VZCZCXRO4914
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1026 3241552
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191552Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8801
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 KINSHASA 001026
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
SUBJECT: EASTERN DRC NOTES - NOVEMBER 19
1. (U) The items contained in this report consist principally of
spot information from various sources. This report is not
exhaustive, nor can all the information contained therein be
confirmed at this time.
Security Situation
------------------
2. (SBU) The CNDP announced publicly on Tuesday that it would
withdraw its troops 40 kilometers along two axes in North Kivu:
Kanyabayonga-Nyanzale and Kabasha-Kiwanja. CNDP called on MONUC to
secure the zones of separation, which its withdrawal would create.
MONUC welcomed the CNDP withdrawal.
3. (SBU) Press reports and a UNDSS briefing indicated that the
FARDC had engaged in "serious pillaging" of the towns of Kayna and
Kirumba on November 18. PARECO forces in the area confronted the
FARDC forces and a firefight ensued. UNDSS said that the FARDC
reportedly killed five civilians, who they suspected of being PARECO
members, and burned alive a sixth. FARDC officials in the area
reported five PARECO killed, and one FARDC soldier killed.
4. (SBU) There are unconfirmed reports of CNDP presence at Miriki,
20 kilometers west of Kayna and Kanyabayonga. There are other
rumors that the CNDP is moving northward up Lake Edward from
Vitshumbi. One hypothesis is that the CNDP will try to encircle
Kanyabayonga.
Humanitarian Situation
----------------------
5. (SBU) Handicap International reported that when 20 civilians in
Kiwanja refused to carry water for CNDP troops, CNDP soldiers
summarily executed the civilians. According to Handicap
International, there have been 12 cases of forced recruitment by
CNDP in Rutshuru and eight cases in Kiwanja. Many young men are now
hiding in the bush.
6. (SBU) UNHCR announced it plans to reopen a base in Rutshuru and
start an assessment on November 18. During the week of November 17,
WFP, FAO, the Food Security Cluster, and various NGO's also plan to
conduct an evaluation of Rutshuru. A multi-office (Human Rights,
Child Protection, and Civil Rights) MONUC team is conducting a
five-day assessment visit to Kiwanja to investigate reports of
recent atrocities. The team is also concerned about possible human
rights violations at Rwindi.
7. (SBU) The humanitarian community continues to discuss the
possibility of relocating IDP's from Kibati 1 and 2 camps to Mugunga
3 camp. Humanitarian agencies continue to prepare the Mugunga 3
site, and MONUC planned to commence work on an access road to the
camp on November 18.
8. (SBU) Humanitarian agencies announced on November 17 that an
additional 3,000 refugees had arrived in Uganda, bringing the total
of recent DRC refugees in Uganda to 13,000. The GDRC Minister of
Humanitarian Affairs announced that the DRC now has 2.5 million
IDP's
9. (SBU) A USAID/DART team visited Minova in South Kivu on November
18. Between November 12 and 14, more than 1,000 people fled from
Ngungu to Minova, raising the total number of IDP's in Minova to
32,000 - 40,000.
Political Developments
----------------------
10. (U) Visiting UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa, Asia and
the United Nations Lord Mark Malloch-Brown told a Kinshasa press
conference on November 18 that he would not exclude the possibility
of sending EU troops to Eastern DRC. However, Malloch-Brown
emphasized that the best solution is to reinforce MONUC's existing
forces and the second-best option would be a regional force.
11. (U) According to Radio Okapi, the NGO Journalistes en Danger
(JED) wrote a letter to Laurent Nkunda asking him to stop "attacks
and intimidation" against journalists operating in CNDP areas. JED
specifically mentioned the cases of two journalists from Radio Tele
Groupe L'Avenir (RTGA) and Digital Congo accused of propagating
hate.
GARVELINK