US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA987

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, ASEC, MARR, CG 
SUBJECT: GDRC QUIETLY APPROVES KINSHASA SECURITY PLAN 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff Meghan Moore for Reasons 1.4 B and D 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: President Kabila reportedly approved a 
security plan for Kinshasa in early June to prevent unrest 
later in the month. The Minister of Interior said the plan 
balances preventive and security measures, including 
identifying potential troublemakers, deploying the Rapid 
Intervention Police (PIR) to Kinshasa hotspots, and paying 
the police and military before the end of the month. The 
Minister said the military would be called in if things got 
out of control.  The security plan appears to be a moderate, 
reasonable response to what could be a crisis for the 
transition. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) The Minister of Interior Theophile Mbemba told 
polcouns June 5 that President Kabila approved a unpublicized 
security plan for Kinshasa in early June to prevent and 
minimize possible unrest later in the month. In his opinion, 
the plan balances preventive measures such as community 
outreach, including 'spreading money in hot communes,' 
meeting with opposition leaders (notably Tshisekedi), and 
controlling access to the media to prevent 'hate messages,' 
with more concrete security measures such as specifically 
delegating principal responsibility for maintaining public 
order to the police and identifying potential troublemakers 
to the internal intelligence agency (ANR).  Mbemba told 
polcouns the Rapid Intervention Police (PIR) would be 
deployed in Kinshasa to traditional hotspots, including 
Limete, Masina and near the major universities. He added that 
police and military would be paid before the end of the 
month. Although tension has dropped significantly, and he did 
not think all these measures would be necessary, he felt it 
was best to be prepared. 
 
3. (C) In terms of a back-up plan, Mbemba said military 
elements would be called in, if and only if, things got out 
of control. Mbemba said that the South Africans had been 
helping the Congolese better coordinate military and police 
responses to potential unrest to prevent the military from 
overreacting to civil unrest. (Note: During January civil 
unrest, the military deployed in conjunction with the PIR, 
instead of in support. End note.) He said military units 
would be on standby in areas near traditional hotspots to 
support the PIR. If things got out of control, he said 
600-1000 Angolan soldiers stationed near the airport under 
the command of General Nabiolwa could be brought into 
Kinshasa to quell serious unrest. 
 
Comment 
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4. (C) With the exception of limiting access to the media, 
the security plan appears to be a moderate, reasonable 
response to what could be a crisis for the transition. End 
comment. 
MEECE