FORMER NKUNDA OFFICERS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001835 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 TAGS: PGOV KPKO MOPS ASEC CG RW UG SUBJECT: FORMER NKUNDA OFFICERS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO RENEGADE GENERAL'S OPERATIONS REF: A. KINSHASA 1831 ¶B. KINSHASA 1787 ¶C. KINSHASA 1832 Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Summary: MONUC military officials in North Kivu December 4 debriefed former top lieutenants to Laurent Nkunda after the two abandoned the renegade general's ranks earlier that day (ref A). Colonel Bernard Mbyamungu and Major Dieudonne Kabika told MONUC interrogators the November 25 fighting in Sake (ref B) was not planned by Nkunda, who never had any intention to attack the provincial capital of Goma. They provided MONUC officials with an outline of Nkunda's command structure and the general whereabouts of several of his top commanders. The two denied Nkunda has been reinforced with additional forces or materiel from Rwanda. End summary. ¶2. (C) Colonel Bernard Mbyamungu, renegade general Laurent Nkunda's operations commander, and Major Dieudonne Kabika, the secretary general of Nkunda's National Committee for the Defense of the People (CNDP) political party, turned themselves over to Congolese military (FARDC) authorities December 4 for integration into the national army. The officers are two of the highest-ranking aides to have abandoned Nkunda's ranks. MONUC military intelligence officers briefed the pair in Goma after they were extracted from their base outside Masisi by a MONUC helicopter mission earlier that day. -------------- NOT WANTING TO FOLLOW THE "VIOLENT" PATH -------------- ¶3. (C) Mbyamungu and Kabika claimed they chose to leave Nkunda because they sought "a negotiated way out" for peace in the region. According to a MONUC summary of the debriefing, Kabika said he opted for integration, despite being in agreement with Nkunda's overall goal of "national reconciliation and tribal unity," because Nkunda only wants "to follow the path of violence" to achieve that end. Mbyamungu claimed Nkunda was against a peaceful agreement because he fears the arrest warrant issued against him. -------------- SAKE INCIDENTS NOT PLANNED -------------- ¶4. (C) Mbyamungu contended the recent fighting in Sake was not planned or orchestrated by Nkunda. He said the clashes were an isolated event stemming from the killing of a local Tutsi, which sparked ethnic unrest in the area. Mbyamungu said the incident spiraled out of control and had no overall aim. He added that Nkunda never had any plans to move on Goma, and that the fighting which occurred after the initial hostilities was to prevent FARDC integrated troops from adding reinforcements in Sake. ¶5. (C) The former Nkunda operations commander told MONUC officers that there had never been any movement of armed troops from Rwanda to reinforce Nkunda. He claimed Nkunda and his loyalists had no control over the border areas and thus receiving reinforcements was not feasible. Mbyamungu denied Nkunda's forces had received any equipment or ammunition from Rwanda or Uganda, despite also telling interrogators the December 5 attacks in Bunagana and Runyoni (ref C) were supposedly meant to open a re-supply corridor into North Kivu from Uganda. -------------- RE-ORGANIZING HIS COMMAND -------------- ¶6. (C) Mbyamungu said Nkunda has reorganized the non-integrated 81st and 83rd FARDC Brigades, which contain many Nkunda loyalists, into three separate brigades. The new so-called 1st Brigade is roughly equivalent to the 81st Brigade and is commanded by Major Claude. The 2nd Brigade, headquartered in Kitchanga (about 50 miles north of Goma),is sub-divided into three battalions and is commanded by a Colonel Makenga. The 3rd Brigade is commanded by Major Faustin with Major Kavundi as his deputy; it is also divided into three battalions, and his based in Kingi, about 30 miles northwest of Goma. A special battalion was newly-created and is commanded by Major "Jaguar" in the area of Kalonge, approximately 40 miles north of Goma. KINSHASA 00001835 002 OF 002 -------------- WHEREABOUTS OF TOP COMMANDERS -------------- ¶7. (C) Mbyamungu gave the last known whereabouts of several top Nkunda commanders. He said former FARDC colonel Jules Mutebusi is believed to be in Rwanda, and Mbyamungu himself has not seen him since Nkunda attacked Bukavu in 2004. Two other dissident commanders, Colonel Richard Sulonge and Colonel Eric Ruhimbere were said to be in Ngungu and Kitchanga, respectively. ¶8. (C) Mbyamungu claimed Bosco Ntaganda is with Nkunda in the area of Kilolirwe, about 35 miles north of Goma. He said Bosco has reportedly been staying with Nkunda since January 2006 and has not traveled to Ituri District as many observers have alleged. Mbyamungu said Nkunda and his followers, including Bosco, have been in "constant" telephone contact with Ituri militia leaders Peter Karim, Mathieu Ngudjolo and Cobra Matata. -------------- COMMENT: STORIES FOR SELF-PROTECTION -------------- ¶9. (C) The statements provided by Mbyamungu and Kabika were no doubt self-serving and at least in part were most likely designed to shield them from any wrongdoing associated with Nkunda himself. It is now impossible to verify claims that the attack on Sake was completely "unplanned" ring false, as do contentions that Nkunda is not currently receiving assistance through sources in Rwanda or Uganda. Nkunda's alleged contacts with Ituri militias, long-rumored but still unproven, is a troubling development if indeed true. The debriefing, however, offers valuable insight into Nkunda's operations and demonstrates that internal dissent in Nkunda's ranks may be growing. End comment. MEECE