VZCZCXRO3830
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0663/01 1910632
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 100632Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9890
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 000663 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: EASTERN DRC NOTES - JULY 9 
 
¶1.  (U) The information contained in this cable consists principally 
of spot reports from various sources.  This cable is not exhaustive, 
nor can all the information contained therein be confirmed at this 
time. 
 
Security Situation - Haut Uele 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) elements attacked the village 
of Gamu (west of Dungu) on June 30, killing 12 people. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) MONUC transported 120 FARDC troops to Doruma near the 
Sudanese border on July 7.  MONUC estimates 400 additional FARDC 
will deploy to the forward base, which is close to the areas where 
the LRA remains active.  Further south, a MONUC Moroccan battalion 
(Morbat) will conduct reconnaissance at Dingala on July 9 in 
preparation for deployment in the near future. 
 
Security Situation - North Kivu 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) North Kivu province has been calm following the June 30 
Independence Day ceremony, with no reports of FDLR attacks and few 
reports of FARDC human rights violations.  The FARDC leadership 
recently issued several pronouncements warning soldiers that they 
will be prosecuted for harming civilians.  (Comment: The 
pronouncements follow the release of a Human Rights Watch July 2 
report that was highly critical of the FARDC human rights record and 
a July 1 Human Rights Watch meeting with President Kabila.  End 
comment). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) MONUC has condemned increasing cooperation between 
PARECO-Nande and the FDLR in the Kanyabayonga - Lubero region.  The 
two groups have reportedly mounted at least one joint attack, and 
appear to be coordinating their movements.  A report that the FDLR 
abducted dozens of villagers near Nyalima has not been confirmed. 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Elements of the CNDP anticipated that President Kabila 
would announce a cabinet reshuffle during his visit to Goma last 
week that would put former CNDP cadre into senior positions in the 
GDRC.  The expected change did not occur and MONUC reports that CNDP 
troops took rapid action to show their displeasure by establishing 
at least three roadblocks on the Sake-Kirolirwe road axis. (Comment: 
 Goma poloff will seek additional information to clarify if the CNDP 
move is a coordinated strategy and if it indicates a CNDP loss of 
faith in GDRC commitment to the March 23 Agreements.  End comment). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Many residents of Goma assumed infrastructure projects 
would halt after President Kabila's visit, but road repair is 
continuing, at least on main thoroughfares.  The MONUC curfew, which 
was pushed forward to 2100 for the Presidential visit, has been 
pushed back to 2300. 
 
Security Situation - South Kivu 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Significant movements of FDLR were reported near the 
villages of Kabula and Mugombo, near Mwenga, but there were no 
reports of recent clashes in South Kivu. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) MONUC suspects significant parts of Zebuloni and Yakatumba 
Mai Mai are cooperating with the FDLR.  At least three Mai Mai 
groups, including Kifuafua and Shikito, boycotted an integration 
conference in Bukavu this week as the official integration period 
winds down in South Kivu. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Chief of Staff General Didier Etumba will reportedly 
launch Operation Kimia II in Nzabira, west of Walungu, in the coming 
week.  (Comment: Officially, Kimia II was launched over two months 
ago, but the initial phases involved limited deployments to assume 
gradual control over communication and transport routes.  Etumba 
apparently refers to the next phase in which the FARDC will begin 
military operations to increase pressure on the FDLR and dislodge 
them from strategic sites.  End comment.) 
 
South Kivu DDRRR and Integration 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) MONUC's DDRRR office reports a window of opportunity in 
South Kivu.  DDRRR teams have deployed from the east to Kingalube 
(west of Walungu) to intercept FDLR troops that may be moving east 
to avoid a FARDC eastward advance from Shabunda.  DDRRR contacts 
claim some of these FDLR troops, positioned in very remote parts of 
South Kivu, may not have been exposed to previous messaging 
approaches and may be open to repatriation. 
 
KINSHASA 00000663  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶12.  (SBU) The Luberezi transition center remains overcrowded, still 
unconverted to a "brassage" center where troops can be formally 
trained and integrated into the FARDC.  Mai Mai combatants who 
reported for integration at Luberizi are leaving the overcrowded 
center, often taking their weapons with them.  The GDRC will 
reportedly approach donors for assistance with the conversion. 
Meanwhile, a new transition center was established on July 8 in 
Kingulube, on the Walungu - Shabunda axis.   The Baraka transition 
center has also seen desertions.  The Kimombo center has not yet 
been formally established and most FRF ("Forces Republicaines 
Federalistes" in French) of the Haut Plateau area do not appear 
willing to enter the process in any case. 
 
Human Rights Protection 
----------------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) MONUC has established a Rapid Reaction Early Warning Cell 
(RREWC) to monitor and respond to threats to IDPs and vulnerable 
civilians.  A new initiative, the RREWC is composed of members from 
several UN organizations in order to improve coordination, 
information sharing and response. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) MONUC is helping to spread GDRC and FARDC command 
messages that warned government troops that their primary duty is 
protection of civilians (see para.4), and that soldiers will be 
severely disciplined for human rights violations.  Rather than hope 
that the messages will filter down through the FARDC ranks, MONUC is 
using Radio Okapi and hand-delivered letters to spread the word to 
FARDC units.  MONUC sources say it is too early to judge the 
messages' effectiveness. 
 
GARVELINK