ITURI UPDATE: GDRC WANTS NEGOTIATIONS, BUT KARIM

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001936 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MOPS KPKO CG SUBJECT: ITURI UPDATE: GDRC WANTS NEGOTIATIONS, BUT KARIM A NO-SHOW REF: KINSHASA 1922 ¶1. (SBU) Despite his request to meet with a visiting GDRC delegation (reftel),FNI militia leader Peter Karim failed to show up for the planned meeting at Buba, Ituri on December ¶28. Delegation member Colonel Mukuntu Kiyana-Tim, Military Advisor at the Presidency, told MONUC that Karim had to meet several conditions by December 30. These included ceasing all hostilities, freeing the fifteen captured FARDC soldiers, withdrawing all his elements to their initial positions, and sending two liaison officers to Bunia to negotiate. If these conditions are not met, Mukuntu said he will report Karim's noncompliance to President Kabila and propose military options. ¶2. (SBU) FARDC troops are reportedly in control of both Fataki town and Fataki FARDC camp and have been reinforced with an additional company from Bunia. There were no further military confrontations between FARDC and FNI militias on December 28. FARDC reported that ten FARDC soldiers were killed during the December 24-27 fighting. DOUGHERTY