BEHIND THE LINES: A VISIT TO NKUNDA LAND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001049 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG SUBJECT: BEHIND THE LINES: A VISIT TO NKUNDA LAND REF: KINSHASA 1038 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: CNDP Chairman Laurent Nkunda held his first public rally in the recently captured town of Rutshuru on November ¶22. Goma Poloff made the 80-kilometer drive from Goma with a MONUC escort, observing few signs of combat and generally relaxed residents along the crowded corridor. Nkunda criticized MONUC and promised the audience that services and security would improve under a CNDP administration. Nkunda displayed considerable political and PR skills. He appears to be settling in for a long stay in the district capital. End summary. Where is the war? -------------- ¶2. (SBU) FARDC and rebel CNDP front lines remain static only 10 kilometers outside of Goma. There is no great distinction between the opposing lines -- the FARDC troops wear green fatigues, while most CNDP troops wear camouflage. A village just behind the CNDP "border" is abandoned, but there is little evidence of conflict. Embassy's Goma officer and TDY A/RSO crossed deep into CNDP territory on November 22 to attend a speech in Rutshuru by CNDP "Chairman" Laurent Nkunda, accompanied by EU facilitator and a two-vehicle MONOC escort. ¶3. (SBU) A large IDP camp on the outskirts of Goma has swelled with new arrivals since the conflict began. Many IDPs have returned home, however, as the CNDP dismantles IDP camps in its territory and assures residents that they have nothing to fear from rebel forces. Trucks laden with produce, charcoal and passengers pass casually through the lines without harassment. Poloff encountered two FARDC roadblocks just outside Goma, but only one roadblock along the two-hour journey through CNDP territory. ¶3. (SBU) Villages along the route appeared full, and residents were working their fields, going to busy markets, and moving freely along the road. Emboff saw many young men, evidence that CNDP are probably not forcibly recruiting among the local towns. CNDP soldiers are present in most villages along the road, but their numbers were small - only one or two visible troops in most villages. Most towns along this crowded corridor boast a development project of some kind, and NGOs continue to operate in CNDP territory. Life goes on much as it did before the CNDP occupation in this intensively cultivated strip of North Kivu. MONUC: business as usual -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Emboffs were escorted to Rutshuru by two MONUC vehicles, but two dozen international press made the trip without any visible security. The route includes separate MONUC jurisdictions, and emboffs' convoy was handed off between three separate MONUC escorts at 25-kilometer intervals. MONUC continues to operate a base of several hundred Indian peacekeepers in Rutshuru, apparently accepted by CNDP troops. The local MONUC commander, who hosted Poloff, EU rep and TDY A/RSO for lunch after attending Nkunda's speech, said his troops had been "pelted" with rocks on several occasions, both in Rutshuru and other towns along the route. He downplayed any threat to MONUC's operations by the public, stating that local residents did not understand the MONUC mandate, and sometimes demanded a more aggressive military response and/or protection. ¶5. (SBU) The MONUC commander boasted that his blue-turbaned Sikh troops were "the best soldiers in the world," while stressing that his Chapter 7 mandate did not include assaults on rebel forces unless they threatened the local population or MONUC. Although new to the Rutshuru command, he said MONUC operations have not changed much since the CNDP occupied Rutshuru and environs in early November. Mai Mai militias remained active some 10-15 kilometers north of Rutshuru, and MONUC troops have come under fire from Mai Mai on a couple of occasions. The CNDP troops have taken over all security tasks in Rutshuru. Those on display in Rutshuru appeared to be disciplined and relaxed, but this is not always the case. The major said MONUC continues to play in important role as a "deterrent" to combatant atrocities. "They know we are watching them." ¶6. (SBU) An IDP camp has sprung up on the fringe of the Rutshuru MONUC base, and residents are serviced by WFP and other humanitarian NGOs. The major said many IDPs are content to remain in the camp because they receive food and shelter. He doubted that local IDPs were primarily motivated by insecurity, although some came from areas further north where conflict continues. Commenting on the calm situation and general lack of tension in Rutshuru, he said residents were pragmatic, switching loyalties to the CNDP, but without any deeper ideological or ethnic motivation. The major said "whole KINSHASA 00001049 002 OF 002 brigades" of FARDC troops had also gone over to the CNDP in newly-occupied rebel territories, along with local police and most low-level administrators. (Comment: this level of troop defection is unconfirmed and is likely exaggerated. End comment.) The Chairman speaks -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Nkunda kept the crowd of about 2,000 waiting for two hours before his speech on November 22. In the interim, an MC kept up a steady patter of pro-CNDP comments, and a local hip hop trio entertained the crowd with a rap extolling the CNDP's virtues. CNDP security checked bags at the stadium gate, while a dozen armed troops patrolled the 800-meter perimeter. Arriving in a late model Toyota Land Cruiser(reg. NK 6451 BB),Nkunda was greeted by pygmy dancers and a young girls' dance troupe, prompting him to descend from the dais in the stadium stands and join in the dancing. A local brass band played religious songs - "Onward Christian Soldiers" seemed to be a particular favorite. Some two dozen international and local press swarmed around the "Chairman" on arrival, and Nkunda clearly relished the attention. Notably, Nkunda was dressed in U.S. Army Advanced Combat fatigues (which are not commercially available). The crowd gave Nkunda a rather tepid welcome, but their attendance appeared to be voluntary. A local contact told emboff he was "told" to attend, but he was not forced or threatened. Local residents, including many from nearby villages, clapped spontaneously at several points in the speech, but the response was more polite than enthusiastic. ¶8. (SBU) Speaking without notes for some 40 minutes, Nkunda delivered an effective public outreach speech, stressing that he represented all Congolese, and not just the Tutsi. He switched fluently between Kiswahili, Kinyarwandan, Kinande, Kihunde and French to emphasize the local nature of his rebellion, urging the populace not to fear his soldiers. Nkunda criticized the planned deployment of 3,000 more UN troops, saying they would not bring peace and were unnecessary if the Congo people stood together. Nkunda did not repeat his threat to march on Kinshasa to overturn the government of Joseph Kabila, but stated that if the FARDC invades his territory, "we will destroy them." ¶9. (SBU) Nkunda introduced 10 CNDP military commanders and 10 new administrators to replace those who fled when the CNDP took over the district administrative center. He noted that some Congolese had feared he would import officials from Rwanda, stressing that his new team was drawn from the local community and well known in Rutshuru. Nkunda repeatedly stated that his movement was multi-ethnic, and did not depend on Rwanda for support. A local police force of 20 saluted the CNDP leader, and local contacts assured Poloff that the force was comprised of the same police who had served the government in Rutshuru. Nkunda said services would improve under his administration. He showed off a young thief who had been caught looting, and a Mai Mai militia soldier of about 13 or 14. "We do not fight children," he stated, urging someone from the youth's village to come forward and escort him back to his parents. He also brought a few FARDC soldiers onto the dais to demonstrate that the CNDP does not kill prisoners of war. ¶10. (SBU) Comment: Nkunda appears to be putting down roots in Rutshuru. Recruiting local administrators, winning the allegiance of the local police, and assuring the population that the CNDP will protect them indicate plans to stay in the area. Declaring loyalty to the CNDP is an act of survival for most residents, but those who actively support Nkunda would be at risk if the area falls to the government. The 80 kilometer road from Goma to Rutshuru is only a small slice of CNDP territory, and not necessarily representative of their presence elsewhere. In the nearby town of Kiwanja, for example, over 20 persons believed to be civilians were killed earlier in November, almost certainly by troops loyal to Nkunda and his deputy, Jean Bosco. Some press reports highlight intimidated Rutshuru residents' hesitation to criticize the CNDP leader. Nevertheless, even the local MONUC Commander told Poloff after the speech that Nkunda did not appear as bad as he is depicted. The CNDP Chairman has better public relations skills than the GDRC, and his performance in Rutshuru on November 22 showed off his political abilities and ambitions. End comment. GARVELINK