US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA82

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000082 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, ASEC, CASC, CG 
SUBJECT: KINSHASA SHUTS DOWN, NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN ON 
JAN. 14 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 63 
     B. KINSHASA 23 
     C. 1/14/05 E-MAIL MEECE/AF-C GREAT LAKES TEAM 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  The city of Kinshasa shut down on January 
14, following calls for a strike to commemorate protesters 
killed earlier in the week by police.  Despite the "dead 
city," several new GDRC ministers also took their oath of 
office on January 14, but MLC officials boycotted the 
ceremony over an MLC/Presidency dispute.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) The city of Kinshasa effectively shut down on January 
14.  Aside from a few exceptions, workers remained at home, 
taxis and other vehicles did not venture out on the roads, 
and business remained closed all day.  (Note:  Post 
maintained normal operations, although few locally-engaged 
employees were able to find transport to report for work. 
End Note.)  There were no confirmed instances of violence. 
Earlier in the week, unidentified persons circulated fliers 
calling for a "ville morte" or city-wide strike to 
commemorate protestors killed in clashes with police on 
January 10 (Ref A), and there were several reports of schools 
and other local establishments receiving unspecified threats 
if they chose to open on January 14. 
 
3. (U) The GDRC did swear in several newly-appointed 
ministers on January (Ref B), a ceremony that was 
particularly noteworthy because all Congolese Liberation 
Movement (MLC) ministers and vice-ministers reportedly 
boycotted it.  The boycott arose from an ongoing dispute 
between Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba (leader of the MLC) 
and President Kabila's political camp, over Ministerial 
appointments.  Bemba is threatening to suspend participation 
in the transition over the issue, although this dispute 
appears unrelated to the Kinshasa strike action. 
 
4. (SBU) COMMENT:  The January 14 "ville morte" was very 
effective, largely because the Kinshasa population 
instinctively chose to hunker down and avoid trouble.  While 
politically embarrassing for GDRC officials such as the 
Interior Minister and Governor of Kinshasa (both Kabila 
loyalists who had declared the January 10 protests illegal) 
political figures outside government such as Etienne 
Tshisekedi do not appear to have reaped any immediate gain. 
 
SIPDIS 
END COMMENT. 
 
5. (U) Bujumbura minimize considered. 
MEECE