ITURI UPDATE: MILITIAS CONTINUE TO SURRENDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000966 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV KPKO CG SUBJECT: ITURI UPDATE: MILITIAS CONTINUE TO SURRENDER REF: KINSHASA 959 Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) According to internal MONUC military reports, more than 100 Ituri militia members surrendered to MONUC and Congolese troops June 16-17 in advance of a new June 30 disarmament deadline (reftel). MONUC officials said that nearly 300 militia members throughout Ituri have relinquished their weapons and turned themselves in to authorities during the past two weeks. On June 17 alone, 24 militia members surrendered in Zekere (6 miles southeast of Bunia) and 71 surrendered in Kotoni (12 miles southeast of Bunia). MONUC peacekeepers recovered a significant number of weapons and other materiel from the militias at the two sites, including more than two dozen AK-47 rifles, satellite phones, computers, and more than 14,000 rounds of ammunition. MONUC reports other incidents of militia members surrendering in Nizi, Kwandroma and Kpandroma during the same period. ¶2. (C) Comment: While the continuing surrender of Ituri militia members is encouraging, it nonetheless poses some significant challenges. The Congolese agency charged with demobilizing ex-combatants is woefully mismanaged and is unlikely to be able adequately to address the needs of all newly surrendered militia members, particularly if the disarmament trend continues before the June 30 deadline. If demobilization and reintegration are not handled well, these militia members might eventually return to the militias to meet their economic needs. End comment. MEECE