BAS-CONGO UPDATE: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHES

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000240

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM ASEC CG
SUBJECT: BAS-CONGO UPDATE: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHES
COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY

REF: KINSHASA 200 AND PREVIOUS


1. Summary. The DRC National Assembly agreed February 23 to
establish a special committee to investigate the January
31-February 1 violence in Bas-Congo province. Interior
Minister Denis Kalume and Defense Minister Tharcisse
Habarugira addressed the Assembly regarding the incidents and
responded to questions from deputies. Deputy Ne Muanda
Nsemi, leader of the ethnic Kongo separatist group BDK,
rejected the government's version of events. End summary.


2. (U) The DRC National Assembly voted February 23 to
establish a special committee to investigate violence between
security forces and demonstrators in Bas-Congo province
January 31 and February 1 which resulted in a large number of
deaths (reftels). The 15-member committee will be chaired by
the Assembly's deputy rapporteur (spokesman) Egide Ngwokoso
and include seven additional members from the majority AMP
coalition as well as seven others drawn from opposition
deputies; all provinces will be represented. It is scheduled
to complete its investigation in 10 days.


3. (U) The decision followed an appearance before the
assembled deputies by transitional ministers Denis Kalume
(PPRD) and Thacisse Habarugira (RCD). Assembly President
Vital Kamerhe (PPRD) had agreed to convene the session in
response to calls by Bas-Congo and opposition deputies led by
Alphonse Kembukuswa (MDD) and Gilbert Kiakwama kia Kiziki
(CDC). Interior Minister Kalume, whose ministry is
responsible for the police, was the focus of most of the
debate.


4. (U) Kalume said that 76 civilians and 10 security
personnel died in the violence, which he claimed was planned
in advance in Kinshasa. He said members of the separatist
Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) sect beheaded one officer and killed
others with machetes and clubs; he showed photos of the dead
officers' mutilated bodies. He acknowledged that police
fired directly at crowds of BDK adherents, but only in
self-defense. "If the attacker continues to advance after
three warning shots, the police have to shoot the target," he
said.


5. (U) Kembukuswa, who was elected from BDK leader Ne Muanda
Nsemi's home town of Songolo, called on Kalume to resign.
Kalume responded that since he was at the time of the
incidents a member of the transitional government that would
come to an end the following day with the intallation of the
Gizenga government (septel),he had already effectively
resigned. (Note: He is also the only member of the old
cabinet to retain the same position in the new. End note.)


6. (SBU) Defense Minister Habarugira addressed the Assembly
for approximately five minutes. "Because my colleague has
said it all," he said, "I don't have much to say about what
happened in Bas-Congo." None of the deputies raised the
issue of deadly force used by Congolese military forces
called in to restore peace in the coastal port of Muanda,
which saw over 30 deaths.


7. (U) Nsemi later dismissed Kalume's presentation, calling
it a "montage" that proved nothing. He called the killings
of civilians a violation of human rights and said he had
documents that contradicted Kalume's version, which he would
release at the appropriate time.


7. (SBU) Comment. The committee's investigation will be
conducted in the interim period before the Assembly resumes
work on March 15. Establishing the comittee was part of a
package agreed upon earlier with opposition deputies that
enabled Kamerhe to minimize the short-term political impact
of the Bas-Congo incidents on his leadership and to close out
the Assembly's 30-day special session in time for the
installation of the new government. End comment.
MEECE