US embassy cable - 00KINSHASA8505

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 008505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: IS MASASU DEAD OR ALIVE? 
 
 
REF: KINSHASA 7411 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLOFF JONATHAN PRATT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B/D). 
 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: EVER SINCE "COMMANDANT" ANSELME MASASU'S 
ARREST OCTOBER 31, THERE HAS BEEN CONSTANT SPECULATION AS TO 
HIS HEALTH AND WHEREABOUTS.  THE RUMOR MILL PEAKED RECENTLY 
WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO "ASADHO" PUBLISHED A REPORT 
ALLEGING THAT MASASU, ALONG WITH FAC FOLLOWERS FROM THE 
KIVUS, HAD BEEN TRIED, SENTENCED TO DEATH, AND EXECUTED NEAR 
PWETO IN KATANGA.  FOR ITS PART, THE GDRC CLAIMS THAT MASASU 
IS ALIVE AND AWAITING TRIAL.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
2. (U) FOLLOWING HIS ARREST OCTOBER 31 FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING 
A COUP AGAINST PRESIDENT KABILA (REFTEL), MASASU SPENT AT 
LEAST THREE WEEKS IN UNDISCLOSED GDRC DETENTION CENTERS. 
HUMAN RIGHTS NGO ASADHO RECENTLY PUBLISHED A REPORT ALLEGING 
THAT MASASU WAS DEAD.  THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN EUROPE AND 
DIFFICULT TO TRACK DOWN IN KINSHASA, CLAIMS THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT FLEW MASASU AND HIS FAC COLLABORATORS TO 
LUBUMBASHI AND ON TO PWETO THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 21-22.  THE 
REPORT FURTHER CLAIMS THAT THE FAC EXECUTED MASASU AND HIS 
COLLEAGUES ON THE 24TH OF NOVEMBER, AND ALLEGES THAT HUNDREDS 
OF OTHER FAC SOLDIERS, ALL FROM THE KIVUS AND SUSPECTED OF 
COLLABORATING WITH MASASU, HAVE BEEN EXECUTED HERE IN 
KINSHASA. 
 
 
3. (C) JEAN MARIE RUSIMBUKA OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE IN 
KINSHASA ADDED SOME DETAIL TO THE STORY BASED ON HIS 
DISCUSSIONS WITH MASASU'S CONTACTS IN KINSHASA AND 
BRAZZAVILLE.  THESE CONTACTS CLAIM THAT MASASU WAS SPOTTED, 
BOUND, AT THE LUBUMBASHI AIRPORT AT 3 A.M. ON THE MORNING OF 
NOVEMBER 22ND.  ONE CONTACT OF RUSIMBUKA'S, REPORTEDLY A 
CLOSE COLLEAGUE OF MASASU'S KNOWN AS COMMANDANT BORA 
KAMWANYA, CLAIMS THAT THE FAC TOOK MASASU TO A MILITARY CAMP 
TWENTY FIVE KILOMETERS OUTSIDE OF PWETO.  ACCORDING TO 
RUSIMBUKA'S CONTACTS, A MILITARY COURT JUDGE KNOWN AS 
COMMANDANT ALAMBA DECLARED MASASU GUILTY OF TREASON ON 
NOVEMBER 23 AND CONDEMNED HIM TO DEATH ALONG WITH 35 ALLEGED 
MASASU FOLLOWERS.  THIS STORY PARALLELS THE ASADHO REPORT IN 
CLAIMING THAT THE FAC EXECUTED MASASU AND THE KIVUSIAN 
SOLDIERS ON NOVEMBER 24TH. 
 
 
4. (U) THE FAC GENERAL HEADQUARTERS BROADCAST A PRESS RELEASE 
DECEMBER 16 CLAIMING THAT THE ASADHO REPORT WAS FALSE AND 
THAT MASASU WAS ALIVE AND AWAITING TRIAL.  HOWEVER, THE FAC 
HAS NOT ALLOWED ANYONE TO SEE MASASU. 
 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: THE ASADHO REPORT HAS PUT PRESSURE ON THE 
GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE MASASU'S BODY, DEAD OR ALIVE.  HOWEVER, 
AS THE GOVERNMENT IS APPARENTLY CONVINCED THAT MASASU WAS 
PLOTTING A COUP, AND IS EAGER TO CRACK DOWN ON PERCEIVED 
COLLABORATORS, NO ONE HERE IN KINSHASA HAS MADE MUCH NOISE 
ABOUT THE CASE.  LOCAL NEWSPAPERS HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY SILENT 
ON THE MATTER, PRESUMABLY DUE TO THEIR PERCEPTION THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT WILL RESPOND HARSHLY IF THEY GIVE THE STORY TOO 
MUCH ATTENTION. 
 
 
6. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: MEANWHILE, THE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE 
AFFECTED BY THE MASASU CASE CONTINUES TO EXPAND.  LAST WEEK 
HUMAN RIGHTS NGO ACTIVIST (AND FORMER EMBASSY IV PROGRAM 
PARTICIPANT) JEANINE MUKANIRWA WAS REPORTEDLY ARRESTED FOR 
HELPING AN ALLEGED MASASU ASSOCIATE CROSS THE RIVER TO 
BRAZZAVILLE.  END COMMENT. 
SWING