VZCZCXRO6117
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #1165/01 3641514
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291514Z DEC 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8973
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: CNDP CLAIMS NO INTENTION TO ATTACK GOMA 
 
KINSHASA 00001165  001.5 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  CNDP Spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa issued a press statement on 
December 25, declaring the CNDP's intention to refrain from 
attacking Goma in light of political progress in negotiations with 
the GDRC.  The statement also warns that advances by government 
forces could jeopardize the CNDP's October 29 unilateral ceasefire. 
The statement appeals to MONUC to pressure government forces to 
vacate former CNDP-controlled areas to lower the risk of 
confrontation.  Unofficial embassy translation follows.  Original 
French is at paragraph 3. 
 
¶2. Begin unofficial translation of CNDP press statement: 
 
National Congress for the Defense of the People 
 
Press Statement by the Movement 
 
Following the press reports issued by a press service working to 
increase the distress of our compatriots regarding alleged 
preparations by CNDP troops for the fall of the city of Goma during 
the year-end festivities, the CNDP's political directorate informs 
public opinion, both domestic and international, and specifically 
our compatriots living in the city of Goma, that it will not 
undertake any military initiative that could undermine serenity and 
peace in the city, particularly at this moment when a political, 
rather than a military, solution seems to be prevailing, despite our 
adversary's reticence. 
 
The CNDP's political directorate recalls that on October 29 of this 
year it decreed a unilateral ceasefire just as the city of Goma was 
fully within its reach.  Our movement's troops had been instructed 
to carry out a unilateral withdrawal of approximately 12 kilometers 
along the Goma-Kibati axis, not only to avoid panicking the city's 
population but also to reaffirm its commitment to a negotiated 
resolution of the crisis.  Even now the political directorate of our 
movement remains committed to these principles and asks the 
population of Goma to stay calm and go about its business. 
 
Our movement asks MONUC to exercise necessary and sufficient 
pressure on the government coalition's troops for the purpose of 
taking them from areas that have been vacated by the CNDP and thus 
avoid any possibility of confrontation between troops.  It goes 
without saying that the government coalition's troops have advanced 
along different axes evacuated by our movement with the intention of 
taking control of CNDP areas.  Such initiatives could compromise the 
precarious calm that has been observed until today. 
 
The movement's political directorate avails itself of this 
opportunity to present its best wishes to all our compatriots, to 
whom it recommends meditation and sustained prayer for a lasting 
peace in the east of the country in particular and in the Democratic 
Republic of the Congo in general. 
 
Bizwa, December 24, 2008 
 
For the political directorate of the CNDP, 
the Chairman, Laurent Nkunda Mihigo 
Major General 
 
End unofficial translation of CNDP statement 
 
¶3.  Begin original French version of CNDP statement: 
 
CONGRES NATIONAL POUR LA DEFENSE DU PEUPLE 
 
COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE DU MOUVEMENT 
 
CONSECUTIVEMENT AUX INFORMATIONS DIFFUSEES A TRAVERS UNE CERTAINE 
PRESSE PAR LES FAISEURS DU MALHEUR DE NOS COMPATRIOTES SUR LES 
PRETENDUS PREPARATIFS DE LA CHUTE DE LA VILLE DE GOMA PAR LES 
TROUPES DU CNDP PENDANT LES FESTIVITES DE FIN D'ANNEE, LA DIRECTION 
POLITIQUE DU CNDP INFORME L'OPINION TANT NATIONALE QU'INTERNATIONALE 
ET PLUS PARTICULIEREMENT NOS COMPATRIOTES HABITANTS LA 
VILLE DE GOMA QU'ELLE NE PRENDRA AUCUNEMENT L'INITIATIVE DE LA 
GUERRE SUSCEPTIBLE DE PERTURBER LA QUIETUDE ET LA SERENITE DANS LA 
VILLE, SURTOUT EN CE MOMENT OU LA SOLUTION POLITIQUE SEMBLE 
L'EMPORTER SUR CELLE MILITAIRE, EN DEPIT DES RETISSANCES DE LA 
PARTIE ADVERSE. 
 
LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU CNDP RAPPELLE QU'ELLE A, EN DATE DU 29 
OCTOBRE DE L'ANNEE EN COURS DECRETE UN CESSEZ-LE-FEU UNILATERAL 
ALORS QUE LA VILLE DE GOMA ETAIT PLEINEMENT A SA PORTEE. LES TROUPES 
DE NOTRE MOUVEMENT AVAIENT ETE INSTRUITES D'OPERER UN RETRAIT 
UNILATERAL DE 12 KM SUR L'AXE GOMA-KIBATI POUR NON SEULEMENT EVITER 
DE PANIQUER LA POPULATION DE LA VILLE MAIS AUSSI 
REAFFIRMER SON ATTACHEMENT A UNE ISSUE NEGOCIER DE LA CRISE. 
AUJOURD'HUI ENCORE, LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DE NOTRE MOUVEMENT RESTE 
ATTACHE A CES PRINCIPES ET PRIE LA POPULATION DE GOMA DE GARDER LEUR 
 
KINSHASA 00001165  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
TRANQUILLITE ET DE VAQUER PAISIBLEMENT A LEURS OCCUPATIONS. 
 
A LA MONUC, NOTRE MOUVEMENT DEMANDE D'EXERCER UNE PRESSION 
NECESSAIRE ET SUFFISANTE SUR LES TROUPES DE LA COALITION 
GOUVERNEMENTALE EN VUE DE LES AMENER A SE RETIRER DES ZONES 
DESENGAGEES PAR LE CNDP ET ECARTER AINSI TOUTE POSSIBILITE DE 
CONFRONTATION DES TROUPES. IL VA S'EN DIRE QUE LES TROUPES DE LA 
COALITION GOUVERNEMENTALE ONT AVANCE SUR DIFFERENTS AXES DESENGAGES 
PAR NOTRE MOUVEMENT DANS L'INTENTION DE PRENDRE LE CONTROLE DES 
ESPACES CNDP. DES TELLES INITIATIVES RISQUERAIENT DE COMPROMETTRE LE 
CALME PRECAIRE OBSERVE JUSQU'A CE JOUR. 
 
LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU MOUVEMENT PROFITE DE CETTE OCCASION POUR 
PRESENTER SES VOEUX LES 
MEILLEURS A TOUS NOS COMPATRIOTES AUXQUELS ELLE RECOMMANDE LA 
MEDITATION, LA PRIERE SOUTENUE 
EN FAVEUR D'UNE PAIX DURABLE A L'EST DU PAYS EN PARTICULIER ET EN 
REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU 
CONGO EN GENERAL. 
 
FAIT A BWIZA, LE 24 DECEMBRE 2008 
 
POUR LA DIRECTION POLITIQUE DU CNDP 
LE CHAIRMAN LAURENT NKUNDA MIHIGO 
GENERAL MAJOR 
 
End original French version of CNDP statement 
 
GARVELINK