SITUATION REPORT 1: GUNFIRE, CONFUSION IN GOMBE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000351

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC CG
SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT 1: GUNFIRE, CONFUSION IN GOMBE
SECTION OF KINSHASA

REF: A. AMBASSADOR-OPS CENTER TELCONS

B. KINSHASA 322


1. (U) Small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire broke out
in the downtown Gombe area of Kinshasa March 22 between
elements of the Congolese military (FARDC) and the guard
forces of former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba. Isolated
shots were first reported around 10:30 a.m., and heavier
firing began around noon in the immediate area of Bemba's
official residence on Boulevard de 30 Juin. The fighting
comes after a supposed March 15 deadline passed requiring the
replacement of Bemba's and Azarias Ruberwa's guard forces
with a smaller number of police officers (reftel). Neither
Bemba nor Ruberwa had turned over the guards by the deadline.


2. (U) Post's Emergency Action Committee convened at 3:45
p.m. and 6:15 p.m.. The EAC decided to advise all AmCits and
Embassy personnel to remain in their present locations until
further notice. The Consular section has sent out three text
messages on the warden system advising all AmCits to remain
in place. The consul has spoken to nearly three dozen AmCits
in various locations in Gombe to ascertain their condition
and reports there are no injuries or fatalities. There are
760 registered AmCits in the DRC and 142 mission personnel.


3. (U) Forty mission employees, including local staff, are
preparing to spend the night at the Chancery. Another 45
personnel will spend the night at the JAO compound. There are
an additional 45 personnel in the USAID near the Chancery.


4. (U) MONUC's Radio Okapi broadcast around 6:30 p.m. a phone
call from Bemba in which he called for a ceasefire. President
Kabila has not yet responded to Bemba's statement. MONUC is
working to facilitate a ceasefire between the two. The
Ambassador, MONUC and other foreign capitals have placed
calls to both sides emphasizing the need for an immediate
ceasefire.


5. (SBU) SRSG Swing held an emergency meeting at 2:30 p.m.
with UNSC members at MONUC headquarters, with only the
Ambassador and the Belgian charge able to attend. At the end
of the meeting, Swing received a phone call from President
Joseph Kabila, who said there had been no order to attack
Bemba's guards, but that all options had been exhausted to
achieve political means for Bemba's guards to report for
integration/DDR and be replaced by police guards. Kabila said
he had no intention of harming Bemba, adding there is still
room to negotiate regarding the number of guards Bemba can
have and the conditions of their assignment. He insisted all
of Bemba's troops must report for integration.


6. (U) There have been additional reports of fighting within
the Gombe area, but it has not spread to other parts of
Kinshasa or elsewhere in the country. Contacts with the
British and Dutch embassies near the Presidential offices
reported around 3:00 p.m. continuous small arms and suspected
mortar fire in their vicinities, and told us they have seen
artillery and Republican Guard reinforcements arriving near
the presidency. MONUC military officers and witnesses at the
American School witnessed two tanks leaving the FARDC's Camp
Tshatshi heading towards the downtown area. The Canadian

SIPDIS
Political Counselor reported that one tank had passed in
front of her embassy building, near the presidential offices,
around 3:30 p.m.


7. (U) MONUC has expanded its cordon of peacekeepers around
the main area of fighting and is working to separate the two
sides. MONUC's Joint Mission Analysis Center told us MONUC
has called for reinforcements from Bas-Congo, Western and
Eastern Kasai, and Maniema provinces, although none are
expected to arrive immediately. There are presently 250
peacekeepers in Kinshasa; the planned reinforcements would
bring MONUC's strength to approximately 800.


8. (U) A building on the JAO compound closer to the main
fighting was hit by a stray bullet. In addition, several
unidentified Congolese men fired their weapons at the guard
booth of the main JAO entrance, damaging the window. No
injuries were reported from either incident, and the RSO has
initiated an investigation. There are no reports of Embassy
personnel or AmCits injured. Embassy personnel at the
Chancery, JAO compound and USAID building have been
instructed to remain in place.


9. (U) Other missions are reporting that their personnel have

KINSHASA 00000351 002 OF 002


likewise remained in place.


10. (U) The regularly scheduled SN Brussels flight to
Kinshasa was canceled. The regular Air France did arrive as
scheduled this evening.
MEECE