VZCZCXRO8643
PP RUEHBZ RUEHGI
DE RUEHGI #0034/01 0390758
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 080758Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1154
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0027
RHMFISS/AFRICOM
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE 0279
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0380
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0393
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0292
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0235
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0581
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0579
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA 0004
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0208
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0559
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1465

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000034 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C 
USUN FOR DMUERS 
PARIS FOR RKANEDA 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL 
INR FOR JPEKKINEN 
DRL FOR SCRAMPTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT
SUBJECT: CAR: FORMER MINISTER AND CURRENT MILITA LEADER LIKELY 
MURDERED 
 
REF: A. A- 09 BANGUI 203 
     ¶B. B- 09 BANGUI 273 
     ¶C. C- 10 BANGUI 29 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Charles Massi, a four-time former minister and 
political head of the Patriotic Convention for Justice and Peace 
(CPJP) militia group (Ref A), is widely presumed murdered after 
Chadian forces arrested him and turned him over to Central 
African authorities in December 2009. While few in the Central 
African Republic (CAR) mourn his passing, some in the country 
worry his killing may signal a return to the political violence 
of regimes past. Furthermore, the possible summary execution of 
a political figure, albeit a disgraced one representing forces 
in active conflict with the CARG, could be seen as  a message 
from Bozize that his patience for negotiation with the myriad 
armed groups in the CAR has run out.  Post will closely monitor 
the fallout among the opposition and watch for any signs that 
this may become a pattern by the regime. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The death of former minister and CPJP representative 
Charles Massi remains shrouded in mystery. Yet increasingly, 
credible sources with insider knowledge report in vivid detail 
the people involved in the turnover of the former minister to 
Central African authorities and his alleged murder shortly 
thereafter. According to one source, President Deby of Chad 
turned over Massi to Bozize's forces during an end of the year 
visit by the CAR president to Chad. Reportedly, Bozize assured 
Deby that he had nothing personally against Massi and that they 
shared a strong bond stemming from membership in the same Free 
Mason Lodge. Very shortly after taking custody of Massi, 
however, Central African military personnel allegedly tortured 
and killed him. The ``Lettre du Continent'' has published such a 
report. 
 
¶3. (SBU) A very well informed western contact in Bangui believes 
Massi was summarily executed by the Presidential Guard (GP) 
shortly after being turned over by the Chadians in retaliation 
for the killing of a prominent Gbaya military officer during the 
CPJP's November 2009 attack on Ndele (Ref B).  (Note: President 
Bozize and a large number of the GP are closely-related members 
of the Gbaya ethnic group.  End Note.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On January 30, Bozize convoked the Central African 
political class and diplomatic corps to discuss the elections 
and broached the subject of Massi (Ref C). After listening to 
the charges against him, Bozize gave a cryptic non-answer about 
Massi's fate. He questioned why people were so concerned about a 
man who was in open rebellion against the government and why 
there was not a similar outcry when Massi's militia killed 
Central African soldiers. Bozize stated that Massi knew full 
well that issues are ``settled with Kalashnikovs'' during such 
affairs.  A January 20 press release by the Ministry of Defense 
was more vehement in its denial of complicity, belittling the 
claims of government responsibility as an ``intoxication 
campaign'' aimed at destabilizing the DDR process and the 
government in general. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The opposition is trying to use the Massi affair to tar 
Bozize as an oppressive despot. The newspapers carry constant 
updates about rumors and allegations and his fate is widely 
discussed within political circles in Bangui. Yet, as is so 
often the case in the CAR, the opposition has not been able to 
marshal the anger over Massi's killing into action. Their 
disunity - coupled with the ambivalence by the average Central 
African, who sees Massi as merely another politician who played 
with fire - means that though there have been wide discussions 
about the man, no popular action has been taken to demand 
accountability from the government. 
 
 
BANGUI 00000034  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Disappearances were common place during 
President/Emperor Bokassa's time (1966-79) and briefly 
resurfaced after the coup attempts against President Kolingba in 
1982 and President Patasse in 2001 (Comment: Bozize, who was 
Chief of Staff of the Army under Patasse, is implicated in 
ordering the killing of several anti-Kolingba rebels in Kembe 
prefecture in 1999. End Comment). Bozize is thought to have 
liquidated a small, select group of Patasse sympathizers after 
his 2003 coup, but this was targeted and short in duration. 
Since that time, abductions and murder without due process have 
been very rare; and nonexistent for prominent political figures. 
 
¶7. (SBU) It is unclear if Massi was killed under direct orders 
from the President, or if the assassination was endorsed after 
the fact.  Regardless of Bozize's direct or indirect implication 
in the killing of Massi, the opposition, and indeed some figures 
closer to the President, worry the killing may be the start of a 
policy of intimidation. During his New Years address to the 
nation in Sango (not included in the French version) he did warn 
he would ``carve up'' all those who opposed him, and has indeed 
pursued a policy of confrontation with the armed groups, such as 
the CPJP, that remain outside of the DDR process. It is 
currently unclear if the apparent extra-judicial killing of 
Massi was an anomaly or the beginning of an unfortunate trend. 
END COMMENT. 
COOK