US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA31

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000031 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: KABILA'S QUIET KISANGANI VISIT 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  On January 3, President Kabila arrived in 
Kisangani, Province Orientale with little fanfare or advance 
notice. On January 5, Kabila met with several Ituri warlords 
scheduled to become FARDC brigadier generals.  The President 
appears to be inspecting the new FARDC forward operations 
base, and meeting with FARDC and GSSP troops. Kabila's second 
visit to eastern DRC since becoming President has, 
encouragingly, been a relative non-event. End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) On January 3, President Kabila arrived in Kisangani 
in time for the national 'Day of Martyrs' on January 4. 
(Note: Kisangani is known as the "City of Martyrs" due to its 
residents' suffering during the war. End note.). Kabila's 
second trip to eastern DRC since becoming president was 
marked by little fanfare or advance notice. According to a 
local source, no additional presidential guard (GSSP) troops 
were deployed, the President had not made any public 
statements, and one wouldn't even know the President was 
there-- a marked contrast to Kabila's October 2004 trip. 
 
3. (SBU) On October 4, Kabila reportedly visited Walikale via 
helicopter to visit FARDC troops and then drove 30km outside 
of Kisangani. The local source said that Kabila's Kisangani 
agenda included meeting with FARDC troops, following up on 
public works projects, and possibly examining some of the 
tensions between the GSSP and the FARDC. 
 
4. (U) On January 5, Kabila met with four of the five Ituri 
warlords scheduled to become FARDC brigadier generals in the 
near future. Bosco Ntanga, Chief of Staff of Thomas Lubanga's 
UPC, was notably absent. A UPC spokesman said Bosco was too 
ill to travel, and was not "ignoring the call" of the 
President. (Note: Bosco was reportedly injured in recent 
fighting between the UPC and FNI in Largu. End note.) 
 
Comment 
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5. (SBU) At first glance, Kabila appears to be inspecting the 
new FARDC forward operations base, and meeting with FARDC and 
GSSP troops.  So far, the most notable aspect of Kabila's 
second trip to the east since becoming President is its 
seemingly relaxed, "normal" nature in a country where the 
head of state was unable to visit half of the nation in his 
first years in office. 
 
6. (U) Bujumbura minimize considered. 
MEECE