IS MASASU DEAD OR ALIVE?

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008505

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2010
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL CG
SUBJECT: IS MASASU DEAD OR ALIVE?


REF: KINSHASA 7411


CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF JONATHAN PRATT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D).



1. (U) SUMMARY: EVER SINCE "COMMANDANT" ANSELME MASASU'S
ARREST OCTOBER 31, THERE HAS BEEN CONSTANT SPECULATION AS TO
HIS HEALTH AND WHEREABOUTS. THE RUMOR MILL PEAKED RECENTLY
WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO "ASADHO" PUBLISHED A REPORT
ALLEGING THAT MASASU, ALONG WITH FAC FOLLOWERS FROM THE
KIVUS, HAD BEEN TRIED, SENTENCED TO DEATH, AND EXECUTED NEAR
PWETO IN KATANGA. FOR ITS PART, THE GDRC CLAIMS THAT MASASU
IS ALIVE AND AWAITING TRIAL. END SUMMARY.



2. (U) FOLLOWING HIS ARREST OCTOBER 31 FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING
A COUP AGAINST PRESIDENT KABILA (REFTEL),MASASU SPENT AT
LEAST THREE WEEKS IN UNDISCLOSED GDRC DETENTION CENTERS.
HUMAN RIGHTS NGO ASADHO RECENTLY PUBLISHED A REPORT ALLEGING
THAT MASASU WAS DEAD. THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN EUROPE AND
DIFFICULT TO TRACK DOWN IN KINSHASA, CLAIMS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT FLEW MASASU AND HIS FAC COLLABORATORS TO
LUBUMBASHI AND ON TO PWETO THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 21-22. THE
REPORT FURTHER CLAIMS THAT THE FAC EXECUTED MASASU AND HIS
COLLEAGUES ON THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER, AND ALLEGES THAT HUNDREDS
OF OTHER FAC SOLDIERS, ALL FROM THE KIVUS AND SUSPECTED OF
COLLABORATING WITH MASASU, HAVE BEEN EXECUTED HERE IN
KINSHASA.



3. (C) JEAN MARIE RUSIMBUKA OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE IN
KINSHASA ADDED SOME DETAIL TO THE STORY BASED ON HIS
DISCUSSIONS WITH MASASU'S CONTACTS IN KINSHASA AND
BRAZZAVILLE. THESE CONTACTS CLAIM THAT MASASU WAS SPOTTED,
BOUND, AT THE LUBUMBASHI AIRPORT AT 3 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF
NOVEMBER 22ND. ONE CONTACT OF RUSIMBUKA'S, REPORTEDLY A
CLOSE COLLEAGUE OF MASASU'S KNOWN AS COMMANDANT BORA
KAMWANYA, CLAIMS THAT THE FAC TOOK MASASU TO A MILITARY CAMP
TWENTY FIVE KILOMETERS OUTSIDE OF PWETO. ACCORDING TO
RUSIMBUKA'S CONTACTS, A MILITARY COURT JUDGE KNOWN AS
COMMANDANT ALAMBA DECLARED MASASU GUILTY OF TREASON ON
NOVEMBER 23 AND CONDEMNED HIM TO DEATH ALONG WITH 35 ALLEGED
MASASU FOLLOWERS. THIS STORY PARALLELS THE ASADHO REPORT IN
CLAIMING THAT THE FAC EXECUTED MASASU AND THE KIVUSIAN
SOLDIERS ON NOVEMBER 24TH.



4. (U) THE FAC GENERAL HEADQUARTERS BROADCAST A PRESS RELEASE
DECEMBER 16 CLAIMING THAT THE ASADHO REPORT WAS FALSE AND
THAT MASASU WAS ALIVE AND AWAITING TRIAL. HOWEVER, THE FAC
HAS NOT ALLOWED ANYONE TO SEE MASASU.



5. (C) COMMENT: THE ASADHO REPORT HAS PUT PRESSURE ON THE
GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE MASASU'S BODY, DEAD OR ALIVE. HOWEVER,
AS THE GOVERNMENT IS APPARENTLY CONVINCED THAT MASASU WAS
PLOTTING A COUP, AND IS EAGER TO CRACK DOWN ON PERCEIVED
COLLABORATORS, NO ONE HERE IN KINSHASA HAS MADE MUCH NOISE
ABOUT THE CASE. LOCAL NEWSPAPERS HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY SILENT
ON THE MATTER, PRESUMABLY DUE TO THEIR PERCEPTION THAT THE
GOVERNMENT WILL RESPOND HARSHLY IF THEY GIVE THE STORY TOO
MUCH ATTENTION.



6. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: MEANWHILE, THE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE
AFFECTED BY THE MASASU CASE CONTINUES TO EXPAND. LAST WEEK
HUMAN RIGHTS NGO ACTIVIST (AND FORMER EMBASSY IV PROGRAM
PARTICIPANT) JEANINE MUKANIRWA WAS REPORTEDLY ARRESTED FOR
HELPING AN ALLEGED MASASU ASSOCIATE CROSS THE RIVER TO
BRAZZAVILLE. END COMMENT.
SWING