VZCZCXRO5110
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1775 3251334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211334Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5200
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001775 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Treasury for AMORGNER 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC PREL ETTC KPAO UNSC CG
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: EXECUTIVE ORDER BLOCKING PROPERTY OF 
INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTING TO CONFLICT IN D.R. CONGO 
 
¶1. (U) Media and public reaction was generally positive to the 
October 27 Executive Order blocking the assets of seven 
international arms traffickers and warlords, including renegade 
Congolese general Laurent Nkunda and Ignace Murwanashyaka, the 
president of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda 
(FDLR). The directive, made public on October 31, two days after 
presidential runoff elections in the DRC, was also welcomed by the 
DROC government. 
 
¶2. (U) The independent daily "La Reference Plus," November 2 
edition, commented that President George Bush wants to get 
personally involved in efforts to restore peace to the Congo. 
According to this paper, President Bush is committed to reducing 
drastically the room to maneuver of "people who have been fully 
involved in the chaos, unrest and wars that have plagued the Congo." 
 
 
¶3. (U) The pro-Kabila daily "L'Observateur," November 2 issue, 
regarded the White House order as being George Bush's resolve to 
neutralize those who are obstacles to peace efforts in the Great 
Lakes region, including the DRC, to end the plundering of the DRC's 
natural resources, and to stop trafficking in illicit arms in the 
region. The paper noted U.S. commitment to support the momentum 
toward peace and reconstruction in the DRC. 
 
¶4. (U) Dissenting commentary appeared in the pro-opposition daily 
"La Tempete des Tropiques," November 2 edition, which saw the order 
as being a subliminal message to President Kabila and Jean-Pierre 
Bemba, his challenger in the run-off presidential election, warning 
the eventual loser not to resort to violence to contest unfavorable 
election results. A cartoon published in the pro-opposition "Le 
Phare," November 2 issue, advocated a more inclusive spectrum of 
sanctions that would also affect economic criminals. 
 
¶5. (U) The Association Africaine de Defense des Droits de l'Homme 
(ASADHO), a Congolese rights group, was cited in the November 3 
edition of "La Reference-Plus" as depicting President Bush's 
decision as a strong and clear signal to all political leaders to 
avoid opposing the DRC peace process.  ASADHO also urged the 
international community to bring all criminal perpetrators to 
justice. 
 
¶6. (U) The pro-Kabila daily "L'Avenir," November 3 edition, called 
the directive a cosmetic decision meant to distract the Congolese 
people's attention from Laurent Nkunda's unhampered potential for 
destabilization. "L'Avenir" urged the USG to go further and include 
the dissident general in its list of most wanted international 
terrorists. The paper pointed out that the best way for the U.S. to 
neutralize Nkunda is to arrest, try and condemn him. 
 
¶7. (U) Henry Mova Sakanyi, the government spokesman and minister for 
press and information, was quoted by the Associated Press (and 
picked up by the "International Herald Tribune" on November 1) as 
welcoming the international community's increased recognition of its 
responsibility in ending the conflict in Eastern DRC.  He called on 
other foreign countries to follow the American example. 
 
¶8. (U) The Embassy answered inquiries on November 1 from Congolese 
radio stations Tropicana FM, Radio Okapi (Kinshasa and Goma), as 
well as the Associated Press. 
 
¶9. (U) On November 7, the Ambassador taped an interview with MONUC 
television on the Executive Order, the transcript of which also 
appeared on the MONUC website.  He described the Executive Order as 
being the USG's implementation of sanctions adopted against the 
seven individuals by the UN Security Council, which was the 
responsibility of all UN member states.  He stated further that the 
Executive Order should have a positive effect on the DRC's 
stability, which is its intention.  The Ambassador's remarks were 
reprinted in the November 8 issue of independent daily "Le 
Potential." 
 
¶10. (U) It is worth noting the reaction of the FDLR leadership, who 
publicly characterized the sanctions as being unjust and needless, 
claiming they are not implicated in arms trafficking and conflict in 
the Great Lakes region. Khawa Mandro, former president of the PUSIC 
militia and one of the seven targeted individuals serving a life 
sentence in northeastern Congo, denied having assets abroad. 
 
MEECE