Text of September 18 CNDP statement

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 000779 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG UN, EUN SUBJECT: Text of September 18 CNDP statement criticizing international facilitation ¶1. The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP),the insurgent group in North Kivu led by Tutsi General Laurent Kabila, issued the a statement September 18. An unofficial English translation of the statement is at para. 2. The original text in French is at para. 3. ¶2. Begin unofficial English translation of September 18 CNDP statement Bwiza, 18 September 2008 Information copies sent to: The President of the United Nations Security Council, New York; The Secretary General of the United Nations, New York; The President of the Commission of the African Union, Addis Ababa; The special envoy of the European Union to the Great Lakes, Brussels; Monuc Coordinator for the East of the DRC, Goma; MONUC head of office, Goma; To Ambassador Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in the DRC, Kinshasa. Re: Facilitation team's troublesome behavior Mr. Ambassador, We feel compelled to write you to express regret over a certain number of events that lead us to believe that the International Facilitation's role in the present crisis complicates the situation more than it resolves it. To wit: (1) By its inexplicable silence on several reprehensible acts committed by the Government, the Facilitation seems to contribute to the confusion now surrounding the management of the crisis. (2) It is a pity that the Facilitation has been unable either to stop or to condemn the government's troop movements coming from Ituri (two battalions from the Second Integrated Brigade) and from South Kivu (the 3rd, 8th, and 14th Brigades). As we write, other troops continue to come in from these parts. (3) While the CNDP, as it had announced, was unilaterally withdrawing from KIBIRIZI and MIRANGI, a distance of more than 100 kms., the Facilitation paid us in funny money, giving the Congolese people and the whole world a version of events contrary to the facts, that is, that the CNDP had withdrawn because of pressure from MONUC. As a result, you rendered meaningless this gesture, which was meant to be a sign of our good faith and to which we attached great importance. Under these circumstances, we have no unilateral concessions left to make in this regard, unless it be to shed our blood, which we will do willingly. (4) The Facilitation abstained from denouncing barbaric acts committed by the FARDC in the territories under CNDP control. In particular, attacks on the following towns: NTAMUGENGA, MBUZI, KIBARIZO, NGUNGU, KARUBA-MUREMURE. We add that in TONGO, they committed assassinations of defenseless civilians on the motive that these civilians supported our Movement. We would be hard-pressed to understand the nature of the collaboration that is to exist between you and us, if you are unable to make these barbaric acts cease. (5) The latest of these crimes committed by the FARDC is the attack of BIHANBWE, RUBAYA and KIBABI, at the very moment when, in KIMOKA, our delegation was participating in negotiations to which the Facilitation had invited us. This brings back bad memories, in particular the government's attack against Jean-Pierre BEMBA when 15 ambassadors were negotiating with him in his residence. Or, similarly, against the BUNDU DIA KONGO, when it was asking to hold a peace conference for Bas-Congo. As we write, government troops are still in these towns without the Facilitation condemning this. Nevertheless, we must inform you that we will not leave the aforementioned towns in the hands of government troops for long. (6) In addition, when it publishes a joint statement with the Government on disengagement, the Facilitation does not give us the feeling that it assumes a neutral role, since it thereby takes the side of one of the protagonists in the conflict. Such a stand seriously erodes the Facilitation's credibility. (7) Last, we are waiting to find out if the new negotiating KINSHASA 00000779 002 OF 003 framework that we requested, i.e., a bilateral Government-CNDP framework, in a neutral location, has been established, in which case we are ready to go there on the day and hour that the Facilitation tells us. (8) Our Movement would like to continue to consider you as an indispensable negotiator in the peace process. But for that to happen, we exhort you to break the very surprising silence that you persist in maintaining regarding the actions of the government, which we denounced above, and to give objective information to the national and international public. (9) We hope this letter will receive your full attention and that it will not be ignored like preceding ones. End unofficial English translation ¶2. Begin text of CNDP statement in original French BWIZA, LE 18 SEPTEMBRE 2008 TRANSMIS COPIE POUR INFORMATION A : SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT DU CONSEIL DE SECURITE DES NATIONS UNIES A NEW-YORK/MANHATTAN/USA ; SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS UNIES A NEW-YORK/MANHATTAN/USA ; SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR LE PRESIDENT DE LA COMMISSION DE L'UNION AFRICAINE A ADDIS-ABEBA/ETHIOPIE ; SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR L'ENVOYE SPECIAL DE L'UNION EUROPEENNE DANS LES GRANDS-LACS A BRUXELLES/BELGIQUE ; MONSIEUR LE COORDONNATEUR DES ACTIVITES DE LA MONUC A L'EST DE LA RDC A GOMA ; MADAME LA CHEF DE BUREAU DE LA MONUC/NORD-KIVU A GOMA ; A SON EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR L'AMBASSADEUR ALAN DOSS REPRESENTANT SPECIAL DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL DES NATIONS UNIES EN RDC A KINSHASA/GOMBE. OBJET : COMPORTEMENT PREOCCUPANT DE LA FACILITATION EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR L'AMBASSADEUR, NOUS SOMMES AMENES A VOUS ADRESSER LA PRESENTE POUR REGRETTER UN CERTAIN NOMBRE DE FAITS QUI NOUS FONT PENSER QUE LE RTLE DE LA FACILITATION INTERNATIONALE DANS LA CRISE ACTUELLE COMPLIQUE LA DONNE PLUS QU'ELLE NE LA DEBLOQUE. AINSI : (1) A CAUSE DE SON SILENCE INEXPLICABLE SUR DIFFERENTS ACTES CONDAMNABLES POSES PAR LE GOUVERNEMENT, LA FACILITATION SEMBLE ENTRETENIR LA CONFUSION QUI ENTOURE ACTUELLEMENT LA GESTION DE LA CRISE. (2) IL EST DOMMAGE QUE LA FACILITATION N'AIT PAS ETE CAPABLE NI DE STOPPER NI DE CONDAMNER LE MOUVEMENT DES TROUPES GOUVERNEMENTALES EN PROVENANCE DE L'ITURI (DEUX BATAILLONS DE LA 4EME BRIGADE INTEGREE) ET DU SUD-KIVU (LES 3EME, 8EME ET 14EME BRIGADES). A L'HEURE OU NOUS ECRIVONS CES LIGNES, D'AUTRES TROUPES CONTINUENT A ETRE ACHEMINEES DE CES COINS. (3) ALORS QUE LE CNDP OPERAIT UN RETRAIT UNILATERAL DE KIBIRIZI ET MIRANGI, SOIT PLUS DE 100 KMS, CONFORMEMENT A SON ANNONCE, LA FACILITATION NOUS A PAYE EN MONNAIE DE SINGE, EN DONNANT AUX CONGOLAIS ET AU MONDE ENTIER UNE VERSION CONTRAIRE AUX FAITS, A SAVOIR QUE LE CNDP SE SERAIT RETIRE SUR PRESSION DE LA MONUC. PAR CONSAQUENT, A CE GESTE QUI AVAIT POUR BUT DE MONTRER NOTRE BONNE VOLONTE ET AUQUEL NOUS ATTACHIONS UNE GRANDE IMPORTANCE, VOUS AVEZ ACCORDE UNE VALEUR NULLE. DANS CES CONDITIONS, NOUS N'AVONS PLUS DE CONCESSION UNILATERALE A FAIRE EN LA MATIERE, A MOINS QUE CE SOIT NOTRE SANG QUI NOUS EST DEMANDE, AUQUEL CAS NOUS LE DONNERIONS VOLONTIERS. (4) LA FACILITATION S'EST ABSTENUE DE DENONCER LES ACTES DE BARBARIE COMMIS PAR LES FARDC DANS LE TERRITOIRE SOUS CONTROLE DU CNDP. C'EST NOTAMMENT LES ATTAQUES DES LOCALITES CI-APRES : NTAMUGENGA, MBUZI, KIBARIZO, NGUNGU, KARUBA-MUREMURE. NOUS AJOUTERONS QU'A TONGO, ELLES ONT COMMIS DES ASSASSINATS SUR DES CIVILS SANS DEFENSE AU MOTIF QU'ILS SOUTIENDRAIENT NOTRE MOUVEMENT. NOUS SERIONS TRES EMBARRASSES DE SAISIR LA NATURE DE LA COLLABORATION QUI DOIT EXISTER ENTRE VOUS ET NOUS, SI VOUS N'TES PAS EN MESURE DE FAIRE CESSER CES ACTES BARBARES. (5) LE DERNIER EN DATE DES FORFAITS COMMIS PAR LES FARDC EST L'ATTAQUE DE BIHAMBWE, RUBAYA ET KIBABI AU MOMENT MME O, A KIMOKA, NOTRE DELEGATION PARTICIPAIT A UNE REUNION DE CONCERTATION A LAQUELLE LA FACILITATION NOUS AVAIT CONVIES. CECI NOUS RAPPELLE DE MAUVAIS SOUVENIRS, NOTAMMENT L'AGRESSION COMMISE PAR LE POUVOIR CONTRE JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA, A L'EPOQUE O 15 AMBASSADEURS ETAIENT EN MEDIATION A SON DOMICILE. OU CONTRE LE BUNDU DIA KONGO, ALORS QUE KINSHASA 00000779 003 OF 003 CELUI-CI DEMANDAIT L'ORGANISATION D'UNE CONFERENCE DE PAIX POUR LE BAS-CONGO. A L'HEURE O NOUS ECRIVONS, LES TROUPES GOUVERNEMENTALES SONT TOUJOURS PRESENTES DANS CES LOCALITES SANS ENTRANNER AUCUNE CONDAMNATION DE LA FACILITATION. CEPENDANT, NOUS DEVONS VOUS INFORMER QUE NOUS NE LAISSERONS PAS PLUS LONGTEMPS LES LOCALITES CI-DESSUS ENTRE LES MAINS DES TROUPES GOUVERNEMENTALES. (6) PAR AILLEURS, EN PUBLIANT UN COMMUNIQUE CONJOINT AVEC LE GOUVERNEMENT SUR LE DESENGAGEMENT, LA FACILITATION NE NOUS DONNE PAS LE SENTIMENT D'ASSUMER SON RTLE DE NEUTRALITE, PUISQU'IL PREND AINSI PARTI POUR L'UN DES PROTAGONISTES DU CONFLIT. UNE TELLE PRISE POSITION ENTAME SERIEUSEMENT LA CREDIBILITE DU FACILITATEUR. (7) POUR FINIR, NOUS ATTENDONS DE SAVOIR SI LE NOUVEAU CADRE DE NEGOCIATION QUE NOUS AVONS DEMANDE, A SAVOIR UN CADRE BILATERAL GOUVERNEMENT-CNDP, DANS UN LIEU NEUTRE, A ETE CREE, AUQUEL CAS NOUS SOMMES DISPOSES A LE REJOINDRE AU JOUR ET A L'HEURE QUE LA FACILITATION NOUS INDIQUERA. (8) NOTRE MOUVEMENT SOUHAITERAIT CONTINUER A VOUS CONSIDERER COMME UN INTERLOCUTEUR INCONTOURNABLE DANS LE PROCESSUS DE PAIX. MAIS POUR CELA, NOUS VOUS EXHORTONS A BRISER CE SILENCE TRES SURPRENANT QUE VOUS PERSISTEZ A GARDER SUR LES ACTES DU GOUVERNEMENT QUE NOUS AVONS DENONCES CI-DESSUS ET A INFORMER OBJECTIVEMENT L'OPINION NATIONALE ET INTERNATIONALE. (9) NOUS VOUDRIONS ESPERER QUE LA PRESENTE RETIENDRA VOTRE MEILLEURE ATTENTION ET QU'ELLE NE RESTERA PAS LETTRE MORTE COMME LES PRECEDENTES. VEUILLEZ AGREER, EXCELLENCE MONSIEUR L'AMBASSADEUR, L'EXPRESSION DE MA PARFAITE CONSIDERATION. End original French text CNDP statement GARVELINK