CNDP CLAIMS FARDC IN DISENGAGEMENT ZONE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001164 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG SUBJECT: CNDP CLAIMS FARDC IN DISENGAGEMENT ZONE REF: KINSHASA 1142 KINSHASA 00001164 001.10 OF 002 ¶1. CNDP Spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa issued a statement, addressed to MONUC SRSG Alan Doss, on December 25, requesting that Doss effect the withdrawal of "government coalition troops" from areas around Goma airport (Note: CNDP has referred to a government coalition of FARDC/FDLR/PARECO/Mai Mai elements in recent correspondence (reftel). End note) CNDP claims its forces vacated these areas October 29 to recognize MONUC-enforced disengagement zones. In addition, CNDP claims that government forces are now within 150 meters of its positions and have unsuccessfully provoked the CNDP since November 23. Unofficial embassy translation follows. Original French is in paragraph 3. ¶2. Begin unofficial translation of CNDP statement: Bwiza, December 24, 2008 Information copies to: The Secretary General of the United Nations, New York, USA; The Coordinator of the eastern region of MONUC, Goma, North Kivu; To: His Excellency Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC RE: FARDC cease-fire violations Dear Mr. Ambassador: We wish to remind you that on October 29, via a communiqu which we sent to you, we had decided to withdraw from areas surrounding the airport in Goma where our troops had camped after an offensive against our positions by the government coalition. This unilateral withdrawal was carried out along 12 kilometers and its implementation and control were given exclusively to MONUC thereby preventing any deployments by other forces, except UN forces, in this area and thereby reducing any possibility of confrontation between troops. At this moment, our movement regrets to inform you that the government coalition's troops have redeployed in this area and are continuously sending reinforcements to such an extent that the two forces are not now separated from each other by more than 150 meters. The immediate consequences will be seen in terms of the acts of provocation that are increasing, with reference to the action that you were informed of on November 26, through the intervention of your Goma chief of office, Mrs. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, regarding the shots our troops have endured since November 23 from the forces confronting them and which, morning and night, our movement has refused to reply to. Given the extent of the seriousness of this situation and the risks that could occur as a result, our movement asks you to obtain as quickly as possible the withdrawal of government troops along this axis in order to guarantee to our populations in the city of Goma primarily, and in North Kivu in general, a climate of peace, serenity and quiet during the end of year holiday season and, above all, at the time when negotiations between the two belligerent forces are underway in capital of Kenya. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our consideration. For the political directorate of the CNDP, the Chairman, Laurent Nkunda Mihigo Major General End unofficial translation of CNDP statement ¶3. Begin original French version of CNDP statement: BWIZA, LE 24 DECEMBRE 2008 TRANSMIS COPIE POUR INFORMATION A: -- SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS-UNIES EN RDC A NEW-YORK/USA; -- MONSIEUR LE COORDONNATEUR DE LA ZONE EST DE LA MONUC/NORD-KIVU A GOMA: A SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR ALLAN DOSS, REPRESENTANT SPECIAL DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS-UNIES EN REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO A KINSHASA/GOMBE OBJET : VIOLATION DU CESSEZ-LE-FEU PAR LES FARDC MONSIEUR L'AMBASSADEUR, KINSHASA 00001164 002.2 OF 002 NOUS TENONS A VOUS RAPPELER QU'EN DATE DU 29 OCTOBRE DERNIER NOTRE MOUVEMENT, PAR UN COMMUNIQUE VOUS TRANSMIS, AVAIT DECIDE DE SE RETIRER DES ALENTOURS DE L'AEROPORT DE GOMA OU SES TROUPES ETAIENT CAMPEES A L'ISSUE D'UNE OFFENSIVE DE LA COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE SUR SES POSITIONS. CE RETRAIT UNILATERAL FUT EFFECTUE SUR 12 KM DONT LA GESTION ET LE CONTROLE FURENT EXCLUSIVEMENT CONFIES A LA MONUC EMPECHANT AINSI TOUT DEPLOIEMENT DES FORCES AUTRES QUE CELLES ONUSIENNES DANS CET ESPACE ET ELOIGNER AINSI TOUTE POSSIBILITE DE CONFRONTATION DES TROUPES. AU MOMENT OU NOUS VOUS ECRIVONS, NOTRE MOUVEMENT EST AU REGRET DE CONSTATER QUE LES TROUPES DE LA COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE SE SONT REDEPLOYEES DANS CETTE ZONE ET Y ACHEMINENT DES RENFORTS DE MANIERE CONTINUELLE AU POINT OU LES DEUX FORCES NE SONT ELOIGNEES L'UNE DE L'AUTRE QUE DE 150 METRES. LA CONSEQUENCE IMMEDIATE S'APPRECIE EN TERMES DES ACTES DE PROVOCATION QUE SE MULTIPLIENT, ALLUSION FAITE A CELUI PORTE A VOTRE CONNAISSANCE EN DATE DU 26 NOVEMBRE DE L'ANNEE EN COURS PAR LE TRUCHEMENT DE VOTRE CHEF DE BUREAU DE GOMA MADAME HIROUTE GUEBRE SELLASSIE CONCERNANT DES TIRS QUE NOS TROUPES SUBISSENT DEPUIS 23 NOVEMBRE DE LA PART DES FORCES D'EN-FACE ET CE, MATIN ET SOIR ET AUXQUELS NOTRE MOUVEMENT S'EST ABSTENU DE REPONDRE. PRENANT LA MESURE DE LA GRAVITE QUE PRESENTE CETTE SITUATION ET DES CONSEQUENCES QU'ELLE RISQUERAIT D'ENTRAINER, NOTRE MOUVEMENT VOUS PRIE D'OBTENIR LE RETRAIT DES TROUPES GOUVERNEMENTALES SUR CET AXE LE PLUS TOT POSSIBLE EN VUE DE GARANTIR A NOS POPULATIONS DE LA VILLE DE GOMA, PRINCIPALEMENT, ET CELLES DU NORD-KIVU EN EN GENERAL UN CLIMAT DE PAIX, DE SERENITE ET DE QUIETUDE PENDANT LES FESTIVITES DE FIN D'ANNEE ET SURTOUT EN CE MOMENT OU LES NEGOCIATIONS ENTRE LES DEUX BELLIGERANTS SONT EN COURS DANS LA CAPITALE KENYANE. VEUILLEZ AGREER, MONSIEUR LE REPRESENTANT SPECIAL, L'EXPRESSION DE NOS SENTIMENTS DE CONSIDERATION. POUR LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU CNDP LE CHAIRMAN LAURENT NKUNDA MIHIGO GENERAL MAJOR End original French version of CNDP statement GARVELINK