US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1501

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001501 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: NEW ITURI COMMISSIONER: "KINSHASA IS NOT SERIOUS 
ABOUT ITURI" 
 
REF: KINSHASA 01284 
 
Classified By: Poloff Gons Nachman for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (C) Summary. Ituri District Commissioner questions GDRC 
commitment to new Ituri administration. She asserts that 
despite repeated pleas, Kinshasa has yet to provide her with 
a salary or with the basic resources necessary for her 
administration to function. End Summary. 
 
Good Intentions Insufficient Resources 
-------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Poloff met with new Ituri District Commissioner 
Petronille Vaweka, on August 6 to discuss her first few weeks 
as the new head of Ituri's administration (reftel). Vaweka 
said that she has yet to receive a salary from the national 
government and her administration lacks the basic resources 
necessary to function. She has asked the GDRC multiple times 
to provide her with financial support to begin her work, but 
has not seen any concrete action. In her own words "Kinshasa 
is not serious about Ituri". 
 
3. (C) Vaweka's new administration lacks basic items such as 
office supplies, furniture, fuel for transportation and 
communications equipment. Only the district administrators of 
Mahagi and Mamabasa have been deployed to their respective 
areas. Those of Aru, Irumu, and Njugu currently lack the 
means and the security to assume their new posts. Vaweka 
feels that Ituri has substantial economic potential to help 
itself, the Orientale Province and the DRC, but it first 
needs basic support from the national government to organize 
its affairs. 
 
4. (C) Vaweka indicated that she was also concerned about her 
personal safety, as she lacked any type of protection in an 
area where she could be targeted by individuals who oppose 
her administration. She noted that she elected to keep her 
family in Kinshasa due to the lack of security in Bunia. 
Vaweka would like to see the integrated FARDC brigade and a 
new police unit deployed to Ituri to increase security, but 
not without appropriate logistical support and a government 
commitment to pay their salaries. She said that deployment of 
a security force without appropriate support could turn them 
into another armed group. She feels that the government has 
the resources to support Ituri but lacks the will to use them. 
 
 
Demobilization Plan not Moving Forward 
-------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Vaweka said that the disarmament and demobilization 
plan for Ituri (DDR) is supposed to start on September 2nd. 
However, she is skeptical about the possible success of DDR 
without substantial government involvement. Currently, her 
civilian administration lacks the resources to support or 
even follow DDR plans around the district. Additionally, 
armed militias have expressed an unwillingness to disarm in 
the absence of a concise mechanism to provide them protection 
once they have given up their arms. At this point, such a 
mechanism does not exist and the GDRC has not taken any steps 
to develop one. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (C) Vaweka is one of those rare public officials in the 
Congo who has the integrity, determination, and courage to 
make a difference, even when faced with substantial 
obstacles. However, it will be very difficult for her to be 
an effective administrator in Ituri without initial support 
from the national government. The GDRC has sent several 
inter-ministerial delegations to Ituri to express government 
support for the region. Yet as Vaweka said "it is time for 
Kinshasa to stop making promises and to take concrete actions 
to support the recovery and reintegration of Ituri into the 
national economy." 
 
 
MEECE