US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1546

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 001546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CG, PRM 
SUBJECT: DRC REACTIONS TO MASSACRE OF CONGOLESE REFUGEES AT 
BURUNDI CAMP 
 
1. (U) Summary. The CIAT condemns attack on Congolese 
refugees in Gatumba camp, Burundi, calls for an independent 
international investigation and respect for the peace process 
in the DRC. The President's office and Vice-President Ruberwa 
also call for inquiries and punishment of those responsible. 
Mai-Mai deny allegations of involvement leveled against them 
and the Congolese Army. End Summary. 
 
CIAT: Massacre a "Deliberate Sabotage of Peace Process" 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
2. (U) The CIAT issued the following statement on August 15 
regarding the massacre of Congolese refugees at the Gatumba 
Refugee Camp in Burundi (unofficial translation): 
 
The international Committee Accompanying the Transition 
(CIAT) met in urgent session Sunday the 15th of August to 
examine the events which took place the night of  13-14 
August in the Congolese refugee camp of Gatumba in Burundi, 
close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo 
(DRC). The CIAT expresses its outrage regarding the massacre 
in the refugee camp. The CIAT offers its sincere condolences 
to the families of the victims, to the transition government 
and to the Congolese people. 
 
The CIAT condemns in the strongest terms this abominable act 
perpetrated by criminals, whose victims were principally 
Congolese women and children, particularly Banyamulenge. The 
CIAT considers that this barbarous act is designed to 
deliberately sabotage the peace process in the DRC and 
provoke regional instability. 
 
The CIAT pledges anew its resolve to accompany the transition 
process in the DRC through the entire process leading to free 
and transparent elections, under the guidelines established 
by the Constitution and the transition, and which responds to 
the aspirations of the Congolese people for advancing a 
lasting and durable peace in the DRC and the regions. At the 
same time, the CIAT appeals to all members of the transition 
in the DRC, as well as to other countries in the region, to 
conduct themselves in a responsible manner consistent with 
the letter and spirit of the accords entered into to support 
the transition in the DRC and serve as a foundation for 
regional peace. 
 
Finally, the CIAT hopes that an independent international 
commission will be established to bring to light the facts 
about this massacre and bring those responsible to justice. 
 
 
Presidency Demands International Commission of Inquiry 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
3. (U) Statement issued by Kadura Kasongo, Spokesman for 
President Kabila, on August 14 (unofficial translation): 
 
News of the attack on a camp of Congolese refugees located at 
the border post of Gatumba in Burundi has just reached us and 
we have learned that over a hundred people have been killed. 
 
The President of the Republic strongly condemns this immoral 
act committed against Congolese civilians and demands 
the formation of an international commission of inquiry to 
shed light on this abominable act, and establish the 
responsibility of those implicated in this act so that they 
may be punished. 
 
The President of the Republic demands that the government of 
Burundi, the international community and the High 
Commissioner for Refugees, provide security and protection to 
the vulnerable population. 
 
The President of the Republic, the Transition Government, and 
the entire Congolese population present their most sincere 
condolences to the families of the victims. 
 
 
Ruberwa: Attackers, Possibly from DRC, Targeted Banyamulenge 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
4. (U) The following are excerpts from Vice-President Azarias 
Ruberwa's press conference on August 14 (unofficial 
translation): 
 
What happened that night was a genocide, a carnage committed 
by assailants who surrounded the camp and operated calmly. 
The other camps nearby where other communities lived were not 
targeted only the Banyamulenge camp was attacked...I 
energetically condemn such a cowardly way of pursuing 
refugees even abroad. 
 
The assailants may have come from the Congo, from the Ruzizi 
plain towards Kaliba. According to surviving witnesses, there 
were many attackers and they spoke many languages such as 
Lingala Swahili, Kifulero, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda. It was a 
mixture of Congolese, Interhamwe and FNL (Note: Forces for 
National Liberation, Burundian Hutu rebel group which has 
refused to participate in their country's peace process. End 
Note.) 
I am going to Bujumbura to discuss with Burundian authorities 
why assistance was not provided... we need a clear 
explanation for this attack. We need to discuss about burial 
of victims, the future of the camp and the remaining refugees. 
 
What will be the next step against the Congolese community? 
The government must take the necessary  measures to prevent 
this type of genocide and assure everyone's security 
otherwise the peace process will be threatened. If there is 
no reconciliation the peace process will fail. 
 
One needs an urgent and well-organized international 
investigation. An investigation done by the Congolese or 
Burundians will always be questioned. I am talking more about 
a genocide than a massacre. It was committed on Burundian 
soil against Congolese probably by attackers belonging to 2 
or 3 nationalities. I spoke to SRSG Swing at three in the 
morning to inform him of what happened, MONUC has been in the 
field since this morning. 
 
Those who planned this genocide had a clear idea of ensuring 
that my mission would fail. They were afraid of its success 
and of reconciliation, because the refugees had started to 
return since yesterday. They were afraid of peaceful 
cohabitation and that the Banyamulenge would come back. 
 
 
Mai Mai: We were not Involved in this Attack 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
5. The following are excerpts from remarks by spokesperson 
for the Uvira Mai-Mai commander, Colonel Nyakabaka, in 
response to allegations by various people, including 
Burundian President Domitien Ndaizeye, of Mai-Mai 
participation in the massacre (unofficial translation): 
 
...With regards to declarations concerning participation of a 
FARDC branch, namely Mai-Mai in the immoral act committed in 
the refugee camp, we would like to say that these 
declarations are unfounded. We regret that despite the 
declarations made by the crimes' authors, the Burundian 
President and the DRC Vice-President continue to accuse the 
FARDC for these criminal acts. 
 
We Mai-Mai are for the respect of territorial integrity and 
would never cross the DRC borders to commit an act of 
barbarism outside the country. We live in peace with the 
Banyamulengue and if the politicians seek to foment problems 
to encourage ethnic hatred in the Great Lakes in order to 
provoke further wars, we say to the national and 
international community that these politicians will be 
responsible for their declarations and all that they are 
trying to foment. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (U) Following an August 16 courtesy call on DRC 
Vice-President Arthur Zahidi Ngoma, Ambassador Meece 
reiterated to the press that the US condemns this senseless 
attack on innocent civilians and noted the CIAT statement and 
UNSC Presidential statement of August 15. He reaffirmed US 
support for the transitional government and expressed 
sympathy for the families of the victims and the Congolese 
people in general. 
 
 
7. (U) Despite allegations against Mai Mai, FARDC, 
Interhamwe, and the FNL, at this point it is unclear who 
beyond the FNL bears responsibility for the massacre of 
predominantly Banyamulenge refugees at the Gatumba camp in 
Burundi. An independent international investigation will be 
the most effective and credible way to shed light on the 
facts surrounding this massacre and establishing 
responsibility. In the meantime it is important that rhetoric 
from any of the principal actors in the region not be used to 
provoke nor justify major military actions that could 
reignite widespread conflict in the region. It will be 
important for UNHCR to coordinate the protection of remaining 
Congolese refugees with Burundian authorities to the maximum 
extent possible, and be clearly seen to be so doing. 
Likewise, MONUC needs to maintain active and public 
involvement to investigate and take other steps as 
appropriate to ensure security in the neighboring area of the 
DRC. SRSG Swing is clearly already attuned to this point. 
According to UNHCR-Kinshasa, the official number of camp 
casualties as of August 16, is 150 dead and 108 injured. 
 
 
 
MEECE