Citation
CONFIDENTIAL
Date Printed: 05/19/1998
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
ACTION AF-01
KIGALI 01434 01 OF 02 010904Z
RELEASED IN FU
INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 TEDE-00 ADS-00 ONY-00 SSO-00
36FBAA 010905Z /38
P 010835Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6111
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 01434
STADIS
AF ONLY
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TA4S: KDEM, PHUM, EAID, RW
SUBJECT: ASSESSING U.S. NGO PERFORMANCE UNDER AREAF
REF: STATE 081874
1.
CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.
2. EMBASSY KIGALI HAS HAD NO/NO EXPERIENCE WITH
AREAF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. HOWEVER, WE HAVE HAD
SOME CONTACT WITH THE PROCESS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
TO THE ROUND TABLE ASSESSMENT.
3. KIGALI'S JOINT STATE-AID REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE
UNDER AREAF (92 KIGALI 3546 -- AUGUST), WHEN
ELECTIONS WERE EXPECTED BY MARCH 1993 TO END A
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YEAR-LONG TRANSITION PERIOD, WENT UNANSWERED. WE DID
NOT PRESS THE ISSUE, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR BY
LATE 1992 THAT THIS TIMETABLE WOULD SLIP AND A NEW
ONE WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THE OUTCOME OF PROTRACTED
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
4. WE HAVE CONDUCTED AN ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN DIALOGUE
WITH NDI, ONE OF THE AREAF NGO PARTNERS, SINCE THE
FIRST NDI TEAM VISIT IN JUNE 1992. A PARTY-BUILDING
PROJECT CONCEIVED WITH NDI DURING A FIRST VISIT -PRE-AREAF -- WAS APPROVED FOR FUNDING (DOLS 125,000) IN
OCTOBER 1992 AS AN AREAF PROJECT. THE TIMEFRAME FOR
IMPLEMENTATION, TARGETED FOR NOVEMBER 1992 TO EARLY
1993, KEPT GETTING PUSHED BACK, HOWEVER, AS THE PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS DRAGGED ON. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, THIS
PROJECT IS STILL ON THE BOOKS. IT IS OUR INTENTION
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DEVAK11VlE 1 UV N1A1r.
REVIEW AUTHORITY:
EDWARD W. HOLMES
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Date Printed: 05/19/1998
DOC_NUNBER: 94KIGAL101434
TO ESTABLISH A NEW TARGET DATE AS SOON AS THE
TRANSITION INSTITUTIONS CALLED FOR IN THE AUGUST
PEACE ACCORD ARE INSTALLED.
5. DURING NDI'S SECOND VISIT TO KIGALI, IN DECEMBER
1992, WE DISCUSSED WITH THE TEAM NOT ONLY THE
PROPOSED PARTY-BUILDING SEMINAR AND ITS TIMING, BUT
ALSO THE LARGER PLAN FOR ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS
ASSISTANCE UNDER AREAF. NDI EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS
TO CONSIDER BASING A COORDINATOR IN KIGALI, AS
REQUESTED IN THE CABLE MENTIONED IN PARA 2, BUT
AGAIN, THE DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS FAILED TO EVOLVE
AT THE PACE ANTICIPATED. THIS, TOO, WE WILL WANT TO
EXPLORE ONCE A GOVERNMENT IS IN PLACE.
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6. GIVEN OUR LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH AREAF AND ITS
NGO PARTNERS, WE CANNOT COMMENT ON MOST OF THE ISSUES
OUTLINED REFTEL. HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE THAT WE WOULD
LIKE TO COMMENT ON: HOW EARLY TO GET INVOLVED AND
THE CRITERIA UPON WHICH THESE DECISIONS SHOULD BE
BASED.
QUILDING ACTIVITIES SHOULD BEGIN AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE ONCE MULTIPLE PARTIES EXIST. THE TRAINING
SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO HOW-TO INFORMATION (WHICH
ALL THE PARTIES IN RWANDA ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED THEY
ALREADY KNEW FROM THEIR ONE PARTY EXPERIENCE). IT
SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONS, RESPECT FOR THE IDEAS OF OTHERS, ACCEPTING
LOSSES, AND DEALING WITH THE INABILITY TO CONTROL
OUTCOMES IN A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. NDI RESPONDED
SKEPTICALLY TO THIS TYPE OF APPROACH AND ESSENTIALLY
DECLINED TO CONSIDER IT IN THEIR PROJECT. THESE
NOTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE PROCESS; AND IF RWANDAN
POLITICAL LEADERS HAD BEEN MORE ENDUED, WE MIGHT HAVE
INSTALLED TRANSITION INSTITUTIONS BY NOW.
8. THE LATEST CABLE DESCRIBING THE CURRENT INTERESTS
OF AREAF PARTNERS SUGGESTS THAT THE FOCUS IS SHIFTING
TO POST-ELECTION CONSOLIDATION. THIS IS CLEARLY
IMPORTANT, BUT ELECTIONS SHOULD NOT BE THE SOLE
CRITERIA FOR ASSISTANCE. EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE
ABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS TO FUNCTION
ACCORDING TO DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES AND NORMS. UNLESS
THE DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS IS ENTRENCHED IN THE
INSTITUTIONS, ELECTIONS MAY HAVE EPHEMERAL RESULTS.
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9. RWANDA HAS PUT POPULAR ELECTIONS AT THE END OF.
ITS TRANSITION PROCESS, NOT THE BEGINNING. BETWEEN
THE INSTALLATION OF THE TRANSITION GOVERNMENT AND
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, WHERE MEMBERSHIP IS DETERMINED
ACCORDING TO A PARTY-BASED FORMULA WORKED OUT AT THE
PEACE TALKS, THE PEACE ACCORD CALLS FOR AN OVERHAUL
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ACTION AF-01
KIGALI 01434 02 OF 02 010905Z
INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 TEDE-00 ADS-00 ONY-00 SSO-00
36FBB9 010905Z /38
P 010835Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6112
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 KIGALI 01434
STADIS
AF ONLY
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TA4S: KDEM, PHUM, EAID, RW
SUBJECT: ASSESSING U.S. NGO PERFORMANCE UNDER AREAF
OF RWANDAN POLITICAL CULTURE. DURING THE TRANSITION,
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ASSEMBLY
FUNCTION IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS FOR THE GIVE AND TAKE
THAT CONSTITUTE THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
10. RWANDANS HAVE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED AN EAGERNESS
TO LEARN. A RECENT CONSULTANT, HERE TO LOOK AT WAYS
TO HELP STRENGTHEN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS UNDER OUR
USAID DEMOCRACY INITIATIVES IN GOVERNANCE (DIG)
PROJECT, SPENT LITERALLY HOURS AND HOURS TALKING WITH
DEPUTIES-DESIGNATE OF ONE GROUP (THE RPF) ABOUT HOW
TO MAKE THE TRANSITION ASSEMBLY WORK. HELPING THESE
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Date Printed: 05/19/1998
DOC_NUMBER: 94KIGALI01434
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INSTITUTIONS FUNCTION WITHIN THE NORMS OF DEMOCRATIC
PRACTICE AND KEEPING THEM PROGRESSING TOWARDS FAIR
ELECTIONS. THUS, WE WOULD SUBMIT, STRENGTHENING
INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT -- WHETHER BEFORE OR
AFTER ELECTIONS -- IS CRITICAL.
RAWSON
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*** Current Handling Restrictions *** ONLY, STADIS
*** Current Classification *** CONFIDENTIAL
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