VZCZCXRO9350
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0272 0791504
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 191504Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7695
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 KINSHASA 000272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018 
TAGS: PGOV ASEC SOCY PHUM MOPS CG AO CF
SUBJECT: BAS-CONGO UPDATE: CONGOLESE POLICE CONTINUE 
OPERATIONS AGAINST BDK MILITANTS IN BAS-CONGO 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 218 
     ¶B. KINSHASA 243 
 
Classified By: A/DCM D. Brown for reasons 1.4 (b&d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  MONUC continues to receive reports of 
violence involving Congolese police forces and members of the 
politico-religious movement Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) in 
Bas-Congo province in the aftermath of the initial operation 
in February 28 (ref A).  MONUC's information indicates police 
continue to deploy to and move through the province in 
pursuit of BDK militants.  It is now reluctant to provide an 
overall estimate of casualties, but has a second mission 
currently on the ground to assess the situation.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. (C) SRSG Alan Doss, Acting Force Commander General Bikram 
Singh and other MONUC officials briefed P3 2 ambassadors at 
MONUC headquarters March 17 on the latest developments in 
Bas-Congo. These included several recent incidents which 
MONUC has been able to verify.  On March 14, the police 
destroyed 23 houses in Muanda whose residents were suspected 
of BDK connections.  On the same day, MONUC discovered a mass 
grave in Luozi containing 14 bodies.  On March 11, a MONUC 
military observation team found two bodies in a river in 
Bandakani. (Note: throwing bodies in a river has been a 
practice of Congolese security forces to conceal evidence in 
previous clashes with BDK.  End note.)  At the same time, 
additional Congolese police continue to deploy to the region, 
with the UN reporting 650 reinforcements in Seke Banza. 
 
¶3. (U) Separately, Radio Okapi reported March 14 that police 
beat two people to death in Kisantu on the suspicion of 
belonging to the BDK.  The same report noted that BDK 
militants had kidnapped a police officer in the town, which 
led to a firefight resulting in two deaths and two officers 
seriously wounded. 
 
¶4. (C) In the course of the briefing, Doss cited a recent BBC 
story based on a leaked MONUC report claiming that at least 
68 people have been killed, dozens wounded, and that more 
than 300 BDK members had gone missing since the beginning of 
operations.  Reuters also filed a story based on the same 
information.  Doss underscored that the report was in fact a 
rough draft and that there is still no consensus within MONUC 
as to the precise number of casualties. However, MONUC 
analysts told us previously that they suspected at least 60 
people had died since the beginning of the operation (ref B), 
and a list of reported deaths presented by MONUC in the 
previous week's P3 2 briefing closely approximated that 
number. 
 
¶5. (C) Doss emphasized that MONUC does not question the need 
for the central government to re-establish authority in 
Bas-Congo, nor does it support BDK's territorial claims to 
areas of the medieval Kongo kingdom.  At the same time, he 
said he has cautioned the government that excessive use of 
force risks pushing the BDK underground.  He said President 
Kabila and Minister of the Interior Denis Kalume are 
concerned that the situation not deteriorate into a parallel 
image of the crises in eastern Congo.  The president of the 
provincial assembly, who is not a member of the governing AMP 
coalition, has requested an end to police operations and the 
withdrawal of reinforcements. 
 
¶6. (C) Doss noted that MONUC has only approximately 200 
personnel in Bas-Congo and little capacity to expand those 
numbers, given its large commitments in the east.  Even this 
small number has, however, displeased Governor Simon Mbatshi. 
 Doss suggested the idea of joint MONUC-Congolese police 
patrols to Kalume, but did not indicate if Kalume was 
receptive to this offer.  It is not clear, however, to what 
extent Police Inspector General John Numbi has pushed aside 
Kalume in taking charge of the current operation. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment:  Doss stressed that the area in question, 
north of the provincial capital of Matadi, is difficult to 
access.  MONUC currently has an investigative mission on the 
ground, following the return of its humanitarian team last 
week, and their reports should provide the first independent 
verification of the many claims made against police and BDK 
militants in the area.  End comment. 
GARVELINK