ITURI UPDATE: DEMOBILIZATION DEADLINE PASSES; MORE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001145

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV KPKO CG
SUBJECT: ITURI UPDATE: DEMOBILIZATION DEADLINE PASSES; MORE
THAN 3,500 MILITIAS SURRENDER

REF: A. KINSHASA 1091


B. KINSHASA 1104

Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (C) Summary: More than 3,500 militia members have
voluntarily surrendered in Ituri in the District's latest
round of demobilization. Although the deadline for
surrendering passed July 15, small numbers of militia members
continue to turn in their weapons and join demobilization
programs. Although not yet officially announced, Congolese
officials in charge of demobilization efforts say it is
likely the programs will be extended after the country's July
30 elections. Logistical problems persist, however, in
providing ex-combatants with kits and security payments,
creating a growing possibility for unrest in Ituri from
discontented former militia members. End summary.


2. (C) The latest round of militia demobilization and
community reinsertion (DCR) in the DRC's northeastern Ituri
District ended July 15, after MONUC and Congolese military
officials extended the program's original June 30 deadline to
accommodate the number of surrendering militia members.
According to MONUC statistics, as of July 15 3,571 militia
members had voluntarily turned in their weapons and entered
the DCR program. In addition, officials have collected more
than 2,100 individual weapons and nearly 215,000 rounds of
ammunition. MONUC officials said some militia members are
continuing to surrender after the July 15 deadline, and those
who do will still be allowed to participate in the
demobilization efforts. Several officials with CONADER (the
Congolese agency in charge of demobilization) have indicated
the DCR program will likely continue after the country's
first round of presidential and legislative elections on July

30. CONADER has not, however, officially declared an
extension.


3. (C) Surrendering militia members have come from nearly all
of Ituri's main armed groups. As reported ref A, the majority
of these militia members come from the ranks of the Union of
Congolese Patriots (UPC),the Party for Unity and
Safeguarding of the Integrity of Congo (PUSIC),and the
People's Armed Forces of Congo (FAPC). In the last two weeks,
however, MONUC reports that many members of Peter Karim's
Front for National Integration (FNI) and Cobra Matata's
Patriotic Force for Resistance in Ituri (FRPI) have
surrendered as well. MONUC officials said they believe the
increase in FNI militia members surrendering is due largely
to the release of seven MONUC peacekeepers (ref B). More FNI
surrenders are thus expected as a result of the negotiations
between Karim and the GDRC. (Note: Details on these
negotiations and offers to integrate Karim into the Congolese
army will be reported septel. End note.) CONADER's
representative in Aru, Pascal Mulenga, reported that his
agency is planning to relocate its offices in Aru to Ariwara
(approximately 22 miles north) in order to disarm several
dozen ex-combatants from the FAPC who lack means to travel to
Aru.


4. (C) Less than half of all surrendered militia members have
completed the demobilization program. As of July 15, the
Bunia transit site has trained 1,394 adult militia members,
including 42 women. At present, 429 ex-militia members (21 of
whom are women) are undergoing the three-day orientation and
registration process in Bunia. Meanwhile, demobilization
officials have identified and turned over 117 children
(including 13 girls) to the NGO Save the Children since DCR
began in June. MONUC reports that all demobilized militia
members -- 963 in all -- have chosen community reintegration
after their three days of training in Bunia.


5. (C) While demobilization efforts in Bunia have been
relatively successful, logistical problems continue to plague
DCR sites elsewhere in Ituri. For example, the transit site
at Nizi (about 13 miles north of Bunia) has approximately
2,000 surrendered militia waiting to enter the DCR program.
As of July 14, around 200 militia members had completed the
three-day orientation program, leaving some 1,700
ex-combatants still waiting for entry. CONADER officials have
blamed the delays on problems in delivering materials to the
region, including payments and welcome kits, and on
malfunctioning equipment needed to register ex-combatants.


6. (C) MONUC and CONADER officials said continuing delays in
processing ex-combatants increase the potential for unrest
before the July 30 elections. MONUC has reports from several

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civilians and police officials that incidents of robberies in
Bunia -- likely due to the increased number of ex-militia
members in the town -- have gone up in the last two weeks.
MONUC officials in particular said the longer ex-combatants
have to wait to go through transit sites, the more likely the
security situation will deteriorate.


7. (C) Comment: CONADER's inability to demobilize and process
these militia members in a timely manner provides the
potential for greater unrest in Ituri before the country's
elections. While the situation is relatively calm at the
moment, if CONADER does not finish training and reinserting
the majority of these ex-combatants in the next two weeks,
these disaffected militia members could use the elections as
an excuse to cause some measure of civil disorder. The
tremendous number of militia members who have surrendered
voluntarily, though, demonstrates that Iturians are ready to
put an end to the violence that has disrupted the region for
years. Ultimately, the success of the DCR program will depend
not just on CONADER, but on the willingness and ability of
the GDRC and its international partners to provide economic
opportunities to ex-combatants, who would otherwise return to
their militias to survive. End comment.
MEECE