US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1549

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 001549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
AIDAC 
STATE FOR AF/C ALLAN EASTHAM, C.PASCHALL 
STATE FOR INR/AA 
STATE FOR PRM TSTOLTZFUS 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA - JBORNS, MMARX, TMCRAE 
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP - DWELLER, NCARLSON, NCOX 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OTI - GGOTTLIEB, AMARTIN 
AID/W FOR AFR - KO'DONNELL 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/OFDA/ARO - KSMITH 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/FFP - PFESSENDEN, ADEPREZ 
ROME FOR USUN FODAG - TLAVELLE 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NSC FOR JDWORKEN 
 
E.O. 12958; NA 
 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, PGOV, PHUM, CG 
SUBJECT: OFDA REP VISIT TO SOUTHERN EQUATEUR 
 
 
----- 
Summary 
----- 
1. (U) From June 29 to July 3, OFDA Rep Victor 
Bushamuka traveled in southern Equateur Province to 
evaluate the humanitarian situation and monitor 
progress in the USAID/OFDA-funded food security project 
implemented by Action Against Hunger (AAH-USA).  Though 
fighting in the area ended over two years ago, only an 
estimated 60 percent of the pre-war area's population 
have returned to their villages, due to military 
harassment and a lack of humanitarian assistance. Most 
IDPs returning in Bolomba in July were barely clothed 
and in poor health, but only a few were manifestly 
malnourished.  In its food security project, AAH-USA 
distributed seeds, agricultural tools, and fishing 
equipment to an estimated 45,000 IDPs and returnees. 
Food security programs, health assistance, and non-food 
items will continue to be needed at least for another 
year, given the slow return rate.  The priority target 
area should be the newly accessible villages in the ex- 
MLC-controlled territories.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
2. (U) OFDA Rep Victor Bushamuka visited Equateur 
Province from June 29 to July 03, 2004. The objective 
of the visit was to assess the prevailing humanitarian 
situation in southern Equateur and the success of the 
USAID/OFDA-funded food security program implemented by 
AAH-USA. During the visit, OFDA Rep met with groups of 
beneficiaries, new returnees, civil and military 
authorities, and staff of INGOs AAH-USA and Medecins 
Sans Frontieres / Belgium (MSF-B). 
 
3. (U) Equateur is one of the poorest provinces of DRC. 
The southern territories of Equateur sustained heavy 
fighting between armed forces of the ex-government 
(FAC) and ex-rebel forces of MLC from 1998 to 2001. 
During the war, the territories of Bolomba, Befale, 
Boende, Basankusu, Bokungu, and Ikela were all divided 
in half by the front line with MLC forces controlling 
the northern parts and the FAC ruling the southern 
areas. Military confrontations in these territories led 
to massive displacements estimated between 110,000 to 
170,000 people by UN-OCHA. Most IDPs took refuge in the 
forest and it is believed that a large number still 
remain there. 
 
---------- 
Non-return of many forest IDPs 
---------- 
4. (U) The Administrator and the INGO staff in Bolomba 
estimated the current population to be about 60 percent 
of the pre-war population. In Bolomba, the OFDA Rep 
visited both the ex-MLC and ex-FAC controlled villages 
and found that more people have returned in the ex-FAC 
areas than in the ex-MLC territories. As of June, the 
population of the ex-MLC controlled villages including 
Bosanjoa, Bosolikubu, Boko, and Bosekombo was estimated 
by local residents at still less than 20 percent of pre- 
war figures. 
 
5. (U)  The non-return of so many IDPs who fled to the 
forest in Equateur is surprising considering that there 
has been no significant fighting in these areas for 
more than 2 years and considering that they are in 
relatively poor health with high prevalences of 
malnutrition and of skin infections.  It has been 
common belief among many in the humanitarian community 
that shame at having little clothing has been the main 
reason for these people's reluctance to return to their 
villages. 
 
6. (U) OFDA Rep's own discussions with various groups 
of IDPs suggest that many who fled to the forest remain 
there for reasons other than lack of clothes.  For one 
thing, it is not clear that those who have returned are 
any better off than those who remain in the forest.  It 
was noted that military forces, particularly in the 
former MLC areas, still occupy villages and harass the 
populations who return.  Some of these soldiers are 
indeed the same that committed numerous atrocities 
during the war.  Furthermore, there is as yet little 
humanitarian assistance provided in the villages and 
many IDPs have now planted crops in their refuge areas. 
There is, thus, at present little incentive to return. 
Although the problems of a lack of clothes and of poor 
physical appearance were also cited by IDPs, these did 
not appear to be critical with regard to the question 
of whether or not to leave the forest and return to 
former villages. 
 
7. (U) For IDPs who had returned, the opportunity to 
benefit from AAH's OFDA-funded food security assistance 
program was cited as a key incentive.  Other reasons 
given were accessibility to health care and education. 
 
-------- 
Conditions of New Returnees 
-------- 
8. (U) Although INGOs and others are reporting high 
rates of malnutrition throughout southern Equateur, 
OFDA Rep observed few obvious cases during his visit. 
The physical appearance of returnees did, however, 
suggest precarious health conditions, with many 
children seeming to be in need of medical attention. As 
has been reported, most of the new returnees were 
barely clothed with some adults wearing only rags. 
 
------------ 
Humanitarian Assistance 
------------ 
9. (U) Only two international humanitarian institutions 
-- AAH-USA and MSF-B -- are currently active in 
southern Equateur. AAH-USA assists returnees through 
the OFDA food security project.  MSF-B provides basic 
health care services, and measles vaccinations, as well 
as sleeping sickness screening and treatment.  For 
security reasons, both AAH-USA and MSF-B activities in 
southern Equateur have been largely concentrated in the 
ex-government controlled areas, including Bolomba, 
Lolanga-Mampoko, Boende, Befale and Mondombe. The ex- 
MLC could not trust AAH-USA and MSF-B because they had 
their main offices in Mbandaka, which was at the time 
an enemy territory. As a result, AAH-USA and MSF-B 
could not be granted permission by ex-MLC to operate in 
its territories. In addition, AAH-USA and MSF-B staff 
had been physically threatened each time they tried to 
visit ex-MLC territories. 
 
----- 
OFDA Food Security Activities 
----- 
10. (U) A one-year grant was awarded by USAID/OFDA to 
AAH to improve food security for IDPs, returnees and 
vulnerable populations and to promote the re- 
establishment of pre-war level of livelihood activities 
in southern Equateur. This project covers a strip of 
territories extending eastward from Bolomba, Lolanga- 
Mampoko, Boende, and Mondombe.  Project activities have 
included the distribution of maize seeds, cassava 
cuttings, hoes, machetes, and axes to 3,000 
agricultural families in Boende and Mondombe, as well 
as the provision of fishing equipment, including 125 
canoes, 4,544 fishing nets, 68,838 hooks, 350 nylon 
threads, and 250 machetes, to 5,000 beneficiary 
households.  According to AAH-USA, the fishing capacity 
of the beneficiaries of the OFDA food security project 
increased from 15kg per week prior to the project to an 
average of about 71 kg per week.  In 2003, AAH-USA 
reached a total of 9,000 households, which can be 
estimated at 45,000 people. 
 
11. (U) AAH-USA has been charging a small fee to the 
beneficiaries of seeds, tools and fishing equipment to 
fund the activities of selected community based 
humanitarian and development organizations (CBO). CBO 
activities that were funded by AAH-USA in 2003 include 
schools and roads rehabilitation, transportation of 
sick community members to hospitals, and community seed 
production. 
 
------------ 
Implementation Challenges 
------------ 
12. (U) The project territories, especially Boende and 
Mondombe experienced a major drought at the beginning 
of the 2003 agricultural season, shortly after the 
distribution of seeds and tools to the beneficiaries. 
As a result, most farmers delayed their planting, which 
resulted in poor harvest or complete crop failure in 
2003. 
 
13. (U) Frequent harassment of the population by the 
military also greatly affected the activities of AAH- 
USA in Equateur. In 2003, convinced that production 
must have increased as a result of AAH's activities, 
soldiers made increased demands on populations in all 
of the AAH-USA implementing areas, especially in 
Boende, Mondombe and Lolanga. 
 
----------------- 
Observations and Recommendations 
----------------- 
14. (U) Equateur is one of the poorest provinces of the 
DRC.  The capacity of most IDPs to re-establish 
livelihood activities, and of residents to assist 
returning IDPs, is limited, making it likely that the 
majority of IDPs still in the forest will require 
assistance upon their return. Food security and health 
care programs will thus still be needed in southern 
Equateur for at least another year.  To reduce the 
strain caused by new returnees on the limited resources 
of local population, a distribution of non-food items 
to new returnees appears essential. 
 
15. (U) New assistance efforts should be focused mainly 
in areas that have not yet been assisted, which are 
largely those in the former MLC territory.  In ex- 
government areas, most of which have already 
experienced some assistance, only new returnees should 
be targeted. MEECE.