Cablegate: Burundi: Tape Reveals Radjabu Plans for Armed

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SUBJECT: BURUNDI: TAPE REVEALS RADJABU PLANS FOR ARMED
REBELLION

1. (SBU) Burundi,s Minister of the Interior, Major General
Evariste Ndayishimiye, is investigating reports that former
CNDD-FDD party president, Hussein Radjabu, is organizing an
armed rebellion against President Pierre Nkurunziza,s
government. In Bubanza province, Burundian security forces
have already arrested a number of people and seized their
weapons in response to accusations of local insurrection.
The Interior Ministry continues to investigate this evolving
story.

2. (SBU) On April 24, African Public Radio announced the
existence of a three hour recording of a Radjabu speech given
to representatives of CNDD-FDD,s demobilized soldiers, in
which he expressed his desire to start an armed rebellion.
The objective of the insurrection would be to tarnish the
image of Nkurunziza,s government and to create a launch
point for Radjabu,s own CNDD-FDD party wing in preparation
for the next elections in 2010. APR delivered a copy of the
recording to the Securite National de Renseignments (SNR),
Burundi,s intelligence service. APR will also air the tape
in its entirety over several broadcasts through the day.

3. (SBU) Radjabu,s address detailed plans to install five
"Kagabos", or deputy wise men, in various collines (villages)
throughout Burundi. The goal of the Kagabos is to promulgate
Radjabu,s plans amongst the people, door to door, and to
recruit followers who will "save the CNDD-FDD party from
those who are destroying it." Radjabu characterized the
Tutsi CNDD-FDD members as "opportunists" with no party
conviction, charging that they lied to Nkurunziza,s
government with the intent to destroy the ruling party.
Radjabu is encouraging the Kagabos to defy local authorities,
promising to use other loyalists in each colline to threaten
any police who may try to arrest them.

4. (SBU) The Ministry of the Interior is also investigating
the existence of weapons caches throughout the country
created by CNDD-FDD members loyal to Radjabu. Local
authorities throughout Burundi claim that Radjabu followers
working in the Burundi,s intelligence service, previously
known as "Documentation", have been distributing and hiding
weapons throughout the provines in preparation for an armed
rebellion. In particular, four months ago, the governor of
Karuzi informed officials that Radjabu had authorized a
weapons cache within his district. At a CNDD-FDD party
meeting in Bujumbura a week later, responding to direct
questioning from Radjabu in front of a stadium audience, the
governor recanted his earlier statements.

5. (SBU) Comment: The reports of Radjabu's plans for
rebellion have been widely reported by the local media,
however; we have yet to confirm the details with the Ministry
of Interior. We will provide additional information as we
learn more about this developing story. End Comment.
MOLLER

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