Cablegate: Joint Monitoring Group Task Force, February 15

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OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0175 0501721
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191721Z FEB 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7556
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 KINSHASA 000175

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO CG
SUBJECT: Joint Monitoring Group Task Force, February 15

Ref: 06 Kinshasa 1419

1. (SBU) The Joint Monitoring Group Task Force for the Nairboi
process held its ninth meeting February 15 at MONUC headquarters in
Goma. The most notable aspect was the attendance for the first time
of a South African diplomat who attended the meeting from Kigali.
As has become the practice, members painfully worked through four
hours of discussion on the minutes from the previous week, finally
wrapping up business after a grueling seven-hour meeting.

2. (SBU) The Rwandan delegation haggled over small changes in the
text. For example, they insisted that the words "strength and
weapons" be included in a long line of information that the DRC
government was to furnish on the state of the FDLR.

3. (SBU) The Rwandan delegation was also unhappy with a point that
the DRC government "appealed to the GOR not to spread rumors but to
work together in the respective processes to verify allegations."
After repeatedly asking the Congolese side not to be so negative,
the Rwandans switched tactics and argued that the sentence should
not be included because it was "unprofessional" and inappropriate:
their concern stemmed from the fact that they did not reply at the
time to the Congolese government's complaint.

4. (SBU) Comment: The haggling over minutes continues to drag on
the work of the Task Force. Members at the initial meeting (reftel)
had agreed to include only conclusions in their reports to JMG
envoys. However, this was subsequently circumvented by a unilateral
decision of the acting MONUC-Goma chairman. Embassy has engaged
MONUC's chief political adviser, the group's titular chairman, in an
effort to address this. End comment.

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