ITURI UPDATE: KARIM REFUSING TO BEGIN MILITIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001809 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016 TAGS: PGOV KPKO CG SUBJECT: ITURI UPDATE: KARIM REFUSING TO BEGIN MILITIA DISARMAMENT REF: KINSHASA 1768 Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Ituri militia leader Peter Karim is refusing to begin sending his Front for National Integration (FNI) force to demobilization sites despite signing an agreement November 17 to do so (reftel). ¶2. (C) A MONUC disarmament mission to Doi, some 35 miles north of Bunia, was denied access November 27 to Karim's FNI militia members, including about 30 child soldiers. Karim reportedly told the group that he was refusing to begin demobilization as agreed unless he first had the amnesty guarantee from the GDRC. Karim said that he had not given MONUC or the Congolese military (FARDC) "authorization" to arrive in Doi and establish disarmament centers. ¶3. (C) MONUC military Chief of Staff General Christian Houdet, who was part of the MONUC team in Doi, later invited several FNI representatives to travel by helicopter to nearby Kwandroma to begin demobilization. Karim again refused to allow his militia members to leave, stating that he did not yet have a signed piece of paper guaranteeing him amnesty. ¶4. (C) FARDC Ituri Operations Commander General Vainqueur Mayala reportedly told Karim the amnesty issue would not be completely resolved until the new government was in place early in 2007. Mayala stated that the disarmament process will have ended by that time, and Karim will have missed his opportunity to demobilize peacefully. ¶5. (C) At a November 28 meeting with GDRC representatives, Karim reportedly insisted again on amnesty. He said no further negotiations could proceed until his request was granted and alleged MONUC and the GDRC were not respecting the terms of the November 17 agreement. The GDRC delegation suggested temporary amnesty for Karim's group before the adoption of the new national amnesty law by parliament next year. (Note: An amnesty would not include war crimes or crimes against humanity. End note.) ¶6. (C) Karim subsequently agreed to send 50 militia members to Kwandroma for demobilization, but ordered the immediate departure of all MONUC personnel from the area around Doi. MONUC reports that no members of his militia have surrendered since Karim's decision. ¶7. (C) Comment: As predicted, Karim will not begin demobilization until he has a formal amnesty agreement. GDRC actions raise questions about its intention of ever granting it. The situation risks becoming a stalemate. End comment. MEECE