US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA338

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000338 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KPKO, PHUM, PREL, CG 
SUBJECT: MONUC SUCCESSFULLY DISARMS ITURI MILITIAS 
THREATENING CIVILIANS 
 
REF: A. KINSHASA 330 
 
     B. KINSHASA 337 
 
1. (U) Summary. On February 23 a contingent of 350 Nepalese 
peacekeepers encircled a camp of armed militia who were 
threatening civilians in Ari Wara, Northern Ituri. The 
peacekeepers convinced the militia members to peacefully give 
up approximately 250 weapons and join Ituri's demobilization 
and community reintegration program. Initial satisfaction 
with this successful operation has been tempered by the 
subsequent killing of nine peacekeepers in another part of 
Ituri (reftels.) End Summary. 
 
2. (U) A contingent of 350 Nepalese peacekeepers deployed 
February 23 to Ari Wara in Northern Ituri to confront a group 
of well-armed militia from the Popular Armed Forces of the 
Congo (FAPC) who were threatening civilians. The local 
population had been upset with FAPC over their role in the 
killing of a local businessman on the weekend of February 20, 
and decided to take arms by force from the local police to 
confront the militia themselves. (Note: The local police are 
weak and afraid to confront militias. End Note.) MONUC 
sources said peacekeepers intervened to prevent a 
confrontation in which the militias would likely have killed 
many civilians. 
 
3. (U) The MONUC source said the peacekeepers encircled 
FAPC's main militia camp in Ari Wara and demanded that the 
militia members disarm. After negotiating with them for some 
time, they convinced the entire 111 militia members in the 
camp to lay down their arms and join Ituri's disarmament 
program. Peacekeepers collected over 250 weapons of different 
sorts from the militia camp. MONUC also agreed to transport 
the militia members' families with them (350 in total) to the 
Mahagi Transit Center.  The three individuals alleged to have 
killed the businessman, however, remain at large. 
 
Comment 
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4. (U) MONUC officials are rightly pleased with this 
effective use of their Chapter VII mandate, although these 
positive feelings have been tempered by the subsequent 
killing of nine peacekeepers in another part of Ituri. FAPC 
militias are, after all, one of the best armed and trained 
groups in Ituri. Peacekeepers not only defused a dangerous 
situation in which militias were threatening civilians, they 
also disarmed the militias without using force and persuaded 
them to join a demobilization program along with their 
families. The success of this operation in the troubled 
district of Ituri is encouraging and it points to a more 
effective strategy on the part of MONUC involving not only 
the threat of force, but a willingness to negotiate and 
persuade militias to disarm and demobilize peacefully. 
 
5. (U) Bujumbura minimized considered. 
MEECE