VZCZCXRO8341
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0739/01 2530841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090841Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8397
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0620
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000739 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS PHUM PREF KPKO CG
            UN, EUN 
SUBJECT:    Goma Report September 8:  Continued 
            Clashes, Extending South to Numbi 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Clashes occurred in yet another area September 
8, with CNDP occupying Numbi just across the provincial border in 
South Kivu.  North Kivu brigade fired on CNDP north of Nyanzale 
September 7, to keep CNDP elements from moving on Kikuku.  On the 
other hand, CNDP had withdrawn from Nyanzale and possibly Katsiru by 
the end of the day September 6.  Ministers of Interior and Defense 
visited Nyanzale September 7 and made statements there and in 
Rutshuru far more favorable to MONUC than in the government 
declaration of September 8.  The large IDP camp at Kibumba, north of 
Goma, staged a protest over lack of food delivery and stoned MONUC 
vehicles.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Over the past several days, the Rutshuru corridor has been 
quieter than during the week following August 28.  The exceptions 
were an exchange of fire and possible CNDP attack September 7 on 
FARDC at Rugarama, beyond the CNDP's area of control northeast of 
Rutshuru near the Ugandan border, and a major demonstration at the 
Kibumba camp September 8.  Kibumba is a large "informal" camp (not 
under UNCHR oversight) 20 kilometers north of Goma.  The IDP's there 
are angry that they have received no food distribution since April 
24 and directed their anger at the nearby MONUC base, stoning MONUC 
vehicles. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The CNDP push northward from Katsiru to Nyanzale was 
quickly defused by the North Kivu brigade September 6, with a show 
of force that persuaded the CNDP commander to withdraw.  However, on 
September 7 the North Kivu brigade encountered CNDP elements active 
north of Nyanzale, apparently on their way to Kikuku having skirted 
Nyanzale, and for the first time the North Kivu brigade did fire on 
CNDP and appeared to have prevented further northward movement by 
CNDP, although an eruption of firing was detected even north of 
Kikuku on September 8.  North Kivu brigade believes that CNDP has 
largely evacuated Katsiru, the village taken on September 5, with 
the proviso that CNDP seem to be at large throughout the area. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Activity moved to a new zone September 8, with the 
apparent occupation by CNDP of the village of Numbi across the 
provincial border in South Kivu.  MONUC believes that, as occurred 
in Nyanzale, the FARDC withdrew from Numbi before the arrival of the 
CNDP.  The South Kivu brigade has no standing presence in Numbi, in 
contrast to Nyanzale, but has sent an attack helicopter to overfly 
the area.  Thus far, MONUC sources have no information on activity 
by PARECO in the area. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Minister of Interior Kalume and Minister of Defense Chikez 
visited North Kivu September 6 and 7 (National Assembly President 
Kamerhe was also present in Goma but was not to be seen).  Kalume 
and Chikez summoned the facilitation team to a singular performance 
at 8th military region headquarters on the evening of September 6. 
What was billed as an exchange of views with the facilitation team 
turned out to be a good-cop bad-cop long-winded monologue by the two 
ministers, whose core message was that if MONUC did not use its 
resources to defeat CNDP the government would not be able to prevent 
the masses, including in Goma, from rising up violently against 
MONUC. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On September 7, the ministers led a delegation (largely 
FARDC but including facilitation members Alpha Sow and Jean-Michel 
Dumont) by MONUC helicopter to Nyanzale and to Rutshuru.  According 
to Sow and Dumont, the delegation seemed to believe the town would 
be largely deserted, but there was a large turnout of the populace, 
which apparently had fled only a short distance when CNDP arrived 
but quickly returned.  The populace expressed distrust of MONUC and 
were pleased to have both CNDP and FARDC out of the town.  However, 
the North Kivu brigade's undertaking with FARDC is that it will have 
to stay away from Nyanzale only four days.  Chief of Staff Kayembe, 
speaking to Dumont, revealed that he had no apparent idea where 
FARDC's 7th brigade (headquartered at Nyanzale) had disappeared to, 
when it fled before the small elements of CNDP who briefly occupied 
the town.  The prevailing concept among members of the delegation 
was that the 7th brigade had fled on account of treason by one of 
its officers who had connections RCD head Ruberwa.  Meanwhile, 
Congolese radio on September 7 praised what it called the great 
FARDC victory in expelling CNDP from Nyanzale. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Ministers, both at Nyanzale and Rutshuru, played a 
more positive role than was to be expected from their monologue 
September 6.  They called on the populace to cooperate with MONUC, 
in particular, desist from blocking roads and throwing stones.  At 
Rutshuru, the territorial administrator (a well-known firebrand and 
instigator of the populace) openly said, in the presence of the 
ministers, that he did not believe in Amani, that CNDP was bent on 
"killing the people like pigs" and on attaching Rutshuru territory 
 
KINSHASA 00000739  002 OF 002 
 
 
to Rwanda.  The ministers departed Goma on the evening of September 
¶7.  On September 8 the Minister of Interior issued a declaration 
effectively calling on MONUC to wage war against the CNDP as the 
only way to assuage the anger of the populace. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) After the delegation left Nyanzale, a North Kivu supply 
convoy, attempting to resupply the much-reinforced North Kivu base 
at Nyanzale, was blocked by the local populace at Kisheshe on the 
road from the north.  FARDC elements were present in the crowd and 
fired shots (unsuccessfully) at truck tires. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Alpha Sow briefed the facilitation team September 8 on a 
telephone conversation that SRSG Doss had with Nkunda September 6. 
Nkunda was, according to Sow, angry at MONUC because of the "ill 
treatment" which CNDP had received at Nyanzale, viz., the threat of 
use of force if CNDP did not withdraw and the refusal to allow CNDP 
to make off with FARDC guns and ammunition.  (Note:  North Kivu 
assesses that FARDC had left behind little materiel in Nayanzale, 
while CNDP captured 170 AK-47s and 10 mortars at Katsiru.)  Doss 
assured Nkunda that Amani, which technically expired August 2, would 
soon be officially prolonged.  Nkunda dismissed Amani and sought 
another forum, which Doss told him would be completely unacceptable. 
 Nkunda complained of the presence of the 14th brigade, newly 
arrived at Sake. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Meanwhile, there has been no progress on the core issue 
that has stoked tensions since August 28, i.e., the occupation by 
both FARDC and CNDP of positions in the Rutshuru informal buffer 
zone east of the Goma-Rutshuru highway (respectively, Ntamugenga and 
Mutabo by FARDC, and Kanombe by CNDP).  The visiting ministers told 
Sow that withdrawal from Ntamugenga and Mutabo was "politically 
impossible" for the government (although General Etumba continues to 
say that the FARDC "can withdraw"), while CNDP has adamantly refused 
to discuss the issue except at Kimoka or abroad (unacceptable to the 
government).  Meanwhile, the government is planning to hold the next 
Steering Committee meeting of the Joint Technical Commission at 
Bukavu September 12-13, at which CNDP will almost certainly not be 
present.  The facilitation team September 8 decided that further 
pressuring of FARDC or CNDP, for example with the idea of talks at 
MONUC-controlled air terminal in Goma, would for the time being be 
unproductive.  UK officer Tom Pravda and poloff urged Eastern 
Division Chief of Staff Col. Cunliffe to press for purely military 
contact with CNDP and FARDC with the object of a mutual withdrawal 
from the three sites in the buffer zone. 
 
GARVELINK