STATUS OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE ASSASSINATION OF DROC PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA AND THE COMMISSION'S CONCLUSION THAT COLONEL EDDY KAPEND PLAYED THE CENTRAL ROLE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06692047
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-00031
• Publication Date: May 10, 2001

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CINCLANTFLT//NORFOLK VA//, COMMARFORLNT//NORFOLK VA//.
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THE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE; EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCEUR;
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(EXCLUSIVE FOR THE COMMANDER); EXCLUSIVE FOR CINCUSAREUR;
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COMSIXTHFLT; EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCTRANS; EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCSOC;
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE COMMANDER JSOC; EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCJFCOM;
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE COMMANDER JFIC; EXCLUSIVE FOR CINCLANTFLT;
EXCLUSIVE FOR COMMARFORLANT.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
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REPORT CLASSSECRE T-
EXCLUSIVE DISSEMINATION TO ADDRESSEES LISTED AT END OF REPORT
DIST: 10 MAY 2001
COUNTRY: CONGO(K)/ZIMBABWE/ANGOLA
SUBJ: STATUS OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE
ASSASSINATION OF DROC PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA
AND THE COMMISSION'S CONCLUSION THAT COLONEL EDDY KAPEND
PLAYED THE CENTRAL ROLE
DOI:
SOURCE:
SUMMARY: NONE
TEXT:
1.
2.
THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON THE
ASSASSINATION OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DROC) PRESIDENT
LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA HAD BEEN RELEASED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
ZIMBABWEAN, NAMIBIAN, ANGOLAN, AND DROC GOVERNMENTS. THE EVIDENCE
INDICATED FORMER PRESIDENTIAL AIDE-DE-CAMP COLONEL EDDY ((KAPEND))
HAD PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE ASSASSINATION.
3. THE COMMISSION NOTED THAT KAPEND HAD GIVEN ORDERS NOT TO
ISSUE WEAPONS TO MOST OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARDS ON DUTY ON 16
JANUARY, THE DAY WHEN THE ASSASSINATION TOOK PLACE. THIS, IN
TURN, FACILITATED THE ESCAPE OF THE ASSASSIN, WHO PURPORTEDLY
REMAINED UNNAMED AND AT LARGE. THE COMMISSION MEMBERS CONCLUDED
THAT RASCHID MUZELE KASEREKA, THE ORIGINAL SUSPECT WHO WAS SHOT
AND KILLED BY KAPEND THE DAY OF KABILA'S DEATH, WAS NOT THE REAL
ASSASSIN. IN ADDITION, THE COMMISSION MEMBERS CLAIMED THAT, ON
KAPEND'S ORDERS, THE ASSASSIN HAD BEEN GRANTED ACCESS TO A SMALL
COMMUNICATIONS ROOM ADJACENT TO THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE--ANYONE IN
THIS ROOM COULD VIEW ACTIVITIES IN THE OFFICE AND THEREFORE STRIKE
AT THE MOST OPPORTUNE MOMENT. LASTLY, THE COMMISSION MEMBERS
BELIEVED THAT KAPEND HAD DELIBERATELY DOWNPLAYED WARNINGS THAT
WERE RECEIVED IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE ASSASSINATION THAT
INDICATED A POSSIBLE ATTEMPT ON THE PRESIDENT'S LIFE.
4. SOME CONGOLESE MEMBERS
OF THE COMMISSION IN EARLY APRIL HAD AGAIN RAISED CIRCUMSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE POINTING TO THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IN EVENTS SURROUNDING THE PRESIDENT'S DEATH. ZIMBABWE REMAINED
FIRMLY IN CONTROL OF THE COMMISSION'S ACTIVITIES, HOWEVER, AND THE
LATEST ATTEMPT TO IMPLICATE THE UNITED STATES AS HAVING HAD A
POSSIBLE CONNECTION TO THE ASSASSINATION HAD BEEN EFFECTIVELY
SILENCED. THERE REMAINED ON THE COMMISSION A SMALL, HARDLINE
GROUP OF CONGOLESE WHO SEEMED INTENT ON HIGHLIGHTING THE UNITED
STATES' SUPPOSED CONNECTION TO KABILA'S MURDER, BUT THIS FACTION
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WIELDED LITTLE INFLUENCE. COMMENT: AS LONG AS ZIMBABWE
WAS ESSENTIALLY IN CONTROL OF THE COMMISSION THESE CONGOLESE WOULD
NEVER BE ALLOWED TO GAIN ASCENDANCY.)
5. THE ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT
HAD BEEN STRONGLY CRITICAL OF THE COMMISSION'S PRELIMINARY
FINDINGS THAT PLACED KAPEND AT THE CENTER OF A CONSPIRACY, AND
ANGOLA HAD EXPRESSED STRONG OBJECTIONS. COMMENT: THE
ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT'S REACTION IS UNREASONABLE SINCE ANGOLAN
INVESTIGATORS HAD BEEN PRESENT DURING VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE
INVESTIGATION AND ESSENTIALLY HAD AGREED WITH THE EVIDENCE FOUND
BY OTHER INVESTIGATORS OF VARYING NATIONALITIES. LUANDA WAS
"PLAYING POLITICS" WITH THE COMMISSION'S PRELIMINARY FINDINGS.)
THREE VERSIONS OF THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS HAD BEEN WRITTEN: ONE
IN ENGLISH BY THE ZIMBABWEAN AND NAMIBIAN INVESTIGATORS, ONE IN
FRENCH BY THE CONGOLESE, AND ONE IN PORTUGUESE BY THE ANGOLANS.
DESPITE BEING WRITTEN BY THE DIFFERENT PARTIES, THE THREE VERSIONS
WERE BASICALLY IN AGREEMENT THAT BOTH THE EVIDENCE COMPILED
AGAINST KAPEND WAS TRUE AND ALSO THAT IT APPEARED TO POINT TO
KAPEND'S SIGNIFICANT, IF NOT PARAMOUNT, INVOLVEMENT IN THE
ASSASSINATION.
POC:
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
ACQ:
DISSEM:
KAMPALA, KIGALI, KINSHASA, LONDON, LUANDA, LUSAKA, NAIROBI,
OTTAWA, PARIS, PRETORIA, ROME; (PRINCIPAL OFFICERS ONLY), USUN
(AMBASSADORS ONLY), US SURVEY DIVISION SHAPE (EXCLUSIVE FOR THE
COMMANDER), EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCEUR, EXCLUSIVE FOR THE COMMANDER
EUCOM JAC, EXCLUSIVE FOR CINCUSAREUR, EXCLUSIVE FOR CINCUSAFE,
EXCLUSIVE FOR CINCUSNAVEUR, EXCLUSIVE FOR COMSIXTHFLT, EXCLUSIVE
FOR USCINCSOC, EXCLUSIVE FOR JSOC, EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCTRANS,
EXCLUSIVE FOR USCINCJFCOM, EXCLUSIVE FOR JFIC, EXCLUSIVE FOR
CINCLANTFLT, EXCLUSIVE FOR COMMARFORLANT.
WASHINGTON DISSEM:
TO WHSITRM:
TO STATE:
TO DIA:
TO NMJIC:
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE
SITUATION ROOM
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY,
INR
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, DIA
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR
INTELLIGENCE
TO ARMY: EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF
FOR INTELLIGENCE
TO NAVY: EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF NAVAL
INTELLIGENCE
TO MARINE CORPS: EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF
INTELLIGENCE
TO AIR FORCE: EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, ISR
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TO JWAC:
TO NSA:
TO TREASURY:
TO DOE:
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, NSA
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE
SECRETARY, NATIONAL SECURITY
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
INTELLIGENCE
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