US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1830

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001830 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KPKO, CG, CF 
SUBJECT: MORE THAN 300 FORMER ZAIRIAN SOLDIERS RETURN TO DRC 
 
Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (U) On November 1-2, 318 former soldiers of the Mobutu-era 
Armed Forces of Zaire (FAZ) returned to the DRC from 
Brazzaville after fleeing the country following the fall of 
the Mobutu regime in 1997. The soldiers and their families 
(totaling 764 persons) are undergoing a sensitization and 
orientation program outside Kinshasa run by CONADER (DRC's 
national disarmament agency) for a one-week period. The 
soldiers will then have the choice of either being 
demobilized into Congolese society, or reintegrated into the 
national army. 
 
2. (SBU) According to Daniel Kawata, CONADER's General 
Coordinator, his agency will continue receiving ex-FAZ 
soldiers until the end of November. Kawata told PolOff 
November 2 that he expects another 400-500 ex-FAZ to return 
to Kinshasa during that time. According to officials from the 
International Organization of Migration, approximately 3,000 
ex-FAZ soldiers and their families are living in the ROC, 
mostly in the cities of Ifondo and Pointe Noire. The refugees 
recently repatriated had been living in Brazzaville. 
 
3. (SBU) Kawata said CONADER will begin the process of 
identifying the former soldiers November 3, at a location 
called "Jolie Site," about 30 minutes south of Kinshasa. 
While there, the soldiers and their families will undergo 
orientation programs where they will be taught about the 
structure and goals of the new Armed Forces of the Democratic 
Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the plan for democratization 
and elections in the DRC. They will also be provided 
information on options for pursuing a civilian life, 
including activities in agriculture or commerce. 
 
4. (C) After the one-week orientation program, the former 
soldiers must then choose whether or not they wish to join 
the FARDC. If they do not want to join the military, they and 
their family members will be sent to rural communities for 
repatriation. Those who choose to enter the FARDC will be 
relocated to brassage centers throughout the country. Kawata 
said he expects approximately two-thirds of the returning 
soldiers will choose to be integrated into the FARDC. Kawata 
added that the repatriation of the ex-FAZ is an important 
step for DDR efforts and CONADER, as it will help all 
Congolese understand that each person is a stakeholder in the 
peace process, and all elements of Congolese society must 
take part in it. 
 
5. (SBU) Since October 18, the repatriated soldiers and their 
families had been living in squalid conditions near 
Brazzaville's port, in the hopes of crossing over to 
Kinshasa. GDRC authorities in Kinshasa at first prevented the 
group from crossing, ultimately suspending river traffic 
between the two cities. The GDRC was initially concerned the 
ex-FAZ soldiers posed a security threat, as many had 
apparently committed acts of looting and other violence 
before they fled the country. After CONADER and other GDRC 
delegations visited the refugees, however, officials 
concluded the group would be allowed into the GDRC under the 
auspices of CONADER. 
 
6. (C) Comment: The return of the ex-FAZ closes what has been 
a tense chapter in Kinshasa regarding the peace process and 
the integration of the national army. Elements of the ex-FAZ 
had been viewed by a few GDRC officials as suspected agents 
in a coup against the current government, largely due to 
their ties to the old Mobutu regime. In addition, CONADER's 
work at demobilizing former combatants and building up the 
FARDC has been largely ineffective. However, a successful DDR 
process with regard to the ex-FAZ is a positive step towards 
achieving a unified army and in moving the DRC towards a more 
durable peace. End Comment. 
MEECE