Cablegate: Drc Government Agrees to Sofa

VZCZCXRO7810
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0738/01 2521624
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081624Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8395
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000738

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: DRC Government agrees to SOFA

1. After initially requesting that the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo enter into a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
more than a year ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the
Embassy on August 30 via diplomatic note that the GDRC has accepted
the proposed terms and provisions of the draft SOFA the Embassy sent
to it via dip note on August 28. Transcriptions if an unofficial
Embassy translation into English of the Ministry's August 30
diplomatic note, as well as the note in the original French, follow.

2. Unofficial translation of Foreign Ministry's August 30
diplomatic note follows:

Begin unofficial translation

The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

The Minister

No. 130/05/NKL/0722/2008

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo presents its complements to the
Embassy of the United States of America and has the honor to
acknowledge receipt of note verbale no. 08/175 dated 28 August 2008
whereby the Embassy forwards a corrected version and the English
version of the text of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in
response to its note verbale no. 130/05/NKL/0707/2008 of 27 August
2008.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo subscribes to
all of the clauses contained in this note verbale, which henceforth
constitutes the Agreement between it and the Government of the
United States of America. The two parties will be invited to
conclude implementing agreements to ensure the execution of the
provisions of this Agreement which enters into force on the date of
the signature of the present note verbale.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo thanks the Embassy of the United
States of America for its good will and avails itself of this
opportunity to renew to it the assurances of its highest
consideration.

Kinshasa, 30 August 2008

To the Embassy of the United States of America
Kinshasa

End unofficial translation

2. Original text in French of Foreign Ministry's August 30
diplomatic note follows:

Begin original text

REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO
MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES ET
DE LA COOPERATION INTERNATINALE

LE MINISTRE

NUM. 130/05/NKL/0722/2008

LE MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES ET DE LA COOPERATION
INTERNATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO PRESENTE SES
COMPLIMENTS A L'AMBASSADE DES ETATS-UNIS D'AMERIQUE A KINSHASA ET A
L'HONNEUR D'ACCUSER RECEPTION DE LA NOTE VERBALE NUM. 08/175 DU 28
AOUT 2008 PAR LAQUELLE L'AMBASSADE LUI TRANSMET LA VERSION CORRIGEE
ET LA VERSION ANGLAISE DU TEXTE DU STATUT DE L'ACCORD DES FORCES
(SOFA) EN REPONSE A SA NOTE VERBALE NUM. 130/05/NKL/0707/2008 DU 27
AOUT 2008.

LE GOUVERNEMENT DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO SOUSCRIT A
L'ENSEMBLE DES CLAUSES REPRISES DANS CETTE NOTE VERBALE LAQUELLE
CONSTITUE DORENAVANT L'ACCORD ENTRE LUI ET LE GOUVERNEMENT DES
ETATS-UNIS D'AMERIQUE. LES DEUX PARTIES SERONT INVITEES A CONCLURE
DES ACCORDS D'EXECUTION POUR ASSURER LA MISE EN OEUVRE DES
DISPOSITIONS DE CET ACCORD QUI ENTRE EN VIGUEUR A LA DATE DE SA
SIGNATURE DE LA PRESENTE NOTE VERBALE

LE MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES ET DE LA COOPERATION
INTERNATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO REMERCIE
L'AMBASSADE DES ETATS-UNIS D'AMERIQUE POUR SA BONNE OBLIGEANCE ET
SAISIT CETTE OCCASION POUR LUI RENOUVELER LES ASSURANCES DE SA HAUTE

KINSHASA 00000738 002 OF 002

CONSIDERATION.

KINSHASA, LE 30 AOUT 2008

A L'AMBASSADE DES ETATS-UNIS
D'AMERIQUE
A KINSHASA

End original text

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