BAS-CONGO UPDATE: CONGOLESE POLICE CONTINUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000272

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV ASEC SOCY PHUM MOPS CG AO CF
SUBJECT: BAS-CONGO UPDATE: CONGOLESE POLICE CONTINUE
OPERATIONS AGAINST BDK MILITANTS IN BAS-CONGO

REF: A. KINSHASA 218

B. KINSHASA 243

Classified By: A/DCM D. Brown for reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (C) Summary: MONUC continues to receive reports of
violence involving Congolese police forces and members of the
politico-religious movement Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) in
Bas-Congo province in the aftermath of the initial operation
in February 28 (ref A). MONUC's information indicates police
continue to deploy to and move through the province in
pursuit of BDK militants. It is now reluctant to provide an
overall estimate of casualties, but has a second mission
currently on the ground to assess the situation. End
summary.


2. (C) SRSG Alan Doss, Acting Force Commander General Bikram
Singh and other MONUC officials briefed P3 2 ambassadors at
MONUC headquarters March 17 on the latest developments in
Bas-Congo. These included several recent incidents which
MONUC has been able to verify. On March 14, the police
destroyed 23 houses in Muanda whose residents were suspected
of BDK connections. On the same day, MONUC discovered a mass
grave in Luozi containing 14 bodies. On March 11, a MONUC
military observation team found two bodies in a river in
Bandakani. (Note: throwing bodies in a river has been a
practice of Congolese security forces to conceal evidence in
previous clashes with BDK. End note.) At the same time,
additional Congolese police continue to deploy to the region,
with the UN reporting 650 reinforcements in Seke Banza.


3. (U) Separately, Radio Okapi reported March 14 that police
beat two people to death in Kisantu on the suspicion of
belonging to the BDK. The same report noted that BDK
militants had kidnapped a police officer in the town, which
led to a firefight resulting in two deaths and two officers
seriously wounded.


4. (C) In the course of the briefing, Doss cited a recent BBC
story based on a leaked MONUC report claiming that at least
68 people have been killed, dozens wounded, and that more
than 300 BDK members had gone missing since the beginning of
operations. Reuters also filed a story based on the same
information. Doss underscored that the report was in fact a
rough draft and that there is still no consensus within MONUC
as to the precise number of casualties. However, MONUC
analysts told us previously that they suspected at least 60
people had died since the beginning of the operation (ref B),
and a list of reported deaths presented by MONUC in the
previous week's P3 2 briefing closely approximated that
number.


5. (C) Doss emphasized that MONUC does not question the need
for the central government to re-establish authority in
Bas-Congo, nor does it support BDK's territorial claims to
areas of the medieval Kongo kingdom. At the same time, he
said he has cautioned the government that excessive use of
force risks pushing the BDK underground. He said President
Kabila and Minister of the Interior Denis Kalume are
concerned that the situation not deteriorate into a parallel
image of the crises in eastern Congo. The president of the
provincial assembly, who is not a member of the governing AMP
coalition, has requested an end to police operations and the
withdrawal of reinforcements.


6. (C) Doss noted that MONUC has only approximately 200
personnel in Bas-Congo and little capacity to expand those
numbers, given its large commitments in the east. Even this
small number has, however, displeased Governor Simon Mbatshi.
Doss suggested the idea of joint MONUC-Congolese police
patrols to Kalume, but did not indicate if Kalume was
receptive to this offer. It is not clear, however, to what
extent Police Inspector General John Numbi has pushed aside
Kalume in taking charge of the current operation.


7. (C) Comment: Doss stressed that the area in question,
north of the provincial capital of Matadi, is difficult to
access. MONUC currently has an investigative mission on the
ground, following the return of its humanitarian team last
week, and their reports should provide the first independent
verification of the many claims made against police and BDK
militants in the area. End comment.
GARVELINK