was clearly 
(though it was never publicly stated as such) that Rwanda allowed 
for the collapse of the National Congress for the Defense of the 
People (CNDP) rebel group, a Rwandan proxy which had terrorized 
North Kivu for a number of years.  These developments are 
remarkable, particularly when seen against the backdrop of the 
DRC-Rwandan relationship of just three months ago, when many 
observers believed the two countries appeared to be headed towards 
war.  At a meeting in Kinshasa last weekend, the Rwandans and 
Congolese even announced their intention to reestablish diplomatic 
relations immediately. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Like the operation against the LRA, the operation against 
the FDLR succeeded in weakening the group's capability to a certain 
extent, but it remains active and continues to terrorize the local 
civilian population.  The FARDC and MONUC also now have the task to 
finish the job but, as with the LRA, there are doubts as to their 
ability to do so.  Concerning the CNDP, its fighters are being 
integrated into the FARDC and the Congolese police force as part of 
the agreement that dismantled the group as a fighting force.  While 
a positive step, significant work remains to be done to ensure that 
this process of integration succeeds in permanently ending the 
status of the CNDP as an armed group. 
 
Assistance Efforts 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Congolese military, which must play a key role in 
solving the security challenges faced by the DRC, itself faces 
severe internal and external challenges.  The USG and other partners 
are committed to seeing through progress in this area, though the 
pace of reform has been slow.  The DRC is currently benefiting from 
a variety of projects financed through a number of different 
security assistance funds.  U.S. security assistance to the DRC aims 
first and foremost to develop the FARDC into a professional, 
well-structured, and disciplined fighting force, which respects 
human rights and has the respect and trust of the people.  While 
battlefield training is part of this program, it is equally 
important to focus on projects that provide for internal and 
long-term capacity reform (e.g. leadership training, command and 
control, human rights, etc.).  Alongside our ongoing programs to 
provide capacity to military investigators to investigate sex 
crimes, to help strengthen the overall military justice system, and 
to enhance the leadership ability of FARDC officers, actions to 
begin training a light infantry battalion are continuing apace. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Overall foreign assistance support from the United States 
is growing.  The United States provides over $700 million per year 
in foreign and peacekeeping assistance to the DRC, of which more 
than $200 million is in the form of bilateral foreign assistance for 
development and humanitarian activities, with the remainder provided 
through contributions to multilateral organizations including MONUC. 
 Overall, the budget for the DRC for development assistance 
increased in FY 2008 by approximately 25 percent, including 
supplemental appropriations for HIV/AIDS and security assistance 
funding.  USAID implements programs in the areas of health, 
education, democracy and governance, economic growth, agriculture, 
and peace and security. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The United States will continue to focus attention on the 
crisis situation in eastern DRC, where our support has helped to 
advance the peace process and provide critical assistance to 
communities affected by the conflict.  Over the past several years, 
USAID has provided approximately half of development resources to 
programs operating in conflict-affected areas of eastern DRC. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) So far in FY 2009, USAID has spent over $13 million to 
support emergency response agriculture and food security, economy 
and market systems, logistics and relief commodities, health, 
nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs 
targeting conflict-affected populations in eastern DRC. 
Additionally, USAID has spent over $48 million in FY 09 so far to 
provide food assistance to food deficit areas, primarily in eastern 
DRC. 
 
Human Rights and Gender-Based Violence 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Security forces and armed groups remain responsible for 
most human rights violations in the DRC, including unlawful 
killings, disappearances, torture, rape and arbitrary arrest and 
detention.  Human rights advocates have extensively documented the 
involvement of these elements in such abuses. 
Constitutionally-protected freedoms of association, speech, and 
protest are increasingly disregarded by security and administrative 
authorities using vague Mobutu and colonial-era laws to arrest and 
detain perceived critics.  The Embassy is working with NGOs and 
other diplomatic missions to encourage Parliament to bring these 
laws into line with the 2006 constitution. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Sexual violence against women and girls in eastern DRC is 
pervasive.  While most of the recorded attacks have been by armed 
groups and the FARDC, reports of rape by civilians is increasingly 
prevalent.  A general climate of impunity does nothing to discourage 
these acts.  In a recent report, the UN Human Rights Integrated 
Office in the DRC (UNHRO) stated that, despite strengthened laws on 
sexual violence, "law enforcement personnel and magistrates continue 
to treat rape and sexual violence in general with a marked lack of 
seriousness.  Consequently, men accused of rape are often granted 
bail or given relatively light sentences, and out-of-court 
settlements of sexual violence cases are widespread."  In fact, 
relatively few cases are reported to the police, and fewer still 
result in prosecution. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) USAID and the Departments of State and Defense support 
activities to respond to and prevent gender-based violence through a 
variety of interventions in the eastern provinces.  Since 2002, 
USAID has allocated more than $10 million for activities to combat 
gender-based violence in the Eastern DRC.  The Defense Institute for 
International Legal Studies (DIILS) has provided training sessions 
on the investigation of sex crimes to nearly all 350 of the FARDC 
military magistrates and police investigators with investigatory and 
adjudicatory roles.  The program, funded through PKO monies, 
sponsored sessions across the country, and received laudatory 
comments from the international community. 
 
Economic Issues 
--------------- 
¶14.  (SBU) The DRC has been significantly and negatively impacted by 
the global financial crisis due to its heavy reliance on natural 
resources for foreign exchange and limited capacity to protect 
against external shocks. Reduced demand for and lower prices of 
minerals have resulted in a significant contraction of the DRC's 
mining sector, the driver of the DRC's recent economic growth and a 
major source of formal sector employment and investment.  The IMF 
has revised projected GDP growth downward for 2009 to 2.7%, less 
than half of the IMF's projection before the global financial 
crisis.  International reserves have fallen to the lowest level in 
five years and the exchange rate has depreciated by more than 25 
percent over the last four months.  At the same time, continuing 
conflict in eastern DRC is having an adverse impact on the fiscal 
balance through public expenditures.  To help support the 
continuation of basic services and augment international reserve 
levels, the World Bank approved $100 million in emergency assistance 
under its Fast Track Assistance Program in February and the IMF 
approved $200 million in emergency assistance under its Exogenous 
Shocks Facility (ESF) in March.  The EU also plans to provide 
emergency assistance. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) The DRC's development framework includes implementation 
of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), approved in mid-2006 
by the IMF and World Bank boards, and the government's five-year 
program, approved by the National Assembly in February 2007.  The 
five-year program, known as the five pillars, or "cinq chantiers" in 
French, is based on the PRSP and focuses heavily on President 
Kabila's five priority areas:  infrastructure; employment; 
education; water/electricity; and health.  The DRC currently 
participates in a non-disbursing IMF Saff Monitored Program (SMP) 
and continues discusions with the IMF on the re-establishment of an 
IF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF).  Anew IMF PRGF 
will help pave the way for externaldebt relief under the Heavily 
Indebted Poor Counries (HIPC) Initiative.  The DRC's external debt 
totals approximately $11 billion.  In early 2008, te DRC concluded 
an agreement with a consortium o Chinese ompanies to create a 
joint venture to xploit mining resources and develop Congolese 
inrastructure.  The project will be financed by a $9billion loan 
arranged by the consortium.  To ensue debt sustainability, some of 
the loan agreemen's provisions must be clarified in order to 
qualfy the DRC for a PRGF program and receive debt relef under 
HIPC. 
 
The Scene Today 
-------------- 
 
¶16.  (SBU) The problems faced by the DRC are verwhelming, but your 
visit will reinforce the pint that the USG stands ready and willing 
to assst the country with its security, economic, and goernmental 
challenges.  At the same time, we have high expectations of the 
Kabila government and there will be no blank chec issued to his 
regime.  Post believes that it isparticularly important that the 
following points e reinforced during your visit:  1) those in power 
must first and foremost truly commit to the creaion of a modern 
state, focused on the rational ad just delivery of services to all 
its citizens not just individual constituencies), and to address 
the endemic corruption that renders progress in his area 
impossible; 2) the appalling human righs record of the government 
and its security services must be corrected - not by empty rhetoric 
but with concrete action; and 3) we expect the full engagement of 
the FARDC to fight the LRA and FDLR, in cooperation with MONUC and 
keeping in mind first and foremost the need to protect civilians. 
 
GARVELINK