US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA644

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000644 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, CG, KSOC 
SUBJECT: KINSHASA UNIVERSITIES CONCERNED ABOUT STUDENT 
VOLATILITY 
 
REF: KINSHASA 567 
 
Classified By: Poloff Gons Nachman for Reasons 1.4 B and D 
 
1. (C) Summary. Kinshasa university officials expressed 
concern about the vulnerability of students to manipulation 
by spoilers opposed to the transition. They feel there is an 
urgent need for a GDRC sensitization and civic education 
campaign. The extent to which students will participate in 
disorderly activities June 30th will depend largely on the 
GDRC, civil society and the international community's success 
in countering the message of transition spoilers.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (C) University students in Kinshasa have often been 
manipulated by political actors critical of the transition 
government and the international community. Some of these 
actors have already started to encourage students to 
demonstrate and engage in disruptive actions declaring that 
"the transition ends on June 30th." Poloff met administrators 
and faculty from three universities in Kinshasa -- University 
of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Superior Technical Institute (ISTA), 
and the Catholic University of Kinshasa (CUK) -- from March 
30 to April 6 to discuss concerns about student volatility 
and manipulation. 
 
Students: Easy Targets for Spoilers 
----------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) The administrators of UNIKIN, ISTA and CUK said there 
were several factors that made students easy targets for 
people opposed to the transition government: widespread 
poverty, unrealistic expectations that elections will bring 
an end to misery, and general ignorance of existing 
agreements including a constitutional provision allowing for 
two possible six-month extensions to the transition. 
 
Universities Want Sensitization 
------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Administrators and faculty from all three schools said 
there is a major need for civic education in Kinshasa 
campuses to counter political manipulation. They said their 
institutions lacked the resources to conduct major 
sensitization campaigns, but welcomed any efforts by the GDRC 
and the international community. The dean of one of the 
universities expressed dismay at the lack of involvement and 
planning by GDRC authorities in this regard. In his view, the 
government is not "taking the situation as seriously as it 
merits." 
 
Journalism Students Aware of Manipulation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Poloff gave a presentation on the role of the media in 
elections coverage to over 200 journalism students at 
Kinshasa's Communication and Information Sciences Institute 
(IFASIC) April 14. Following the presentation, students 
engaged in a lively exchange in which they agreed that the 
Congolese media can and should play a positive role in 
sensitizing and educating the public about electoral issues. 
Students also said they know about ongoing manipulation 
efforts by politicians like Etienne Tshisekedi, leader of the 
Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) who claims the 
transitional government ends June 30th (reftel). When asked 
whether it would be possible to organize elections by June 
30th, students said they understood this would not be 
possible and agreed there was no alternative to the 
transition. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (C) University officials in Kinshasa are aware of and 
concerned with ongoing manipulation of popular frustration to 
foment disorder on June 30th. The Independent Electoral 
Commission (CEI) and some NGOs share these concerns and have 
started sensitizing the public. However, the GDRC, civil 
society actors, and most especially the CEI, need to play a 
more active role in countering misinformation and political 
manipulation campaigns by individuals like Tshisekedi. 
MEECE