Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KINSHASA462
2009-05-11 16:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:
MINING ISSUES IN NORTH KIVU...AND RWANDOPHONIE
how-toVZCZCXRO1362 OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHKI #0462/01 1311636 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 111636Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9586 INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000462
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EMIN CG
SUBJECT: MINING ISSUES IN NORTH KIVU...AND RWANDOPHONIE
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Garvelink for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000462
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EMIN CG
SUBJECT: MINING ISSUES IN NORTH KIVU...AND RWANDOPHONIE
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Garvelink for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)
Summary
--------------
1. (C) We met on May 8 with a contact at MPC, the South
African mining company that holds the GDRC-granted concession
on North Kivu's largest cassiterite mine, located at Bisie in
Walikale. He confirmed that control on the ground at the
mine has passed from the FARDC's 85th brigade to newly
integrated CNDP commanders. Rwandophone purchasing houses
are now buying up a larger share of the output, although key
elements of the old network of interests also remain in
place. President Kabila, meanwhile, has assured MPC that the
newly integrated CNDP would leave Bisie by mid-June. End
Summary.
Control of the Bisie Mine
--------------
2. (C) We met on May 8 with a contact at MPC, the South
African company that holds the concession to the Bisie
cassiterite mine in Walikale. Our contact confirmed that
Colonel Sammy and the FARDC's 85th brigade have vacated Bisie
and the surrounding area, leaving the mine in the hands of
newly integrated CNDP forces. Colonels Manzi and Hassan are
reportedly now in charge (Note: They also controlled Bisie
under the RCD. End Note). Artisinal mining continues at
Bisie. Production remains at pre-January levels and
continues to pass almost exclusively through Goma via light
aircraft. However, our contact, who has agents tracking the
cassiterite from mine to export, said purchasing houses in
Goma with close ties to Rwanda and formerly the RCD are now
buying up a larger percentage of the output. Noting that
last week a man came to Bisie from Rwanda to buy one week's
worth of output, our contact speculated that this may signal
the establishment of more direct Rwandan involvement in Bisie.
3. (C) FARDC General Amisi has long been involved in the
Bisie operation. Under Colonel Sammy, Amisi had two "agents"
permanently on the mine. They left when Sammy did, but our
MPC contact confirmed that they have now returned and that
Amisi (a Tutsi and former key member of the RCD) continues to
receive a cut of the profits. General Mayala and others have
also reportedly re-established their positions in the
operation.
Kabila's Reaction
--------------
4. (C) MPC representatives have met with President Kabila
and the Minister and Deputy Minister for Mines several times
since January. Over the years, MPC has reportedly passed
several dossiers to Kabila through high-level interlocutors,
detailing the illegal exploitation of Bisie by the FARDC.
According to our contact, Kabila, in a recent meeting,
claimed never to have seen any of the dossiers. On the
contrary, senior officials had in fact told the president
repeatedly that MPC had no intention of mining the
concession. When he heard MPC's case firsthand, Kabila was
apparently furious that his subordinates had withheld the MPC
dossiers from him. He immediately called Deputy Minister of
Mines Victor Kasongo (Note: Kasongo has arguably wielded
more influence at the ministry than many of the ministers for
whom he has worked. End Note),instructing Kasongo, in the
presence of MPC representatives, to ensure that the FARDC
leaves the Bisie mine so that MPC can take control. Kabila
assured MPC that the newly integrated CNDP forces would leave
Bisie by mid-June.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Our contact's information about Colonels Manzi and
Hassan and the growing role of Rwandophone-linked purchasing
houses is a useful reminder that, in many ways, many
observers view the Rwandophone agenda as simply a return to
the days of the RCD, albeit in a more subtle form. In terms
of Kabila's role in the Bisie mine, our contact's overall
impression was that the president was grappling with forces
hostile to him in the Kivus and in Rwanda, and was slowly
trying to bring things under his control by, for example,
moving the newly integrated CNDP out of the Petit Nord. This
KINSHASA 00000462 002 OF 002
might suggest that Kabila was forced to concede influence in
the Petit Nord to Rwanda and CNDP under duress, and he is
perhaps now trying to roll back, or at least put a firm end
date on, some of the concessions he may have made.
GARVELINK
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EMIN CG
SUBJECT: MINING ISSUES IN NORTH KIVU...AND RWANDOPHONIE
Classified By: Ambassador William J. Garvelink for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)
Summary
--------------
1. (C) We met on May 8 with a contact at MPC, the South
African mining company that holds the GDRC-granted concession
on North Kivu's largest cassiterite mine, located at Bisie in
Walikale. He confirmed that control on the ground at the
mine has passed from the FARDC's 85th brigade to newly
integrated CNDP commanders. Rwandophone purchasing houses
are now buying up a larger share of the output, although key
elements of the old network of interests also remain in
place. President Kabila, meanwhile, has assured MPC that the
newly integrated CNDP would leave Bisie by mid-June. End
Summary.
Control of the Bisie Mine
--------------
2. (C) We met on May 8 with a contact at MPC, the South
African company that holds the concession to the Bisie
cassiterite mine in Walikale. Our contact confirmed that
Colonel Sammy and the FARDC's 85th brigade have vacated Bisie
and the surrounding area, leaving the mine in the hands of
newly integrated CNDP forces. Colonels Manzi and Hassan are
reportedly now in charge (Note: They also controlled Bisie
under the RCD. End Note). Artisinal mining continues at
Bisie. Production remains at pre-January levels and
continues to pass almost exclusively through Goma via light
aircraft. However, our contact, who has agents tracking the
cassiterite from mine to export, said purchasing houses in
Goma with close ties to Rwanda and formerly the RCD are now
buying up a larger percentage of the output. Noting that
last week a man came to Bisie from Rwanda to buy one week's
worth of output, our contact speculated that this may signal
the establishment of more direct Rwandan involvement in Bisie.
3. (C) FARDC General Amisi has long been involved in the
Bisie operation. Under Colonel Sammy, Amisi had two "agents"
permanently on the mine. They left when Sammy did, but our
MPC contact confirmed that they have now returned and that
Amisi (a Tutsi and former key member of the RCD) continues to
receive a cut of the profits. General Mayala and others have
also reportedly re-established their positions in the
operation.
Kabila's Reaction
--------------
4. (C) MPC representatives have met with President Kabila
and the Minister and Deputy Minister for Mines several times
since January. Over the years, MPC has reportedly passed
several dossiers to Kabila through high-level interlocutors,
detailing the illegal exploitation of Bisie by the FARDC.
According to our contact, Kabila, in a recent meeting,
claimed never to have seen any of the dossiers. On the
contrary, senior officials had in fact told the president
repeatedly that MPC had no intention of mining the
concession. When he heard MPC's case firsthand, Kabila was
apparently furious that his subordinates had withheld the MPC
dossiers from him. He immediately called Deputy Minister of
Mines Victor Kasongo (Note: Kasongo has arguably wielded
more influence at the ministry than many of the ministers for
whom he has worked. End Note),instructing Kasongo, in the
presence of MPC representatives, to ensure that the FARDC
leaves the Bisie mine so that MPC can take control. Kabila
assured MPC that the newly integrated CNDP forces would leave
Bisie by mid-June.
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Our contact's information about Colonels Manzi and
Hassan and the growing role of Rwandophone-linked purchasing
houses is a useful reminder that, in many ways, many
observers view the Rwandophone agenda as simply a return to
the days of the RCD, albeit in a more subtle form. In terms
of Kabila's role in the Bisie mine, our contact's overall
impression was that the president was grappling with forces
hostile to him in the Kivus and in Rwanda, and was slowly
trying to bring things under his control by, for example,
moving the newly integrated CNDP out of the Petit Nord. This
KINSHASA 00000462 002 OF 002
might suggest that Kabila was forced to concede influence in
the Petit Nord to Rwanda and CNDP under duress, and he is
perhaps now trying to roll back, or at least put a firm end
date on, some of the concessions he may have made.
GARVELINK