A HOT, BUT NOT WARM, WELCOME TO RETURNING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001807

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL CG MONUC
SUBJECT: A HOT, BUT NOT WARM, WELCOME TO RETURNING
BANYAMULENGE REFUGEES


Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: There were some tense moments over the
weekend in Uvira, located in southern South Kivu, when 350
Banyamulenge refugees insisted on returning to the DRC from
Burundi sooner than planned. Their arrival at the
Congo-Burundi border provoked riots by Congolese citizens in
Uvira, during which the sites prepared for the eventual
return of the refugees were burned, Monuc vehicles were
stoned and Monuc personnel threatened. Although UNHCR
initially wanted to force the refugees to return to Burundi
(where, UNHCR believed, they would be safer),reason
eventually prevailed. The refugees are now in a two secure
sites in Uvira, protected both by Congolese military and
Monuc. Although it seems clear that the refugees, and their
cause, are being manipulated by various political elements,
it is important that the international community be seen to
uphold the right of Congolese citizens to return to their own
country. End Summary.

A Series of Bad Decisions


2. (C) Particularly in the wake of the Gatumba massacre,
many actors -- including UNHCR, Monuc and the Congolese
government -- had been discussing the future of the
Banyamulenge (ethnic Tutsi Congolese) refugees. In the
immediate aftermath of the killings, the survivors had been
housed in a local Burundian school while UNHCR negotiated
their possible relocation to a Burundian site near the
Tanzanian border. The refugees, however, resisted this
proposal, as they did not want to be so far from their homes
in South Kivu. Efforts by UNHCR and Monuc to negotiate the
refugees' return to the DRC, however, met a cold welcome from
local authorities, who pointed to a series of difficult
questions involving ownership of homes and land, jobs, and
general security as reasons to delay the Banyamulenge return.
A September 22 decision by local Burundian authorities to
evict the refugees from the school (so that students could
resume classes) provoked a mini-crisis, however, as the
refugees took matters into their own hands. Moderate
Banyamulenge leader Enock Ruberangabo told PolCouns September
23 that about 200 refugees decided to go to Rwanda (and were
moving that way on foot),another approximately 150 moved
spontaneously deeper into Burundi (destination unknown),
while the majority (about 700) determined to return to the
DRC. The first 350 arrived at the border crossing at Uvira
the evening of September 23 and were refused entry by local
Congolese military (Mai Mai). According to both Enock and
Monuc, the group then moved to the border crossing at
Kaminyola, where they successfully crossed (with Monuc
assistance),and Monuc facilitated their return by vehicles
to Uvira.

Violent -- and Possibly Organized -- Reaction


3. (C) As word of the refugees' return began to circulate in
Uvira, two separate groups of demonstrators converged on
Monuc's offices, throwing stones and besieging the personnel.
The vehicles carrying the refugees were diverted to a site
near the border crossing, where the refugees were deposited.
The demonstrators, shouting anti-Banyamulenge and anti-Monuc
slogans, tried to move toward the area where the refugees had
been left, but Monuc troops deterred them. The two sites
which UNHCR had prepared for the eventual return of the
refugees were burned by the demonstrators. Unrest continued,
albeit at a lower level, September 25, but the city returned
to calm September 26. Regional military commander Budja Mabe
addressed the citizens in Uvira September 26, urging calm,
although Monuc observers noted that he pointedly did not say
anything which could be construed as welcoming the return of
these Congolese citizens. Although UNHCR Kinshasa chief told
poloff and polcouns that Ministry of Interior officials were
being unhelpful in the crisis, the vice-Minister of Interior
was dispatched to Uvira September 25 and remains there now,
working on local reconciliation and logistics for the return
of the remaining 300-plus refugees. A clearly frustrated and
angry Enock (whose wife is among the returning refugees)
cautioned polcouns that efforts by some extremists to incite
violence against the refugees and prohibit the return of the
Banyamulenge is fueling anger and resentment among the
Banymaulenge community, particularly the youth, and driving
many of them into the hands of Colonel Eric, who both Enock
and Muller (a Banyamulenge activist and founder of the Parti
Force Repubican, recently returned to the DRC after a
voluntary exile in France) said is actively arming and
organizing a "Banyamulenge self-defense force." (Bio note:
The reference is to the infamous Colonel Eric, supposedly of
Rwandan extraction, who has been involved for some time in
various forms of unrest in eastern Congo, particularly in
South Kivu. He was a member of former governor Chiribanya's
militia, played a role in Nkunda's attack on Bukavu, and most
recently has reportedly been recruiting -- both with cash and
force -- Banyamulenge to form a military element. End Note.)


4. (C) SRSG Swing told Ambassador September 26 that
President Kabila and (Banyamulenge) VP Ruberwa had been
working together to find a solution to the refugee situation.
Both reportedly agreed that the situation had been
mishandled, but (most importantly) that there could be no
question of the right of these Congolese citizens to return
to their own country. Therefore the Congolese military had
been ordered to break up new protests by firing into the air,
and to protect the refugees, who have been moved to two
locations in Uvira. Both sites are being protected by an
outer perimeter of Congolese military, with an inner
perimeter of Monuc security forces. UNHCR, Monuc and
Congolese authorities continue to discuss how to handle the
group, including the provision of food, safe locations and
other necessary support.
Comment


5. (C) It seems clear that the refugees -- and their
situation -- are being manipulated by various elements. We
doubt that their return is quite as spontaneous as Enock and
others would like it to appear, particularly given Enock's
comments that "4,000 non-Banyamulenge refugees had no trouble
coming back, why should we be any different?" The RCD
vice-Governor of South Kivu had, in fact, accompanied the
refugees as far as the border while at the same time, the
province's second (PPRD) vice-Governor had been urging a
cautious, go-slow policy on refugee return. It probably is
fair to say that most Congolese authorities have been almost
over-emphasizing the potential difficulties involved in the
refugees' return, and generally dragging their feet. Our
experience has been that demonstrations such as those in
Uvira normally are staged by some political element, in this
case most likely anti-Banyamulenge extremists. Now that the
refugees are here, however, we believe it is important that
the international community -- and the transition government
-- be seen to be supporting the right of Congolese citizens
to return to their own country.
MEECE