Cablegate: Cndp Claims No Intention to Attack Goma

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OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1165/01 3641514
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291514Z DEC 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8973
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001165

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: CNDP CLAIMS NO INTENTION TO ATTACK GOMA

KINSHASA 00001165 001.5 OF 002

1. CNDP Spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa issued a press statement on
December 25, declaring the CNDP's intention to refrain from
attacking Goma in light of political progress in negotiations with
the GDRC. The statement also warns that advances by government
forces could jeopardize the CNDP's October 29 unilateral ceasefire.
The statement appeals to MONUC to pressure government forces to
vacate former CNDP-controlled areas to lower the risk of
confrontation. Unofficial embassy translation follows. Original
French is at paragraph 3.

2. Begin unofficial translation of CNDP press statement:

National Congress for the Defense of the People

Press Statement by the Movement

Following the press reports issued by a press service working to
increase the distress of our compatriots regarding alleged
preparations by CNDP troops for the fall of the city of Goma during
the year-end festivities, the CNDP's political directorate informs
public opinion, both domestic and international, and specifically
our compatriots living in the city of Goma, that it will not
undertake any military initiative that could undermine serenity and
peace in the city, particularly at this moment when a political,
rather than a military, solution seems to be prevailing, despite our
adversary's reticence.

The CNDP's political directorate recalls that on October 29 of this
year it decreed a unilateral ceasefire just as the city of Goma was
fully within its reach. Our movement's troops had been instructed
to carry out a unilateral withdrawal of approximately 12 kilometers
along the Goma-Kibati axis, not only to avoid panicking the city's
population but also to reaffirm its commitment to a negotiated
resolution of the crisis. Even now the political directorate of our
movement remains committed to these principles and asks the
population of Goma to stay calm and go about its business.

Our movement asks MONUC to exercise necessary and sufficient
pressure on the government coalition's troops for the purpose of
taking them from areas that have been vacated by the CNDP and thus
avoid any possibility of confrontation between troops. It goes
without saying that the government coalition's troops have advanced
along different axes evacuated by our movement with the intention of
taking control of CNDP areas. Such initiatives could compromise the
precarious calm that has been observed until today.

The movement's political directorate avails itself of this
opportunity to present its best wishes to all our compatriots, to
whom it recommends meditation and sustained prayer for a lasting
peace in the east of the country in particular and in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo in general.

Bizwa, December 24, 2008

For the political directorate of the CNDP,
the Chairman, Laurent Nkunda Mihigo
Major General

End unofficial translation of CNDP statement

3. Begin original French version of CNDP statement:

CONGRES NATIONAL POUR LA DEFENSE DU PEUPLE

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE DU MOUVEMENT

CONSECUTIVEMENT AUX INFORMATIONS DIFFUSEES A TRAVERS UNE CERTAINE
PRESSE PAR LES FAISEURS DU MALHEUR DE NOS COMPATRIOTES SUR LES
PRETENDUS PREPARATIFS DE LA CHUTE DE LA VILLE DE GOMA PAR LES
TROUPES DU CNDP PENDANT LES FESTIVITES DE FIN D'ANNEE, LA DIRECTION
POLITIQUE DU CNDP INFORME L'OPINION TANT NATIONALE QU'INTERNATIONALE
ET PLUS PARTICULIEREMENT NOS COMPATRIOTES HABITANTS LA
VILLE DE GOMA QU'ELLE NE PRENDRA AUCUNEMENT L'INITIATIVE DE LA
GUERRE SUSCEPTIBLE DE PERTURBER LA QUIETUDE ET LA SERENITE DANS LA
VILLE, SURTOUT EN CE MOMENT OU LA SOLUTION POLITIQUE SEMBLE
L'EMPORTER SUR CELLE MILITAIRE, EN DEPIT DES RETISSANCES DE LA
PARTIE ADVERSE.

LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU CNDP RAPPELLE QU'ELLE A, EN DATE DU 29
OCTOBRE DE L'ANNEE EN COURS DECRETE UN CESSEZ-LE-FEU UNILATERAL
ALORS QUE LA VILLE DE GOMA ETAIT PLEINEMENT A SA PORTEE. LES TROUPES
DE NOTRE MOUVEMENT AVAIENT ETE INSTRUITES D'OPERER UN RETRAIT
UNILATERAL DE 12 KM SUR L'AXE GOMA-KIBATI POUR NON SEULEMENT EVITER
DE PANIQUER LA POPULATION DE LA VILLE MAIS AUSSI
REAFFIRMER SON ATTACHEMENT A UNE ISSUE NEGOCIER DE LA CRISE.
AUJOURD'HUI ENCORE, LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DE NOTRE MOUVEMENT RESTE
ATTACHE A CES PRINCIPES ET PRIE LA POPULATION DE GOMA DE GARDER LEUR

KINSHASA 00001165 002.2 OF 002

TRANQUILLITE ET DE VAQUER PAISIBLEMENT A LEURS OCCUPATIONS.

A LA MONUC, NOTRE MOUVEMENT DEMANDE D'EXERCER UNE PRESSION
NECESSAIRE ET SUFFISANTE SUR LES TROUPES DE LA COALITION
GOUVERNEMENTALE EN VUE DE LES AMENER A SE RETIRER DES ZONES
DESENGAGEES PAR LE CNDP ET ECARTER AINSI TOUTE POSSIBILITE DE
CONFRONTATION DES TROUPES. IL VA S'EN DIRE QUE LES TROUPES DE LA
COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE ONT AVANCE SUR DIFFERENTS AXES DESENGAGES
PAR NOTRE MOUVEMENT DANS L'INTENTION DE PRENDRE LE CONTROLE DES
ESPACES CNDP. DES TELLES INITIATIVES RISQUERAIENT DE COMPROMETTRE LE
CALME PRECAIRE OBSERVE JUSQU'A CE JOUR.

LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU MOUVEMENT PROFITE DE CETTE OCCASION POUR
PRESENTER SES VOEUX LES
MEILLEURS A TOUS NOS COMPATRIOTES AUXQUELS ELLE RECOMMANDE LA
MEDITATION, LA PRIERE SOUTENUE
EN FAVEUR D'UNE PAIX DURABLE A L'EST DU PAYS EN PARTICULIER ET EN
REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU
CONGO EN GENERAL.

FAIT A BWIZA, LE 24 DECEMBRE 2008

POUR LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU CNDP
LE CHAIRMAN LAURENT NKUNDA MIHIGO
GENERAL MAJOR

End original French version of CNDP statement

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