ANGOLAN TROOP INCURSIONS INTO BAS-CONGO

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000220 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS MOPS AO CG SUBJECT: ANGOLAN TROOP INCURSIONS INTO BAS-CONGO REF: (A) LUANDA 132 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: According to local press reports, groups of Angolan soldiers crossed the DRC border and occupied the villages of Sava Ina and Kuzi in Bas-Congo on February 27 and 28 respectively. A Belgian diplomat told us that a Congolese delegation from Bas-Congo province met with Angolan counterparts of Do Zaire province to defuse the situation on March 3. On March 4, Angolan troops reportedly vacated the respective villages and moved south of the border. The lack of a formal border demarcation agreement between Angola and the DRC is partly to blame for this incident, which is apparently unrelated to broader bilateral disputes. End summary. ¶2. (U) According to local press dispatches, a group of Angolan soldiers crossed the DRC border on February 27 and occupied the village of Sava Ina in the Mbanza Ngungu territory of Bas-Congo province. These troops allegedly arrested a Congolese policeman, chased away villagers, burned houses, and looted the village. In addition, a different group of Angolan soldiers occupied the village of Kuzi beginning on February 28. The Bas-Congo Vice-Governor, Deo Nkusu confirmed the presence of Angolan troops with Radio Okapi. ¶3. (SBU) A Belgian diplomat, Nico Van Dijck (please protect),told us a delegation comprised of Vice-Governor Nkusu, officials from the Directorate General of Migration (DGM),and officials from the Congolese military (FARDC) met with their Angolan counterparts of Do Zaire province on March 3 in an effort to defuse the situation. The Angolan representatives agreed to remove their troops from the respective villages and relocate them seven kilometers to the south on March 4. ¶4. (SBU) Van Dijck said that after similar incursions by Angolan troops in 2004 the two countries created commissions to investigate and discuss border demarcation. (Note: other incursions, or allegations of incursions in separate areas, occurred in 2007 and 2008 as well. End note.) Belgium and Portugal, as the former colonial powers, have agreed to assist the commission. The commissions have met several times and have made trips to Belgium to consult colonial era maps, but have not yet come to an agreement on the formal demarcation of the border. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Border disputes have been an area of sensitivity between Angola and the DRC, despite relations that are, at the present time, generally excellent. Other bilateral disputes have been related to mineral exploitation issues or the sensitive subject of the large number of Congolese nationals living in Angola, many under illegal status. Post, however, has no information that this latest dispute is related to such broader, national issues, and believes that it is localized in nature. Finally, it is interesting to note that per reftel Angolan authorities are not commenting on this incident. The GDRC is unable to suppress information about the incident, in part because of an energetic press. End comment. GARVELINK