VZCZCXRO8017
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1740/01 3180915
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 140915Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5148
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001740 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ASEC CG KPKO CASC ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE QUELLED, BUT KINSHASA TENSELY AWAITING 
ELECTION RESULT ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Three hours of violence erupted in the 
Gombe district of central Kinshasa late in the morning on 
Saturday, November 11.  Most of the fighting occurred near 
the official residence of Vice President Bemba on Gombe's 
main thoroughfare, and near Bemba's private riverside 
residence.  Though there are several versions of what sparked 
the violence, what is clear is that both the Bemba and Kabila 
camps worked together quickly to diffuse a potentially 
explosive situation.  The Presidential Guard did not deploy, 
and police and military forces appear to have reacted with 
restraint.  Fighting ended by early afternoon, and 
representatives of the two candidates met with each other and 
with MONUC.  No new incidents have occurred, though Kinshasa 
remains on edge in anticipation of the announcement of 
provincial results of the presidential election.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Fighting broke out in the Gombe quarter of central 
Kinshasa late in the morning of Saturday, November 11. 
Dozens of street gang members (locally known as "shegues") 
and armed men in civilian clothes burned tires and blocked 
traffic in at least three locations, while others threw rocks 
at passing motorists on Gombe's 30 June Boulevard.  (Note: 
Rocks broke the rear windows of a vehicle being driven by one 
mission employee, as reported separately via DS channel.  The 
employee was not injured and immediately drove from the 
scene.  End note.)  In an attempt to disperse these 
demonstrators in front of Bemba's official residence on 30 
June Boulevard at around 1100, police fired shots in the air. 
 Interior Minister Kalume reported later that police had also 
used tear gas.  Armed men in civilian attire then fired at 
police, setting off sporadic exchanges of gunfire that lasted 
for almost three hours.  Shooting, punctuated by several 
booms from RPGs, occurred near Bemba's official residence, 
near his riverside private residence, and near the residence 
of Air Force Chief of Staff John Numbi (who apparently was 
not at home).  Per the Interior Minister, the fighting 
resulted in the deaths of three civilians and one security 
officer. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Bemba was in a meeting with the Belgian Ambassador 
at Bemba's private residence when the shooting broke out. 
Shortly thereafter, Bemba met with SRSG Swing and MONUC Force 
Commander Babacar Gaye.  President Kabila was in telephone 
contact with Bemba soon after the fighting began, as was 
Interior Minister Kalume.  Bemba made numerous calls to 
commanders of his militia in order to put a stop to the 
shooting.  Except for several scattered and smaller incidents 
later in the afternoon, fighting ended around 1245 and Swing 
and Gaye left Bemba's residence shortly thereafter.  An 
emergency meeting of the Working Group, which included 
representatives of both camps and Congolese security forces, 
took place at 1430.  Bemba claimed at the time and 
subsequently that the fighting was not initiated by his MLC, 
but rather by extreme elements not under his control. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) All fighting ended in Gombe by mid-afternoon and no 
new incidents have occurred since.  Importantly, there were 
no demonstrations nor any acts of violence in any other area 
of Kinshasa, where business continued as usual.  Even in 
Gombe, where many businesses closed and where there was 
little traffic over the weekend, activity quickly resumed.  A 
large National Day reception at the Angolan Ambassador's 
residence in Gombe took place as planned in the early evening 
of November 11 without incident.  (Note: On November 13, 
Kinshasa Governor Badonin Liwanga issued a statement that 
police had detained 337 "shegues" after the violence.  Most 
are being sent to rural training centers outside of Kinshasa. 
 End note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) AmCits were advised through the warden system to 
remain indoors during and after the fighting.  With the 
exception of the Mission employee whose vehicle was stoned 
(para 2), we are not aware of any AmCits who were directly 
caught up in any of the violence. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The International Committee to Accompany the 
Transition (CIAT) convened the afternoon of Sunday, November 
¶12.  MONUC forces are now permanently positioned at Bemba's 
official residence on 30 June Boulevard, and Bemba has 
indicated he will withdraw most of his militia from the 
vicinity.  Bemba also agreed to participate in "joint" 
military patrols in a traditional hotspot area around 30 June 
Boulevard with General Numbi's guards and with FARDC's 7th 
Integrated Brigade forces.  During a November 13 meeting with 
the Ambassador and Political Counselor (septel), Bemba 
 
KINSHASA 00001740  002 OF 002 
 
 
reiterated his determination to avoid any further violence in 
Kinshasa. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  The critical (and fortunate) difference 
between this flare-up and the violence of August 20-22 is 
that the two principals moved relatively quickly to contain 
the situation rather than to escalate it.  In August, both 
sides used their military forces to attack the other.  This 
time, the Presidential Guard was not deployed, and police and 
military forces did not overreact.  That said, there are 
clearly potential troublemakers within the broad coalition 
that Bemba assembled in the second round.  These elements may 
have been behind, or at least fanning the flames of, the 
problems on Saturday.  In an already tense environment, and 
with election results expected to be announced soon, the 
recent violence is a stark reminder that even a small spark 
has the potential to ignite trouble. 
MEECE