Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KINSHASA1142
2008-12-22 07:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:  

CNDP - GDRC: ONE STEP FORWARD, TEN STEPS BACK?

Tags:  PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG 
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VZCZCXRO2000
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1142/01 3570712
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 220712Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8943
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001142 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
SUBJECT: CNDP - GDRC: ONE STEP FORWARD, TEN STEPS BACK?

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001142

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
SUBJECT: CNDP - GDRC: ONE STEP FORWARD, TEN STEPS BACK?


1. CNDP Spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa disseminated by e-mail the
following message regarding the latest round of GDRC-CNDP
negotiations in Nairobi.


2. Begin CNDP message (unofficial Embassy translation from the
French):

Negotiations Bulletin, December 20, 2008

One step forward, ten steps back: the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo still has not given up the military solution.

On the third day of the political negotiations taking place in the
Kenyan capital between the National Congress for the Defense of the
People (CNDP) and the Kinshasa government, parties have made
progress, with the signing of the first documents of an agreement.
These texts have to do with negotiation procedures. The government
delegation, however, hangs on to its refusal to authorize mediators
to appeal, as facilitators, when substantive questions will be
debated, to the presidents of both chambers of Parliament as well as
to representatives of the Parliamentary majority and opposition.

Parallel to these negotiations, on the ground in North Kivu, the
troops of the FARDC-FDLR/PARECO-DMN (various Congolese Mai-Mai
groups) government coalition have begun to implement the
government's famous directive, "Fight and Talk." At this time, they
are advancing in combat formations into the zones from which the
CNDP withdrew according to its unilateral ceasefire of October 29,

2008. This is the case at the Kanyabayonga-Nyanzale,
Kabasha-Kiwanja, and Nyakakoma-Ishasha-Kiwanja roads. By all
appearances, in the next few hours they could be in contact with the
CNDP troops. It should be recalled that the government coalition
had similarly occupied 12 kilometers of the area that the CNDP had
withdrawn from on the Kibati-Goma road last October, when it had
decided not to take the city of Goma, that the government forces are
still there today, and that they use this road to transport combat
troops and equipment.

The CNDP had created these buffer zones to avoid all chance of
confrontation between the two opposing armies and had asked MONUC to
protect the zones. This deliberate reoccupying of buffer zones

reveals the government coalition's war-mongering impulses and desire
for revenge. But at the same time, the coalition takes an enormous
risk, that of endangering the Nairobi negotiation process at a time
when the entire Congolese people wish to enjoy the holidays in peace
and tranquility. Is there anything more important than to give the
Congolese people what is theirs by right, that is, peace through a
comprehensive agreement between the parties, at this end-of-year
season? The government should think twice before plunging headlong
into futile adventures whose only outcome will be ridicule, once
again, whereas by exercising restraint, it has a chance to grow in
stature by proving itself responsible to the people its mission it
is to lead in peace and security.

End unofficial Embassy translation


3. Original French text of CNDP statement follows:

BULLETIN DES NEGOCIATIONS DU 20 DECEMBRE 2008

UN PAS EN AVANT, DIX EN ARRIERE : LE GOUVERNEMENT RD-CONGOLAIS N'A
TOUJOURS PAS RENONCE A L'OPTION MILITAIRE.

AU 3eme JOUR DES NEGOCIATIONS POLITIQUES QUI SE DEROULENT DANS LA
CAPITALE KENYANE ENTRE LE CONGRES NATIONAL POUR LA DEFENSE DU
PEUPLE, CNDP, ET LE GOUVERNEMENT DE KINSHASA, LES PARTIES ONT FAIT
DES PROGRES AVEC LA SIGNATURE DE PREMIERS DOCUMENTS D'ACCORD. IL
S'AGIT DE TEXTES DE PROCEDURE DES NEGOCIATIONS. CEPENDANT, LA
DELEGATION GOUVERNEMENTALE CONTINUE A CAMPER SUR SON REFUS DE DONNER
MANDAT AUX MEDIATEURS DE FAIRE APPEL, COMME FACILITATEURS, AU MOMENT
OU S'OUVRIRONT LES DEBATS SUR LE FOND, AUX PRESIDENTS DE DEUX
CHAMBRES DU PARLEMENT NATIONAL AINSI QU'A DES REPRESENTANTS DE LA
MAJORITE ET DE L'OPPOSITION PARLEMENTAIRES.

PARALLELEMENT A CES NEGOCIATIONS, SUR LE TERRAIN DANS LE NORD-KIVU,
LES TROUPES DE LA COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE FARDC-FDLR/PARECO-DMN
(DIVERS MAI-MAI NATIONAUX) ONT ENTREPRIS D'APPLIQUER LA FAMEUSE
CONSIGNE DU GOUVERNEMENT DE " FIGHT AND TALK ". EN CE MOMENT, ELLES
PROGRESSENT EN POSITION DE COMBAT DANS LES ZONES DONT LE CNDP S'EST
DESENGAGE EN VERTU DE SA DECLARATION UNILATERALE DE CESSATION DES
HOSTILITES DU 29 OCTOBRE 2008. C'EST LE CAS SUR LES AXES
KANYABAYONGA - NYANZALE, KABASHA - KIWANDJA ET NYAKAKOMA -ISHASHA-
KIWANDJA. SELON TOUTES LES APPARENCES, DANS LES PROCHAINES HEURES
ELLES POURRAIENT SE TROUVER AU CONTACT DES TROUPES DU CNDP. ON SE
RAPPELLERA QUE LA COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE AVAIT DE LA MEME MANIERE
REOCCUPE AU MOIS D'OCTOBRE DERNIER LES 12 KMS DE LA ZONE DONT LE
CNDP S'ETAIT DESENGAGE SUR L'AXE KIBATI - GOMA, LORSQU'IL A RENONCE

KINSHASA 00001142 002 OF 002


DE PRENDRE LA VILLE DE GOMA, ELLES Y DEMEURENT ENCORE AUJOURD'HUI ET
Y ACHEMINENT DES RENFORTS EN HOMMES ET EN MATERIELS DE COMBAT.

LE CNDP AVAIT CREE CES ZONES DE DESENGAGEMENT POUR EVITER TOUTE
POSSIBILITE DE CONFRONTATION DES DEUX ARMEES ADVERSES ET AVAIT
DEMANDE A LA MONUC D'EN GARANTIR LA PROTECTION. PAR CETTE
REOCCUPATION DELIBEREE, LA COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE VIENT DE
MANIFESTER SES ELANS BELLICISTES ET SON DESIR DE REVANCHE. AIS EN
MEME TEMPS, ELLE PREND L'ENORME RISQUE DE COMPROMETTRE LE PROCESSUS
DES NEGOCIATIONS EN COURS A NAIROBI ALORS QUE TOUT LE PEUPLE
CONGOLAIS ENTEND PASSER LES FESTIVITES DE FIN D'ANNEE DANS LA
TRANQUILLITE ET LA PAIX TOTALE. Y A-T-IL PLUS IMPORTANT QUE DE
REDONNER AU PEUPLE CONGOLAIS CE QUI LUI REVIENT DE DROIT,
C'EST-A-DIRE LA PAIX A TRAVERS UN ACCORD GLOBAL ENTRE LES PARTIES EN
CETTE FIN D'ANNEE ? LE GOUVERNEMENT DEVRAIT Y REFLECHIR PAR DEUX
FOIS AVANT DE S'ELANCER DANS DES AVENTURES SANS ISSUE ET DONT IL NE
SAURAIT SORTIR QUE RIDICULISE, UNE FOIS DE PLUS, ALORS QU'EN SE
RETENANT, IL A L'OCCASION DE SE GRANDIR EN SE MONTRANT RESPONSABLE
VIS-A-VIS DU PEUPLE QU'IL A MISSION DE DIRIGER DANS LA PAIX ET LA
SECURITE.

End original French text of CNDP statement

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