MODEST START TO DISARMAMENT OF WESTERN MILITIAS;

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000839 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO IV SUBJECT: MODEST START TO DISARMAMENT OF WESTERN MILITIAS; NEW FORCES FACE DIFFICULTIES IN PRE-REGROUPMENT SITES Classified By: Poloff Phaedra Gwyn for reasons 1.4 b&d ¶1. (U) On July 26, the disarmament/dismantling of ex-combatant, pro-Gbagbo militias got underway in the western town of Guiglo in the presence of Prime Minister Banny, DDR Commission (PNDDR) chief Ouassenan Kone, and UN officials. Approximately 150 militias reported to the demobilization site together with a pickup truck with a modest quantity of arms and ammunition. (According to press reports, these included 72 Kalachnikov rifles, some 9000 rounds of ammunition, a mortar and three RPG launchers.) The chief of the ONUCI DDR division was quoted as saying that 109 militia members belonging to Denis Maho Glofiehi's Front for the Liberation of the Greater West (FLGO) had been registered for disarmament on the first day. Demobilized militias are supposed to receive a total of CFA 499,500 (about USD 950), payable in three tranches of which the first will be CFA 125,000 (USD 240). ¶2. (SBU) Approximately 2,000 militias are scheduled to be disarmed between now and August 6, with up to about 150 ex-combatants processed per day. However, it is not clear how many will actually show up to be processed. On July 27, the second day of disarmament, only a few militias showed up. If the militias are serious about being demobilized, the process will likely have to be extended beyond August 6. ¶3. (SBU) In the rebel-controlled north, it appears that the New Forces (NF) have completed the pre-regroupment of their forces but problems remain. The sites are in poor condition with unreliable water and power sources. The NF are calling on the UN to assist in rehabilitating the sites but this is the responsibility of the PNDDR. Troublingly, since pre-regroupment started, crime in the NF zone appears to have risen. The NF soldiers used to man roadblocks, collecting "taxes" from passersby that largely functioned as their salary. One of our contacts has received several reports that, since losing their regular source of income, NF soldiers are committing more crimes to compensate. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: The modest start to the dismantling of the western militias is unlikely to persuade the New Forces to begin disarmament. Nonetheless, it is a positive development, one which Banny can point to as he tries to keep the peace process moving forward. END COMMENT Hooks