US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1731

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001731 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, KPKO, PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CG, PRM 
SUBJECT: MONUC CONCERNED ABOUT REPATRIATION OF BANYAMULENGE 
 
REFUGEES FROM BURUNDI 
 
1. (U) Summary. MONUC poloffs briefed members of the 
diplomatic community September 14 on efforts to repatriate 
Banyamulenge refugees to South Kivu. MONUC wants to 
coordinate humanitarian and security assistance with GDRC 
officials and with other UN agencies to provide protection to 
returning refugees. MONUC is concerned about possible attacks 
and manipulation of the refugee issue. MONUC also referred to 
the UN's report on the Gatumba massacre which documents the 
lack of a response by Burundian authorities during the 
incident. The report also recognizes the role that FNL 
militias played in the attack without ruling out 
participation by other regional actors.  End Summary. 
 
MONUC: Important to Assist and Protect Returning Refugees 
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2. (SBU) MONUC political affairs officials briefed members of 
the diplomatic community September 14 about repatriation of 
Congolese Banyamulenge refugees from Burundi to South Kivu. 
So far, 255 families comprising 1413 individuals of 
Banyamulenge background have registered for voluntary 
repatriation. MONUC is coordinating repatriation efforts with 
GDRC and UN agencies (such as the High Commissioner for 
Refugees) and expressed concern about the potential political 
consequences of another attack on returning refugees. 
 
3. (SBU) In MONUC's view, the various "composantes" within 
the GDRC are willing to work together to assist returning 
Congolese refugees from Burundi. MONUC remains concerned, 
however, that South Kivu's civil society leaders could incite 
 ethnic hatred and manipulate the refugee issue. These same 
individuals have claimed that the Gatumba massacre was 
actually a confrontation of armed Banyamulenge refugees with 
another armed group and not a massacre. They have also argued 
for a limit on the number of Banyamulenge refugees who can 
return and have called attention to the danger posed by 
possible "infiltrators."  MONUC briefers encouraged the 
diplomatic community to press the GDRC for a stronger 
response to those inciting ethnic hatred, including possible 
prosecutions. 
 
UN Report on Gatumba: No Group Ruled Out 
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4. (SBU) Albrecht Conze, Deputy Director of MONUC's Political 
Affairs Division, gave a general overview of the UN report on 
the August 13 Gatumba massacre in Burundi. He said that the 
attackers were well prepared and knew where to find the 
Banyamulenge refugees. He noted that the lack of a response 
from Burundian authorities was well documented; in 
particular, the UN found no evidence that a nearby military 
camp had come under heavy attack by the perpetrators of the 
massacre as previously claimed. 
 
5. (SBU) According to Conze, the UN report concludes that the 
Burundian Hutu "Forces of National Liberation" (FNL) 
participated in the attack, but unlike Human Rights Watch, 
which only investigated inside Burundi, the UN does not view 
the FNL as the main or sole group responsible for the attack. 
Other actors, including Congolese armed groups, are not ruled 
out as participants. 
 
Comment 
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6. (SBU) MONUC has reason to be concerned about the safety of 
returning Congolese Banyamulenge refugees. The situation in 
South Kivu remains volatile and various groups will try to 
manipulate the refugee issue for their own ends. It is 
precisely this concern over local conditions that has led 
UNHCR officials in Bujumbura and Kinshasa to oppose 
repatriation efforts at this time. However, if the refugees 
want to return on their own, it would be important for UNHCR 
to provide assistance as part of a joint effort involving 
MONUC and DRC officials. Another attack on these refugees 
could lead to renewed fighting in the east and imperil the 
transition in the DRC. End Comment. 
MEECE