KINSHASA SHUTS DOWN, NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN ON

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000082

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINS ASEC CASC CG
SUBJECT: KINSHASA SHUTS DOWN, NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN ON
JAN. 14

REF: A. KINSHASA 63

B. KINSHASA 23

C. 1/14/05 E-MAIL MEECE/AF-C GREAT LAKES TEAM


1. (U) SUMMARY: The city of Kinshasa shut down on January
14, following calls for a strike to commemorate protesters
killed earlier in the week by police. Despite the "dead
city," several new GDRC ministers also took their oath of
office on January 14, but MLC officials boycotted the
ceremony over an MLC/Presidency dispute. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The city of Kinshasa effectively shut down on January

14. Aside from a few exceptions, workers remained at home,
taxis and other vehicles did not venture out on the roads,
and business remained closed all day. (Note: Post
maintained normal operations, although few locally-engaged
employees were able to find transport to report for work.
End Note.) There were no confirmed instances of violence.
Earlier in the week, unidentified persons circulated fliers
calling for a "ville morte" or city-wide strike to
commemorate protestors killed in clashes with police on
January 10 (Ref A),and there were several reports of schools
and other local establishments receiving unspecified threats
if they chose to open on January 14.


3. (U) The GDRC did swear in several newly-appointed
ministers on January (Ref B),a ceremony that was
particularly noteworthy because all Congolese Liberation
Movement (MLC) ministers and vice-ministers reportedly
boycotted it. The boycott arose from an ongoing dispute
between Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba (leader of the MLC)
and President Kabila's political camp, over Ministerial
appointments. Bemba is threatening to suspend participation
in the transition over the issue, although this dispute
appears unrelated to the Kinshasa strike action.


4. (SBU) COMMENT: The January 14 "ville morte" was very
effective, largely because the Kinshasa population
instinctively chose to hunker down and avoid trouble. While
politically embarrassing for GDRC officials such as the
Interior Minister and Governor of Kinshasa (both Kabila
loyalists who had declared the January 10 protests illegal)
political figures outside government such as Etienne
Tshisekedi do not appear to have reaped any immediate gain.

SIPDIS
END COMMENT.


5. (U) Bujumbura minimize considered.
MEECE