BRAZZAVILLE/CONGO: "WALK IN THE WOODS" WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000658

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/C MADEEHA ASHRAF, JANE GAFFNEY
INR/AA JENNIFER PEKKINEN, JOHN BERNTSEN
PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS GREG D'ELIA, ROBERT KANEDA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PINS CF
SUBJECT: BRAZZAVILLE/CONGO: "WALK IN THE WOODS" WITH
PASTEUR NTUMI

REF: A. BRAZZAVILLE 000260

B. BRAZZAVILLE 000180

C. BRAZZAVILLE 000124

D. BRAZZAVILLE 000079

Classified By: DCM Mark J. Biedlingmaier, Reasons 1.4(b)(d)


1. (U) DCM represented Embassy Brazzaville at the June 8
closing ceremony for the two-day "concertation" which took
place in the former ex-Ninja rebel stronghold of Kinkala in
the heart of the Pool region. Unlike the high-profile,
security-charged environment witnessed the preceding day by
the Ambassador (reported reftel A) - with the presence of
Prime Minister Isidore Mvouba, representing the
host-government, and Frederic Bintsamou (Pasteur Ntumi),
representing his newly-chartered political party, the
"National Council of Republicans," or CNR - the June 8 event
progressed peacefully in a spirit of a general reconciliation
and healing for all citizens and tribes of the Congo. Bishop
Louis Portella-Mbuya, prelate of Kinkala and president of the
Episcopal Conference of Congo, led an emotional, four-hour
ecumenical service with the participation of his counterparts
from the Evangelical Church of Congo, the Salvation Army,
Kimbangist cult, and "les sages" (the wise men or "elders")
of the Lari, Sundi and Teke tribes indigenous to the Pool.


2. (U) A symbolic cleansing of the nation, its people, of
both past and present generations, mothers and children,
fathers and forefathers of the Congo tribes was performed to
absolve sins and atrocities committed during the civil war
period. The elder representing Congo's Teke King then
"rebaptized" the village of Kinkala and distributed kola
nuts, a token of peace and healing, to members of the
diplomatic corps and the assembly. In remarks translated
from the Lari language, he exhorted the gathering to go forth
and "plant new grain throughout the country to enjoy a
harvest of peace" in the years ahead, to put aside tribal
differences and to accept the blessings and pardon of this
day's events. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the
diplomatic corps and other guests were invited to a cocktail
reception and luncheon co-hosted by the Prefet of Kinkala and
the Archbishop of Brazzaville, Msgr. Anatole Malandou.


3. (C) Upon exiting the prefecture conference hall, the DCM
was discretely approached by CNR National Secretary, Joseph
Mbizi, and unexpectedly, asked to accompany him to a private
meeting with Pasteur Ntumi on the outskirts of Kinkala. For
the past year, Mbizi has served as liaison between Ntumi's
CNR party staff members and the Brazzaville "Ambassadors'
Roundtable," comprised of representatives of the French,
U.S., Belgian, Italian and South African embassies, the
European Union, UNDP and the Apostolic Nunicature. This
collective has provided guidance, through frequent contacts
with Bishop Portella, to both CNR and the Prime Minister's
office, on a viable framework to resolve the longstanding
Pool crisis, in particular, the re-integration and disarming
of ex-rebel combatants and on the economic revitalization and
social development of this depressed region.


4. (C) The DCM and BBC correspondent, John James, who by
coincidence had asked to carpool with embassy staff to the
concertation, were driven to an isolated valley approximately
10 miles from Kinkala, asked to park their vehicle, and walk
five minutes to a verdant field of orchard trees and
sagebrush to the meeting site. Ntumi received his visitors
in a small clearing set with three chairs and in the presence
of only one armed guard. A handful of advisors sat within a
comfortable listening distance to the group, while 3-4 guards
remained posted at the entrance of the clearing to guard the
vehicles and monitor traffic on a nearby access road. After
initial pleasantries and introductions, the DCM engaged Ntumi
in an hour-long conversation, touching on topics ranging from
the recently-completed concertation process, his relations
with former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, ex-President
Pascal Lissouba (currently in exile in Paris),and his
adversary during the civil war, President Denis
Sassou-Nguesso. For his part, Ntumi introduced into
the dialogue, prospects for re-integration of the
ex-Ninjas into the community, economic and social
development in the Pool, his views on the upcoming
legislative elections, and the perceived role of the
diplomatic and international community to sustain peace in
the Republic of Congo.


5. (C) Surprisingly, Ntumi posed no objection to Mr. James'
request to tape the conversation, and instead claimed that
this would be a welcome opportunity "to have the truth about
Frederic Bintsamou and the CNR broadcast to the world." In a

light-hearted moment, the three men shared a laugh when James
noted that his BBC predecessor twice-removed, Mr. Francois
Bikindou, who also interviewed Pasteur Ntumi in 2002, was
expelled from the Congo days after publishing a news report
deemed critical of President Sassou-Nguesso, the PCT party
and the dubious business dealings of the president's
immediate family. Ntumi quipped that there are inherent
dangers in each of our professions, then added, "we must do
whatever is necessary to accomplish the task."


6. (C) Asked whether or not he thought the concertation
process had been a success, Ntumi made the following
observerations: The concertation, not a CNR initiative, had
been "imposed" on him by the mediators (Bishop Portella) and
the host government (Prime Minister Ivouba),and it did not
fully represent the will nor address the true needs of the
people in the Pool region. He felt the process had been
somewhat manipulated by the premature announcement of his
appointment as a "special delegate of the President for
humanitarian affairs for those affected by the civil war," a
position which had been ill-defined from the onset of
negotiations and did not spell out in proper legal fashion
the privileges, immunities and entitlements normally accorded
to ministers or envoys of this rank. Ntumi stated that he
would require sufficient "guarantees" for his personal
security from President Sassou-Nguesso before returning to
Brazzaville to assume any position, noting that in many camps
he is still viewed as a belligerent, guerilla leader
who Sassou considers as a prime adversary. He then
asked rhetorically, if the host government had
considered him an equal partner in the peace
process, why was he required to borrow a truck to use as
transportation to the June 7 concertation in Kinkala, while
the Prime Minister and other government officials arrived by
helicopter, elaborate motorcades and with rings of security?
Should he not have been accorded similar privileges? Asked
by Mr. James whether he would be prepared to take his seat in
Parliament if elected as a delegate in the June 24 election,
Ntumi reiterated that he would be unable to do so until
appropriate measures to ensure his personal security had been
addressed and support by the international and diplomatic
community provided to preclude "any unfortunate accident"
which might befall him. In a rather sentimental tone, Ntumi
noted that he had not visited Brazzaville in over ten years,
and although his residence and other possessions had been
destroyed during the civil war, he would welcome the
chance to restart his life there "in a new light."


7. (C) Ntumi expressed strong interest in U.S. engagement
internationally in the fields of disarmament, anti-narcotics
trafficking, economic development and globalization. He
stated that, after having conducted detailed personal
research and analysis, he believed that English-language
skills and access to information technology were essential to
sustain economic growth in the Pool region and would be a
staircase to success for young, disadvantaged youth (and
ex-combatants) eager to re-integrate into society after years
of turmoil. He offered the philosophical view that a man
could only succeed once he took on responsibility, built a
home to serve as his foundation and that of his family, and
became a productive member of society rather than wonder
aimlessly as a vagabond. This path toward responsibility, he
believed, would lessen anxiety and allow many in the region
to return to a normal life and eventually preserve their
dignity which had been stripped during the last generation.
At present, Ntumi stated, there was no educational
plan for the Pool, only limited medical care
and social services (note: UNDP estimates of 2-3
trained physicians to cover a population of 250,000
inhabitants),and sparse commercial activity or employment
opportunities. Ntumi said that former President Pascal
Lissouba had encouraged strong ties with the United States in
the 1990s, and Ntumi, a young student at the time, had
visions of studying English and attending a U.S. university
to master international law, political science or
psychology/sociology - and would welcome this opportunity
even today.


8. (C) Ntumi stated that he appreciated the example set by
the United States as a "society of laws," and in the face of
revolt, as that experienced in Republic of Congo during the
civil war, society had collapsed and was unable to sustain
its institutions, internal security or adherence to
democratic principles. He blamed President Sassou-Nguesso
for embarking on a campaign of terror against his own people
with the support of Angolan-provided helicopters and heavy
weaponry to track down and kill opponents to his regime. In
this context, Ntumi viewed himself, and his ex-Ninja

soldiers, more as defenders or freedom fighters, rather than
rebels or a guerilla movement. He asked why the diplomatic
community, especially the French, had not exposed these
atrocities of war in 1997 and held Sassou-Nguesso accountable
for his actions before a world tribunal or international
court of justice? Ntumi felt that the French, and other
countries (unnamed),were therefore complicit in this tragic
period of Congolese history; however, he was optimistic
that a viable peace process could "reset the clock to
ground zero" and heralded his action to sign a
cease fire accord a step in the right direction.
Mr. James asked whether Ntumi intended to boycott
the June 24 electoral process, or, if he planned to stand for
election as a delegate. Ntumi replied that, after carefully
consideration, CNR would support the elections as yet another
sign of his commitment to the host government to keep the
peace process moving forward. He predicted that, if the
elections went poorly, this would not bode well for President
Sassou-Nguesso or for the Republic of Congo. He called on
the president to issue a full and open declaration on
activities of the National Electoral Commission and address
concerns that a credible national census take place prior to
the 2009 campaign to accurately reflect voter rolls in the
north and south of the country. Ntumi stated that, at
present, those from the north were extremely satisfied with
the current political situation, as they claim to
be in the majority nationwide and are heavily
represented throughout the government. He
queried Sassou-Nguesso's intentions to have PCT party members
posted as prefets in the Pool and Bouenza regions, backed-up
by a heavily-armed military presence, when these individuals
did not actually represent the will or the interests of the
indigenous people. Ideally, Ntumi believed that the nation
should be ruled by a "unity government" through 2009
reflecting no north/south biases and with no economic
chokehold by any one individual, family or controlling group
(note: a clear reference to the maze of businesses backed by
President Sassou, his wife and children). DCM mentioned the
U.S. Ambassador's interest to promote an open solicitation
for bids to rehabilitate the rail link between Pointe Noire
and Brazzaville and to replace Congo's ageing fleet of
locomotives -- an initiative wholly endorsed by Ntumi which
he said would provide both employment and commercial
opportunities for residents in the Pool, especially
disenfranchised youth.


9. (C) Ntumi opined that African leaders did not have a
track record for good governance or transparency, and tended
to remain in office well beyond their legal mandates. He
stated that, if Sassou-Nguesso did not handle the legislative
elections properly, there would be no other option for him
but to resign his office, as few would have confidence that
the 2009 campaign would be managed in a transparent,
democratic fashion. (Note: This viewpoint tracks with many
other opposition figures in Brazzaville who have approached
the embassy in recent weeks to call for either a boycott of
the elections or for Sassou-Nguesso's resignation. Although
none predict unrest during the summer legislative elections,
many believe that it will be a watershed event to determine
if Sassou-Nguesso and the PCT have taken democratic reform
and international pressure to heart.) DCM noted that the
U.S. Embassy and other partners had hoped to receive
sponsorship to plan a Sarkozy/Royal-style campaign debate,
monitored by IFES / National Democratic Institute, prior to the
anticipated second round of elections on July 22.
Ntumi warmly embraced the concept as a healthy step for
democracy in the Congo, and although not committing to a
personal appearance, noted that the CNR would be well represented.


10. (C) On June 11, the Ambassadors' Roundtable met at the
Apostolic Nunciature in Brazzaville to review the past week's
events prior to the late evening departure of Bishop Portella
for a three-week conference in Rome. For those not present
at the June 7-8 ceremonies, Portella offered detailed
commentary of the last-minute, behind-the-scenes negotiations
(protocol, security and logistics) which took place to secure
final agreement by the Prime Minister and Pasteur Ntumi to
participate in the Kinkala events. During the open
discussion which ensued, the EU and French ambassadors and
the Papal Nuncio downplayed the significance of Ntumi and the
CNR as major players in the current political chessgame
within the Congo, or even as a credible challenge to
Sassou-Nguesso's authority. The South African DCM, Italian
and Belgium ambassadors were not convinced that Ntumi could
be written-off so easily, given his remarkably cogent
assessment of the political situation in Brazzaville after
his years of self-imposed isolation and absence of personal
engagement with the international and diplomatic communities

since 1997. Ironically, it now appeared as though a dividing
line had been drawn between the roundtable participants as
to whether Frederic Bintsamou or Denis Sassou-Nguesso had a
better, more realistic grasp of reality and a true sense of
the will of the Congolese people.

MEECE