US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1550

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001550 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958; NA 
 
TAGS: EAID, PREF, PGOV, PHUM, CG 
SUBJECT: OFDA-FUNDED FOOD SECURITY ACTIVITIES IN THE 
RUZIZI PLAIN AND MIDDLE PLATEAU 
 
 
1.  (U) During a recent visit to the Uvira area, OFDA 
Rep Victor Bushamuka viewed USAID/OFDA-funded food 
security activities implemented by Action Against 
Hunger (AAH-USA) in various parts of the Ruzizi plain. 
As part of a larger project, AAH restored irrigation 
canals in the Ruzizi plain and rehabilitated fish ponds 
in the middle plateau of Uvira.  Although the OFDA 
project has significantly contributed to the 
improvement of food security of IDPs and returnees of 
Uvira and Fizi, food security programs will continue to 
be needed for at least another year. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) During a recent visit to the Uvira area, OFDA 
Rep Victor Bushamuka had the opportunity to evaluate 
the efforts by Action Against Hunger (AAH-USA) to 
improve food security in various sections of the Ruzizi 
plain -- a large, low flat stretch of land extending 
northward from the upper border of Lake Tanganyika 
along the Ruzizi River.  The area has been highly 
volatile in terms of security since 1996, with repeated 
clashes between armed groups often result in massive 
movements of the population within and outside the area 
and sometimes into Burundi (as was most recently the 
case when the insurgency of Col. Jules Mutebusi 
temporarily held the town of Kamanyola for a few days 
in June, causing over 20,000 Congolese to flee across 
the border). 
 
3.  (U) AAH-USA's agricultural activities in the Ruzizi 
Plain are part of a larger project funded by USAID/OFDA 
to improve food security and to facilitate the re- 
establishment of livelihood-sustaining activities for 
IDPs, returnees, and other vulnerable populations in 
both Uvira and Fizi territories.  During the 2003-2004 
main agricultural season, AAH-USA distributed 64 metric 
tones of food crop seeds including maize, bean, and 
peanut, and 570 kg of vegetable seeds to 15,400 
households, representing about 77,000 people. 
Agricultural tools distributed included 16,400 hoes and 
11,400 watering cans. Approximately 500 beneficiaries 
in 25 fishing villages along the west shore of Lake 
Tanganyika also benefited from a distribution of boats 
and fishing nets. AAH-USA estimates that it has already 
directly assisted over 85,000 returnees, IDPs and other 
vulnerable populations in the two territories. 
 
4.  (U) In addition to distributing basic agricultural 
inputs, AAH has also helped to rehabilitate dams and 
irrigation canals in 6 villages in the Ruzizi Plain and 
3 villages along the west shore of Lake Tanganyika as 
part of its efforts to promote the re-establishment of 
income generating activities.  An association of rice 
producers also received a rice grinder as part of the 
project, and both on the plain and in the "Middle 
Plateau" area just above it to the west, AAH has helped 
rehabilitate 258 fish ponds for fish farmers. 
 
5. (U) Frequent clashes between various military and 
various armed groups, including Mai-Mai and 
Interahamwe, have prevented AAH from covering all the 
areas as it had originally intended. Ndolera and 
Lubarika could not be reached in 2003, becoming 
accessible only in February 2004. Clashes between 
Interahamwe and military on the Middle Plateau near 
Lemera led to a temporary suspension of AAH activities 
in that area in March. 
 
6.  (U) In the 2004/2005 season, AAH plans to extend 
its distribution activities to newly accessible areas, 
including the Ndolera and Lubarika of the Middle 
Plateau and villages on the Ubwari peninsula south of 
Uvira.  Additional maize/cassava mills are planned in 
2004-2005 for Baraka, Fizi center, Lemera and Ndolera, 
and a rice grinder in Nundu. The irrigation 
rehabilitation program will be extended to such Middle- 
Plateau villages as Kigombo, Rubanga and Kiringye. 
 
7.  (U) To reduce the continuing relatively high rate 
of malnutrition in the area, AAH intends to work 
through local NGOs to promote the production and 
consumption of soybean throughout Uvira and Fizi 
Territories. In this initiative, seeds will be produced 
by selected local NGOs after they have received 
training in seed multiplication, soybean production and 
transformation procedures. Seeds produced by these NGOs 
will be either distributed to new returnees and IDPs or 
sold at a reduced price to interested residents in the 
2004-2005 planting season. AAH has had success with 
soybean promotion in other areas of the project.  OFDA 
Rep saw a number of flourishing soybean fields in 
villages along the axis Makobola-Baraka, south of 
Uvira. 
 
----- 
Observations 
----- 
 
8.  (U) Although the OFDA project has significantly 
contributed to the improvement of food security of IDPs 
and returnees in the territories of Uvira and Fizi, 
food security programs will continue to be needed for 
at least another year since the area is one of the last 
in eastern DRC to benefit from the peace brought to 
much of the country by the installation of the 
transitional government in June of 2003 and since much 
of the area's population has yet to return. MEECE.