Cablegate: North Kivu Update: Calls for Peace and Military

VZCZCXRO8647
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1877 3531048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191048Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5320
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001877

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KPKO CG
SUBJECT: NORTH KIVU UPDATE: CALLS FOR PEACE AND MILITARY
NEGOTIATIONS

REF: KINSHASA 1832

1. (U) Members of the North Kivu Hutu and Tutsi communities
held a press conference in Goma December 16 to call for
dialogue between renegade General Laurent Nkunda and the
GDRC. The leaders of the community, including North Kivu
Governor Eugene Serufuli, a Hutu, and National Assembly
member Faustin Dunia, a Tutsi, said they aimed to cross
ethnic and political lines to end the violence. They
deplored the "enormous loss of life" and called upon the
FARDC and Nkunda-allied forces to find a political solution
to the current conflict (ref A).

2. (U) Dunia told us the military situation in North Kivu
was generally calm as of December 19, and the community was
optimistic that a peaceful solution could be reached, and
that two incidents of violence December 18 had not affected
the general mood of reconciliation. Short-lived heavy arms
fire in the hills outside Jombe in Rutshuru, apparently from
Nkunda-allied forces, ended without FARDC intervention,
according to MONUC's Radio Okapi. Okapi also reported
Nkunda-allied forces blocked a road in Masisi, 40 km from the
provincial capital, Goma, restricting some commerce.

3. (SBU) MONUC also reported a December 18 meeting between
FARDC 8th Military Region Commander General Ngizo and a
Nkunda delegation at Kimoko, North Kivu. They agreed to
allow the free movement of civilians to ease tension in the
area and to pull back forces at a time and place to be
negotiated. Per MONUC, General Ngizo gave the Nkunda
delegates a large sum of Congolese francs for the payment of
81st and 83rd Brigade soldiers, which he called "a goodwill
gesture."
DOUGHERTY

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