SITUATION REPORT FOR DRC - NOVEMBER 10, 2008,

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000995 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG SUBJECT: SITUATION REPORT FOR DRC - NOVEMBER 10, 2008, AS OF 5:30 PM CENTRAL AFRICAN TIME (GMT +1) ¶1. (U) All times Kinshasa (GMT + 1) unless otherwise indicated. ¶2. (U) The items contained in this situation report consist principally of spot information from various sources. This report is not exhaustive, nor can all the information contained therein be confirmed at this time. Security Situation in Goma and Surrounding Area -------------- -- ¶3. (SBU) A MONUC contact told Poloff on November 10 that the U.N. thus far has no concrete evidence of Angolan troops operating in North Kivu, as has been reported in the press. She noted that, while it is true that there are Portuguese-speaking soldiers in North Kivu, they are actually Congolese trained by Angolan instructors. Furthermore, MONUC has been told that an FARDC unit known as the "Katangan Tigers," which is deployed in the area, had been living in Angola for a time, and some of its members had apparently 'lost' their French. Furthermore, Congolese soldiers trained by Angola are known in the popular lexicon as "the Angolans." ¶4. (U) Press reporting notes that an off-duty Senegalese peacekeeper in civilian clothes was shot dead in Goma November 7 by a gunman believed to be a FARDC soldier. A U.N. official quoted in the article said that the attack appeared to be a botched robbery of a group of off-duty Senegalese peacekeepers by Congolese soldiers. Next Report -------------- ¶5. (U) Embassy will continue to closely monitor the issues connected to the crisis in North Kivu but, barring unforeseen circumstances, the next situation report will not be issued before Wednesday, November 12, due to the Veterans' Day holiday. BROCK