Goma Report September 8: Continued

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000739 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG UN, EUN SUBJECT: Goma Report September 8: Continued Clashes, Extending South to Numbi ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Clashes occurred in yet another area September 8, with CNDP occupying Numbi just across the provincial border in South Kivu. North Kivu brigade fired on CNDP north of Nyanzale September 7, to keep CNDP elements from moving on Kikuku. On the other hand, CNDP had withdrawn from Nyanzale and possibly Katsiru by the end of the day September 6. Ministers of Interior and Defense visited Nyanzale September 7 and made statements there and in Rutshuru far more favorable to MONUC than in the government declaration of September 8. The large IDP camp at Kibumba, north of Goma, staged a protest over lack of food delivery and stoned MONUC vehicles. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Over the past several days, the Rutshuru corridor has been quieter than during the week following August 28. The exceptions were an exchange of fire and possible CNDP attack September 7 on FARDC at Rugarama, beyond the CNDP's area of control northeast of Rutshuru near the Ugandan border, and a major demonstration at the Kibumba camp September 8. Kibumba is a large "informal" camp (not under UNCHR oversight) 20 kilometers north of Goma. The IDP's there are angry that they have received no food distribution since April 24 and directed their anger at the nearby MONUC base, stoning MONUC vehicles. ¶3. (SBU) The CNDP push northward from Katsiru to Nyanzale was quickly defused by the North Kivu brigade September 6, with a show of force that persuaded the CNDP commander to withdraw. However, on September 7 the North Kivu brigade encountered CNDP elements active north of Nyanzale, apparently on their way to Kikuku having skirted Nyanzale, and for the first time the North Kivu brigade did fire on CNDP and appeared to have prevented further northward movement by CNDP, although an eruption of firing was detected even north of Kikuku on September 8. North Kivu brigade believes that CNDP has largely evacuated Katsiru, the village taken on September 5, with the proviso that CNDP seem to be at large throughout the area. ¶4. (SBU) Activity moved to a new zone September 8, with the apparent occupation by CNDP of the village of Numbi across the provincial border in South Kivu. MONUC believes that, as occurred in Nyanzale, the FARDC withdrew from Numbi before the arrival of the CNDP. The South Kivu brigade has no standing presence in Numbi, in 
contrast to Nyanzale, but has sent an attack helicopter to overfly the area. Thus far, MONUC sources have no information on activity by PARECO in the area. ¶5. (SBU) Minister of Interior Kalume and Minister of Defense Chikez visited North Kivu September 6 and 7 (National Assembly President Kamerhe was also present in Goma but was not to be seen). Kalume and Chikez summoned the facilitation team to a singular performance at 8th military region headquarters on the evening of September 6. What was billed as an exchange of views with the facilitation team turned out to be a good-cop bad-cop long-winded monologue by the two ministers, whose core message was that if MONUC did not use its resources to defeat CNDP the government would not be able to prevent the masses, including in Goma, from rising up violently against MONUC. ¶6. (SBU) On September 7, the ministers led a delegation (largely FARDC but including facilitation members Alpha Sow and Jean-Michel Dumont) by MONUC helicopter to Nyanzale and to Rutshuru. According to Sow and Dumont, the delegation seemed to believe the town would be largely deserted, but there was a large turnout of the populace, which apparently had fled only a short distance when CNDP arrived but quickly returned. The populace expressed distrust of MONUC and were pleased to have both CNDP and FARDC out of the town. However, the North Kivu brigade's undertaking with FARDC is that it will have to stay away from Nyanzale only four days. Chief of Staff Kayembe, speaking to Dumont, revealed that he had no apparent idea where FARDC's 7th brigade (headquartered at Nyanzale) had disappeared to, when it fled before the small elements of CNDP who briefly occupied the town. The prevailing concept among members of the delegation was that the 7th brigade had fled on account of treason by one of its officers who had connections RCD head Ruberwa. Meanwhile, Congolese radio on September 7 praised what it called the great FARDC victory in expelling CNDP from Nyanzale. ¶7. (SBU) The Ministers, both at Nyanzale and Rutshuru, played a more positive role than was to be expected from their monologue September 6. They called on the populace to cooperate with MONUC, in particular, desist from blocking roads and throwing stones. At Rutshuru, the territorial administrator (a well-known firebrand and instigator of the populace) openly said, in the presence of the ministers, that he did not believe in Amani, that CNDP was bent on "killing the people like pigs" and on attaching Rutshuru territory KINSHASA 00000739 002 OF 002 to Rwanda. The ministers departed Goma on the evening of September ¶7. On September 8 the Minister of Interior issued a declaration effectively calling on MONUC to wage war against the CNDP as the only way to assuage the anger of the populace. ¶8. (SBU) After the delegation left Nyanzale, a North Kivu supply convoy, attempting to resupply the much-reinforced North Kivu base at Nyanzale, was blocked by the local populace at Kisheshe on the road from the north. FARDC elements were present in the crowd and fired shots (unsuccessfully) at truck tires. ¶9. (SBU) Alpha Sow briefed the facilitation team September 8 on a telephone conversation that SRSG Doss had with Nkunda September 6. Nkunda was, according to Sow, angry at MONUC because of the "ill treatment" which CNDP had received at Nyanzale, viz., the threat of use of force if CNDP did not withdraw and the refusal to allow CNDP to make off with FARDC guns and ammunition. (Note: North Kivu assesses that FARDC had left behind little materiel in Nayanzale, while CNDP captured 170 AK-47s and 10 mortars at Katsiru.) Doss assured Nkunda that Amani, which technically expired August 2, would soon be officially prolonged. Nkunda dismissed Amani and sought another forum, which Doss told him would be completely unacceptable. Nkunda complained of the presence of the 14th brigade, newly arrived at Sake. ¶10. (SBU) Meanwhile, there has been no progress on the core issue that has stoked tensions since August 28, i.e., the occupation by both FARDC and CNDP of positions in the Rutshuru informal buffer zone east of the Goma-Rutshuru highway (respectively, Ntamugenga and Mutabo by FARDC, and Kanombe by CNDP). The visiting ministers told Sow that withdrawal from Ntamugenga and Mutabo was "politically impossible" for the government (although General Etumba continues to say that the FARDC "can withdraw"),while CNDP has adamantly refused to discuss the issue except at Kimoka or abroad (unacceptable to the government). Meanwhile, the government is planning to hold the next Steering Committee meeting of the Joint Technical Commission at Bukavu September 12-13, at which CNDP will almost certainly not be present. The facilitation team September 8 decided that further pressuring of FARDC or CNDP, for example with the idea of talks at MONUC-controlled air terminal in Goma, would for the time being be unproductive. UK officer Tom Pravda and poloff urged Eastern Division Chief of Staff Col. Cunliffe to press for purely military contact with CNDP and FARDC with the object of a mutual withdrawal from the three sites in the buffer zone. GARVELINK