Cablegate: Update: Fardc Recovers Some Civilians Taken

VZCZCXRO8251
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0627 1580941
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070941Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6258
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000627

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM MOPS KPKO CG
SUBJECT: UPDATE: FARDC RECOVERS SOME CIVILIANS TAKEN
DURING RASTA ATTACKS NEAR BUKAVU

REF: A. KINSHASA 582
B. KINSHASA 593

1. (SBU) General Sylvain Tshikwej, 10th Military Region
Commander, confirmed to PolOff June 6 that patrols of the
Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) located nine kidnapped
Congolese civilians (eight of them alive and one dead) in the
Kahuzi-Biega National Park outside of Bukavu on June 1.
Three of the villagers had been kidnapped from the Kanyola
area (ref A), three others were from Kabare territory (ref
B), and three had reportedly been in captivity for six
months. Tshikwej said a joint FARDC/MONUC patrol found the
remains of three additional villagers -- two men and one
pregnant woman -- in the same region on June 4. The home
village of the second group was not immediately apparent,
although Tshikwej speculated the victims were killed after
the Kanyola attack.

2. (SBU) General Tshikwej said that his troops were
continuing joint operations begun June 3 with MONUC
peacekeepers in the Park.

MEECE

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