US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1807

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001807 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREF, PREL, CG, MONUC 
SUBJECT: A HOT, BUT NOT WARM, WELCOME TO RETURNING 
BANYAMULENGE REFUGEES 
 
 
Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 1. (C) Summary:  There were some tense moments over the 
weekend in Uvira, located in southern South Kivu, when 350 
Banyamulenge refugees insisted on returning to the DRC from 
Burundi sooner than planned.  Their arrival at the 
Congo-Burundi border provoked riots by Congolese citizens in 
Uvira, during which the sites prepared for the eventual 
return of the refugees were burned, Monuc vehicles were 
stoned and Monuc personnel threatened.  Although UNHCR 
initially wanted to force the refugees to return to Burundi 
(where, UNHCR believed, they would be safer), reason 
eventually prevailed.  The refugees are now in a two secure 
sites in Uvira, protected both by Congolese military and 
Monuc.  Although it seems clear that the refugees, and their 
cause, are being manipulated by various political elements, 
it is important that the international community be seen to 
uphold the right of Congolese citizens to return to their own 
country.  End Summary. 
 
A Series of Bad Decisions 
 
2. (C)  Particularly in the wake of the Gatumba massacre, 
many actors -- including UNHCR, Monuc and the Congolese 
government -- had been discussing the future of the 
Banyamulenge (ethnic Tutsi Congolese) refugees.  In the 
immediate aftermath of the killings, the survivors had been 
housed in a local Burundian school while UNHCR negotiated 
their possible relocation to a Burundian site near the 
Tanzanian border.  The refugees, however, resisted this 
proposal, as they did not want to be so far from their homes 
in South Kivu.  Efforts by UNHCR and Monuc to negotiate the 
refugees' return to the DRC, however, met a cold welcome from 
local authorities, who pointed to a series of difficult 
questions involving ownership of homes and land, jobs, and 
general security as reasons to delay the Banyamulenge return. 
 A September 22 decision by local Burundian authorities to 
evict the refugees from the school (so that students could 
resume classes) provoked a mini-crisis, however, as the 
refugees took matters into their own hands.  Moderate 
Banyamulenge leader Enock Ruberangabo told PolCouns September 
23 that about 200 refugees decided to go to Rwanda (and were 
moving that way on foot), another approximately 150 moved 
spontaneously deeper into Burundi (destination unknown), 
while the majority (about 700) determined to return to the 
DRC.  The first 350 arrived at the border crossing at Uvira 
the evening of September 23 and were refused entry by local 
Congolese military (Mai Mai).  According to both Enock and 
Monuc, the group then moved to the border crossing at 
Kaminyola, where they successfully crossed (with Monuc 
assistance), and Monuc facilitated their return by vehicles 
to Uvira. 
 
Violent -- and Possibly Organized -- Reaction 
 
3. (C)  As word of the refugees' return began to circulate in 
Uvira, two separate groups of demonstrators converged on 
Monuc's offices, throwing stones and besieging the personnel. 
 The vehicles carrying the refugees were diverted to a site 
near the border crossing, where the refugees were deposited. 
The demonstrators, shouting anti-Banyamulenge and anti-Monuc 
slogans, tried to move toward the area where the refugees had 
been left, but Monuc troops deterred them.  The two sites 
which UNHCR had prepared for the eventual return of the 
refugees were burned by the demonstrators.  Unrest continued, 
albeit at a lower level, September 25, but the city returned 
to calm September 26.  Regional military commander Budja Mabe 
addressed the citizens in Uvira September 26, urging calm, 
although Monuc observers noted that he pointedly did not say 
anything which could be construed as welcoming the return of 
these Congolese citizens.  Although UNHCR Kinshasa chief told 
poloff and polcouns that Ministry of Interior officials were 
being unhelpful in the crisis, the vice-Minister of Interior 
was dispatched to Uvira September 25 and remains there now, 
working on local reconciliation and logistics for the return 
of the remaining 300-plus refugees.  A clearly frustrated and 
angry Enock (whose wife is among the returning refugees) 
cautioned polcouns that efforts by some extremists to incite 
violence against the refugees and prohibit the return of the 
Banyamulenge is fueling anger and resentment among the 
Banymaulenge community, particularly the youth, and driving 
many of them into the hands of Colonel Eric, who both Enock 
and Muller (a Banyamulenge activist and founder of the Parti 
Force Repubican, recently returned to the DRC after a 
voluntary exile in France) said is actively arming and 
organizing a "Banyamulenge self-defense force."  (Bio note: 
The reference is to the infamous Colonel Eric, supposedly of 
Rwandan extraction, who has been involved for some time in 
various forms of unrest in eastern Congo, particularly in 
South Kivu.  He was a member of former governor Chiribanya's 
militia, played a role in Nkunda's attack on Bukavu, and most 
recently has reportedly been recruiting -- both with cash and 
force -- Banyamulenge to form a military element.  End Note.) 
 
4. (C)  SRSG Swing told Ambassador September 26 that 
President Kabila and (Banyamulenge) VP Ruberwa had been 
working together to find a solution to the refugee situation. 
 Both reportedly agreed that the situation had been 
mishandled, but (most importantly) that there could be no 
question of the right of these Congolese citizens to return 
to their own country.  Therefore the Congolese military had 
been ordered to break up new protests by firing into the air, 
and to protect the refugees, who have been moved to two 
locations in Uvira.  Both sites are being protected by an 
outer perimeter of Congolese military, with an inner 
perimeter of Monuc security forces.  UNHCR, Monuc and 
Congolese authorities continue to discuss how to handle the 
group, including the provision of food, safe locations and 
other necessary support. 
Comment 
 
5. (C)  It seems clear that the refugees -- and their 
situation -- are being manipulated by various elements.  We 
doubt that their return is quite as spontaneous as Enock and 
others would like it to appear, particularly given Enock's 
comments that "4,000 non-Banyamulenge refugees had no trouble 
coming back, why should we be any different?"  The RCD 
vice-Governor of South Kivu had, in fact, accompanied the 
refugees as far as the border while at the same time, the 
province's second (PPRD) vice-Governor had been urging a 
cautious, go-slow policy on refugee return. It probably is 
fair to say that most Congolese authorities have been almost 
over-emphasizing the potential difficulties involved in the 
refugees' return, and generally dragging their feet.  Our 
experience has been that demonstrations such as those in 
Uvira normally are staged by some political element, in this 
case most likely anti-Banyamulenge extremists.  Now that the 
refugees are here, however, we believe it is important that 
the international community -- and the transition government 
-- be seen to be supporting the right of Congolese citizens 
to return to their own country. 
MEECE