EASTERN DRC NOTES - JULY 9

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000663 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG SUBJECT: EASTERN DRC NOTES - JULY 9 ¶1. (U) The information contained in this cable consists principally of spot reports from various sources. This cable is not exhaustive, nor can all the information contained therein be confirmed at this time. Security Situation - Haut Uele -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) elements attacked the village of Gamu (west of Dungu) on June 30, killing 12 people. ¶3. (SBU) MONUC transported 120 FARDC troops to Doruma near the Sudanese border on July 7. MONUC estimates 400 additional FARDC will deploy to the forward base, which is close to the areas where the LRA remains active. Further south, a MONUC Moroccan battalion (Morbat) will conduct reconnaissance at Dingala on July 9 in preparation for deployment in the near future. Security Situation - North Kivu -------------- ¶4. (SBU) North Kivu province has been calm following the June 30 Independence Day ceremony, with no reports of FDLR attacks and few reports of FARDC human rights violations. The FARDC leadership recently issued several pronouncements warning soldiers that they will be prosecuted for harming civilians. (Comment: The pronouncements follow the release of a Human Rights Watch July 2 report that was highly critical of the FARDC human rights record and a July 1 Human Rights Watch meeting with President Kabila. End comment). ¶5. (SBU) MONUC has condemned increasing cooperation between PARECO-Nande and the FDLR in the Kanyabayonga - Lubero region. The two groups have reportedly mounted at least one joint attack, and appear to be coordinating their movements. A report that the FDLR abducted dozens of villagers near Nyalima has not been confirmed. ¶6. (SBU) Elements of the CNDP anticipated that President Kabila would announce a cabinet reshuffle during his visit to Goma last week that would put former CNDP cadre into senior positions in the GDRC. The expected change did not occur and MONUC reports that CNDP troops took rapid action to show their displeasure by establishing at least three roadblocks on the Sake-Kirolirwe road axis. (Comment: Goma poloff will seek additional information to clarify if the CNDP move is a coordinated strategy and if it indicates a CNDP loss of faith in GDRC commitment to the March 23 Agreements. End comment). ¶7. (SBU) Many residents of Goma assumed infrastructure projects would halt after President Kabila's visit, but road repair is continuing, at least on main thoroughfares. The MONUC curfew, which was pushed forward to 2100 for the Presidential visit, has been pushed back to 2300. Security Situation - South Kivu -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Significant movements of FDLR were reported near the villages of Kabula and Mugombo, near Mwenga, but there were no reports of recent clashes in South Kivu. ¶9. (SBU) MONUC suspects significant parts of Zebuloni and Yakatumba Mai Mai are cooperating with the FDLR. At least three Mai Mai groups, including Kifuafua and Shikito, boycotted an integration conference in Bukavu this week as the official integration period winds down in South Kivu. ¶10. (SBU) Chief of Staff General Didier Etumba will reportedly launch Operation Kimia II in Nzabira, west of Walungu, in the coming week. (Comment: Officially, Kimia II was launched over two months ago, but the initial phases involved limited deployments to assume gradual control over communication and transport routes. Etumba apparently refers to the next phase in which the FARDC will begin military operations to increase pressure on the FDLR and dislodge them from strategic sites. End comment.) South Kivu DDRRR and Integration -------------- ¶11. (SBU) MONUC's DDRRR office reports a window of opportunity in South Kivu. DDRRR teams have deployed from the east to Kingalube (west of Walungu) to intercept FDLR troops that may be moving east to avoid a FARDC eastward advance from Shabunda. DDRRR contacts claim some of these FDLR troops, positioned in very remote parts of South Kivu, may not have been exposed to previous messaging approaches and may be open to repatriation. KINSHASA 00000663 002 OF 002 ¶12. (SBU) The Luberezi transition center remains overcrowded, still unconverted to a "brassage" center where troops can be formally trained and integrated into the FARDC. Mai Mai combatants who reported for integration at Luberizi are leaving the overcrowded center, often taking their weapons with them. The GDRC will reportedly approach donors for assistance with the conversion. Meanwhile, a new transition center was established on July 8 in Kingulube, on the Walungu - Shabunda axis. The Baraka transition center has also seen desertions. The Kimombo center has not yet been formally established and most FRF ("Forces Republicaines Federalistes" in French) of the Haut Plateau area do not appear willing to enter the process in any case. Human Rights Protection -------------- ¶13. (SBU) MONUC has established a Rapid Reaction Early Warning Cell (RREWC) to monitor and respond to threats to IDPs and vulnerable civilians. A new initiative, the RREWC is composed of members from several UN organizations in order to improve coordination, information sharing and response. ¶14. (SBU) MONUC is helping to spread GDRC and FARDC command messages that warned government troops that their primary duty is protection of civilians (see para.4),and that soldiers will be severely disciplined for human rights violations. Rather than hope that the messages will filter down through the FARDC ranks, MONUC is using Radio Okapi and hand-delivered letters to spread the word to FARDC units. MONUC sources say it is too early to judge the messages' effectiveness. GARVELINK