NORTH KIVU IMPASSE CONTINUES; CIVILIANS TAKE OUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000006

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: NORTH KIVU IMPASSE CONTINUES; CIVILIANS TAKE OUT
ANGER ON MONUC

REF: 06 KINSHASA 01938

Classified By: PolOff TJNaber, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (C) Following December 28 clashes between the FARDC and
troops allied with renegade General Laurent Nkunda (reftel),
FARDC 8th Military Region (MR) Commander General Ngizo met
with Nkunda loyalist representatives of the 81st and 83rd
Brigades. During the December 29 meeting, Ngizo reiterated
that the 83rd Brigade was a part of the 8th Military Region
and under his command. He said there needed to be a
separation of forces, which MONUC could monitor. One of the
Nkunda representatives, Lt. Col. Makenga of the 83rd Brigade,
called the December 28 fighting "premeditated" and refused to
withdraw from Bugusa or Jomba. According to MONUC North Kivu
Brigade Commander General Pramod Behl, the capture of Bugusa
and Jomba opened up an axis toward Rutshuru and could signal
a plan to target Rutshuru by Nkunda. Behl privately
criticized the 8th MR for continuing to ignore MONUC's advice
to address the crisis and contain the rebels.


2. (SBU) Hours before the December 29 meeting, a crowd
attacked three MONUC North Kivu Brigade patrols near
Rutshuru. The crowd, reportedly mainly Rutshuru town
residents, burned tires and pelted a North Kivu Brigade
patrol with stones. A second patrol that came to the aid of
the first was also attacked. A third patrol arrived and
fired into the air to disperse the crowd. According to
MONUC's Radio Okapi, the protesters accused MONUC of failing
to intervene in the clashes between the FARDC and Nkunda
elements. Representatives of the protesters attended a
meeting with FARDC, MONUC, and police officers the same day.
They said MONUC was hampering FARDC operations against the
rebels, giving bad advice, and creating buffer zones between
the rebels and the FARDC, thus preventing FARDC operations'
success.


3. (C) Behl met with FARDC Chief of Staff General Kisempia
the evening of December 29. Behl told Kisempia that MONUC
believed members of the 9th Integrated Brigade, led by
Colonel Smith, had instigated the violence. Behl said the
apparent motive was to shift blame for FARDC failure against
the rebels to MONUC. Behl also met with North Kivu Governor
Eugene Serufuli the same evening. Serufuli promised to
educate the public on MONUC's role and to urge patience with
negotiations. Behl gave an interview to Radio Okapi on
December 30 in which he said that MONUC was not taking part
in the negotiations between Nkunda and FARDC, nor were MONUC
troops involved in any fighting.


4. (C) On December 30, another skirmish broke out between
the FARDC and Nkunda elements at Chengerero (5 km from
Bunagana) with the result that FARDC defenses were again
pushed back. Ngizo told Behl January 2 that political level
talks involving Nkunda and arranged by FARDC Air Force Chief
of Staff John Numbi were held in Kigali January 1. Ngizo
also said the seventh meeting between the FARDC and
commanders of the 81st and 83rd Brigades was scheduled for
January 3.


5. (C) Comment: The scattered violence is taking place
while numerous behind-the-scenes negotiations are underway.
It appears that government official still hope for a
political solution. End comment.
DOUGHERTY