LRA UPDATE: MONUC AND GDRC CONTINUE PATROLLING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001930 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 TAGS: MARR MASS PREL CG SUBJECT: LRA UPDATE: MONUC AND GDRC CONTINUE PATROLLING BORDER WITH SUDAN Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) For the last three weeks a force of approximately 2,000 FADRC troops, supported by 170 Nepalese MONUC troops, have been deployed in the northeastern part of Orientale province, patrolling the border with Sudan. Their mission is to detect and repel any negative forces attempting to enter the DRC from Sudan. PolCouns spoke November 22 to one of the MONUC operations planning officers based in the Kisangani divisional headquarters to get an update on these operations. ¶2. (C) The MONUC officer said that in the last weeks, the FADRC/MONUC elements had had scattered skirmishes with small armed groups (10 or fewer) of undetermined affiliation. None of these skirmishes resulted in fatalities or prisoners. MONUC also has received reports that similar small groups (again, 10 or fewer in each group) might be periodically present in the Garamba National Park (at the border with Sudan),but the officer said that the FADRC/MONUC forces patrolling the Park have had no contact with armed elements there, nor have they found traces of the presence of such groups. The mission (including within the Park) is expected to continue for at least the next three weeks. DOUGHERTY