US embassy cable - 00KINSHASA8381

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: KABILA'S "SELF-DEFENSE FORCES" 
 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA '99 
     B. 8034 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF JONATHAN PRATT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
 
1. (U) IN A MOVE THAT MAKES KINSHASA RESIDENTS NERVOUS, 
PRESIDENT KABILA HAS APPARENTLY DECIDED TO REVIVE THE 
"PEOPLE'S SELF-DEFENSE FORCES" (FAP), THE ARMED WING OF THE 
PEOPLE'S POWER COMMITTEES (CPP).  KABILA FIRST AIRED THE IDEA 
OF ARMING NEIGHBORHOOD MILITIAS ONE YEAR AGO (REFTEL), BUT 
HAS NOT FOLLOWED UP ON HIS IDEA UNTIL NOW.  HOWEVER, DURING A 
PUBLIC CEREMONY ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14 AT NDJILI AIRPORT, 
VICE-GOVERNOR OF KINSHASA CHRISTOPHE MUZUNGU ANNOUNCED THAT 
PRESIDENT KABILA HAD TASKED HIM WITH REVIVING THE FAP. 
KABILA'S MILITARY ADVISOR, EDDY KAPEND, WAS ON HAND FOR THE 
CEREMONY.  THE VICE-GOVERNOR TOLD THE CPP-ORGANIZED CROWD 
THAT PRESIDENT KABILA, IN REVIVING THE FAP, WAS DRAWING ON 
THE EXAMPLE OF VIETNAM "WHERE DURING THE WAR EVEN OLD PEOPLE 
HAD TO BEAR ARMS."  FOLLOWING MUZUNGU'S SPEECH, THE LEADER OF 
NDJILI'S CPP REPORTEDLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD SPENT TWO 
MONTHS TRAINING THE NDJILI FAP AND THAT "THEY WERE READY TO 
RECEIVE THEIR WEAPONS." 
 
 
2. (U) IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS SINCE THE CEREMONY AT NDJILI, 
MUZUNGU HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING ALL KINSHASA RESIDENTS TO 
REGISTER WITH THE FAP OUT OF "PATRIOTIC DUTY."  AT CPP/FAP 
RALLY IN KINSHASA ON SUNDAY, MUZUNGU REPORTEDLY ANNOUNCED 
THAT 120,000 RECRUITS HAD ALREADY ENROLLED. 
 
 
3. (U) GIVEN THE TIMING OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (RIGHT ON THE 
HEELS OF THE SIX-MONTH MONUC EXTENSION), SOME OBSERVERS HAVE 
SPECULATED THAT KABILA'S REASON FOR ARMING THE FAC IS TO 
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SECURITY FORCES IN KINSHASA PRIOR TO A 
LARGER UN DEPLOYMENT.  VICE-GOVERNOR MUZUNGU DENIED THIS 
CLAIM IN A PUBLISHED INTERVIEW ON DECEMBER 18 WITH 
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER "LA REFERENCE PLUS", EXPLAINING THAT 
THE PRIMARY REASON FOR ARMING THE FAP WOULD BE TO COUNTER THE 
RECENT INCREASE IN ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS BY SOLDIERS AND 
POLICE.  IN RESPONSE TO THE WIDELY-HELD BELIEF THAT ARMING 
THE FAP WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF WORSENING RATHER THAN 
IMPROVING THE SECURITY SITUATION IN KINSHASA, MUZUNGU ASSURED 
"LA REFERENCE PLUS" READERS THAT THE FAP WOULD BE VERY WELL 
TRAINED AND HIGHLY ORGANIZED. 
 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: KABILA'S PLAN TO ARM THE FAP MAY FIZZLE THIS 
YEAR, JUST AS IT DID LAST YEAR.  THERE ARE ALREADY NUMEROUS 
ARMED SERVICES IN KINSHASA, WITH SEVERAL TYPES OF POLICE AND 
MILITARY FORCES ROAMING THE STREETS.  MOREOVER, IT IS 
DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT EVEN PRESIDENT KABILA WOULD GIVE 
WEAPONS TO PLAIN-CLOTHED CIVILIANS WITH AN AMBIGUOUS MANDATE. 
 THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FAP CAN MOST LIKELY BE VIEWED AS A 
PR MOVE INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE RESPONSIVENESS TO THE 
INCREASE IN ATTACKS BY SOLDIERS AGAINST CIVILIANS. 
 
 
5. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: IF KABILA DOES GO THROUGH WITH 
PLANS TO ARM THE FAP, KINSHASA RESIDENTS WILL NO DOUBT 
WITNESS JURISDICTIONAL BATTLES BETWEEN THE NEWLY-ARMED 
CIVILIANS AND THE POLICE.  AT THE END OF THE DAY, ANOTHER 
"SECURITY SERVICE" WON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF NON-PAYMENT OF 
SALARIES AND THE DISASTROUS ECONOMIC SITUATION IN KINSHASA. 
END COMMENT. 
SWING