FDLR GROUP RETURNS TO RWANDA FROM DRC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 002054 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2015 TAGS: PGOV KPKO PREL CG RW SUBJECT: FDLR GROUP RETURNS TO RWANDA FROM DRC Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) A group of 82 FDLR militia members, along with 76 dependents, crossed into Rwanda from South Kivu on December ¶15. The group was led by Seraphin Bizimungu, also known as General Amani. According to MONUC officials, the group entered Rwanda via the transit center in Shangugu with MONUC assistance, and will now be processed through the DDRRR program in Rwanda. Amani announced in September that he would be repatriating FDLR fighters loyal to him, and this is not the first repatriation he has led. ¶2. (C) Separately, Regional Cooperation Minister Mbusa Nyamwisi is holding negotiations with FDLR leaders in Butembo, North Kivu, to convince them to disarm and enter MONUC centers in Lubero. FDLR brigade commander Major Musare has reportedly told MONUC officials and Nyamwisi he is willing is disarm and bring his troops in from the bush. According to MONUC, Musare commands between 500 - 1,000 combatants. MONUC officials are taking Musare's offer seriously, and are therefore making contingency arrangements to transport combatants from Lubero to Goma and then to Rwanda. If Musare and his men do disarm, it will be one of the biggest single repatriation efforts in the DRC. ¶3. (C) Comment: The Amani numbers are modest, but this is the largest group yet of those he has been shepherding back to Rwanda, and all peaceful repatriations are of course welcome. Mbusa Nyamwisi has a history of promising, but not being able to deliver. All parties, including MONUC, are not really counting on him to produce a large number of FDLR to be repatriated, or even necessarily producing any. Nonetheless, he has long had ongoing contacts in the area, including with the FDLR's Colonel Omega, and Mbusa certainly has ambitions for himself. If he can produce some significant results, he will be serving well his own interests. We should have a better sense of how much there may be to this initiative, if anything, by next week. End comment. MEECE