Goma Report August 28 -

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000713 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG UN, EUN SUBJECT: Goma Report August 28 - Clashes in Rutshuru Area ¶1. (SBU) Summary: By the end of the day, MONUC had not ascertained responsibility for the clashes that occurred in the Rutshuru area August 28, nor the extent of casualties or collateral damage. Political damage was clear: CNDP did not attend the North Kivu working group on disengagement. However, the South Kivu group went forward, despite FRF fears for safety. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) The energy in the Amani process which was so palpable in the preceding days, with the establishment of working groups to flesh out disengagement zones, hit a rock wall with the news of prolonged exchanges of fire beginning in the early morning August 28 in the Rutshuru sector. At opening of day, CNDP announced through text messages that it had been attacked by FARDC and that "the death of Amani will be the entire and exclusive responsibility of the government." Citing fears for their security, CNDP members boycotted the working-group meetings which were to have gotten down to the concrete work of drawing pull-back lines on maps. The South Kivu working group was considerably delayed because of FRF derivative concerns for safety, but the international facilitation team allayed some of its concerns and the meeting eventually went forward, with the satisfying prospect of FRF, FARDC, and various Mai Mai groups poring over maps at the same table. ¶3. (SBU) Admiral Didier Etumba, co-chairman of the Joint Technical Commission, twice convoked the facilitation team during the course of the day for lengthy meetings, the purpose of which was to pin blame for the attacks on CNDP and to assert the government's continued adherence to the Amani process. He said that CNDP had attacked FARDC positions east of Rumangabo (halfway between Goma and Rutshuru) and near Burai (just south of Rutshuru) but was repulsed with a successful "counter-offensive" which produced serious CNDP casualties but only one FARDC killed. President Kabila called Etumba during the first of these meetings, and Etumba relayed that Kabila had given instructions to "cease the counter-offensive immediately." Etumba insisted that MONUC and the facilitation team must publicly and clearly fix responsibility on CNDP. He said that the day's clashes showed the importance of making progress on the disengagement plan, with the Rutshuru road being the single most important pull-back corridor, one where he hoped MONUC would establish a much stronger presence. ¶4. (SBU) At the end of the day, poloff called on acting North Kivu Brigade commander Col Jaiveer Negi for a review of the day's military events. (Newly arrived brigade commander Brigadier General Bipin Rawat was in Kinshasa.) Negi said that MONUC did not know which side was responsible. The MONUC mobile base at Rugari heard firing in the early morning in the direction (north) of Rumangabo and sent out a patrol to investigate, which was briefly impeded by FARDC. At 8:30 the small MONUC base at Mutabo (10 km east of Rutshuru) also heard firing in the area of Matebe, located between Rutshuru and Mutabo, and also went to investigate. In the course of the morning, FARDC dispatched six BMPs, a multi-barrel rocket launcher, and attack helicopters to these areas, although none of them were actually used in the clashes. Firing ceased at Matebe by 11:00 am, and both CNDP and FARDC returned to their areas of previous control at Matebe. Firing east of Rumangabo eased by mid-afternoon, but MONUC had not confirmed that FARDC had returned to its previous position there. (Etumba and 8th Military Region commander Mayala vehemently insisted to the facilitation team that it had.) Negi said that it had been exceedingly difficult for MONUC military to make contact with FARDC, either at brigade or region level, throughout the day, whereas it had had more success coordinating with CNDP's Col. Makenga. Eastern Coordinator Alpha Sow pointedly complained about this lack of communication to Etumba, who admitted FARDC should have done better. Negi said that he had no reliable information about casualties or humanitarian collateral damage from the clashes. ¶5. (SBU) CNDP has informed facilitation team that, assuming it MONUC assures fullest security guarantees for its travel from Kimoka into Goma, it will meet the team early August 29. CNDP's aim for the meeting is apparently to give a fuller account of its version of events, rather than to participate in the disengagement working groups. GARVELINK