SITREP 20: KINSHASA RETURNING TO NORMAL (8/23 0700

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001335 SIPDIS SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY PARA 1 TEXT CORRECTED TO READ THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IS PLANNING TOP OPEN AUGUST 24TH NOT REPEAT NOT AUGUST 23. E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016 TAGS: PGOV ASEC CASC KPKO CG SUBJECT: SITREP 20: KINSHASA RETURNING TO NORMAL (8/23 0700 LOCAL TIME) REF: KINSHASA 1334 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) At daybreak August 23, downtown Kinshasa is calm. There were no reports of gunfire or violence overnight. The downtown area and all of Gombe were peaceful throughout the evening, and remain so this morning. RSO is presently conducting reconnaissance patrols in the city center and on the airport road, and reports visible MONUC and EUFOR presence, with no belligerent forces on the streets. As of 0630 local time, light motor traffic has been circulating in the Gombe area and pedestrians are out on the streets. The American School decided August 22 to remain closed August 23, but is planning to open as usual on Thursday, August 23. Embassy personnel have confirmed from airport officials that the regular Air Kenya flight from Nairobi will be arriving as scheduled at N'Djili airport later this morning; the airport remains open. The EAC will reconvene this morning, and at this time we expect that normal mission operations will resume. ¶2. (SBU) Security officials from the government and the MLC who met yesterday to discuss the modalities of establishing a cease-fire and beginning the withdrawal of troops released a statement late on the evening August 22 outlining their joint decisions. The joint communique stated that all FARDC troops (which would include GSSP and MLC forces) are ordered back to their barracks immediately, and that two teams of personnel from both sides would verify this withdrawal. Meanwhile, Congolese National Police (PNC) forces were to begin patrolling Kinshasa in conjunction with MONUC, EUFOR, and EUPOL (European Police) troops. ¶3. (U) Post's unofficial translation of the joint communique follows: Following the serious events in Kinshasa since August 20, CIAT held emergency meetings with the chief of state and Vice President Bemba, August 22 and 21, respectively. It was decided during these meetings to put into place a working group whose objective is the normalization of the situation without delay. This group is composed of the Minister of Defense, the chief of the FARDC, the Police Inspector General, the Commander of the Republican Guard (GSSP),the military counselor to the President, officers from Vice President Bemba's guard, EUFOR, EUPOL, and MONUC. The working group met this day, and decided the following actions are effectively immediately: -- The confinement to barracks of all FARDC troops deployed in the capital to their initial positions with the view of reestablishing the status quo ante; -- The establishment of two mixed verification teams to ensure the withdrawal by all units; -- The Congolese National Police, alone in charge of public order, will restart this event its patrols in the city at the side of MONUC, EUFOR, and EUPOL; Each of these parties is required to closely follow these measures. The working group calls on the population of Kinshasa to go about its normal business beginning tomorrow. Signed in Kinshasa, August 22, 2006 End text. MEECE