ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATING THE ASSASSINATION OF DROC PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06692056
• 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: March 7, 2001

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TO: PRIORITY NIMA NAVY YARD WASHINGTON DC, DIRNSA,
ANCHORY FT GEORGE G MEADE MD, SECSTATE WASHDC//INR/DSITA/SCT//,
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SERIAL:
?ASS: -NSA FOR ZKZK 00 DLS DE (FOR NSOC).
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASSSECRET--NOFORN
DIST: 7 MARCH 2001
COUNTRY: CONGO(K)/ZIMBABWE
SEC
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SUBJ:
DOI:
SOURCE:
SUMMARY: NONE
TRXT.
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATING THE
ASSASSINATION OF DROC PRESIDENT LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA
THE COMMISSION WOULD NOT FINISH
ITS WORK UNTIL MID- TO LATE MARCH, I.E. SOMETIME AFTER PRESIDENT
JOSEPH ((KABILA))'S TRIP TO EUROPE. IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT
THE COMMISSION HAD STARTED ITS WORK 10 DAYS LATE, THERE WERE STILL
MANY CONGOLESE OFFICIALS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL TO BE QUESTIONED.
2. IT HAD BEEN IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE
COMMISSION TO DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY
DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WHAT OCCURRED, AND IT MIGHT NEVER BE CLEAR
IF THERE WAS ACTUALLY A PLOT OR NOT. THE COMMISSION CURRENTLY
BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LATE PRESIDENT'S
CLOSE PROTECTION UNIT WERE AWARE OF THE PLAN TO KILL THE
PRESIDENT; MOST WERE FROM SOUTH KIVU PROVINCE, AND THEY HAD SENT
THEIR WIVES TO CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE IN ADVANCE OF THE ASSASSINATION.
OMMENT: THE COMMISSION LEARNED OF THIS BECAUSE SOME OF
THE WIVES WERE ARRESTED IN THE DROC BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO GO TO
BRAZZAVILLE.)
3. MANY OF THOSE WHO WERE
INVOLVED WITH THE ABORTIVE COUP PLOT DIRECTED BY COMMANDANT
ANSELME NINDAGA ((MASASU)) IN OCTOBER 2000 WERE ALSO ORIGINALLY
FROM SOUTH KIVU, AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT ARRESTED HAD FLED TO
CONGO/BRAZZAVILLE AFTER MASASU'S ARREST; THERE APPEARED TO BE A
LINK BETWEEN THE TWO EVENTS. IN ADDITION, AFTER LAURENT-DESIRE
KABILA'S ASSASSINATION, TWO OF THE KEY WITNESSES, ONE OF WHOM WAS
PRESIDENTIAL BODYGUARD GEORGES. ((MIRINDI)), HAD BEEN HELPED TO
ESCAPE FROM THE DROC MILITARY INTELLIGENCE "GLM" PRISON, BEING LED
OUT HANDCUFFED BY A CONGOLESE ARMED FORCES (FAC) OFFICER, ALSO
FROM SOUTH KIVU. ALL THREE HAD THEN FLED TO BRAZZAVILLE.
COMMENT: HOW THIS
ESCAPE WAS POSSIBLE IF THERE WAS NOT A PLOT INVOLVED.
WHY CONGO/B PRESIDENT DENI
((SASSOU-NGUESSO)) WAS PROVIDING REFUGE TO THESE CONGOLESE AND
CLAIMING NOT TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE; THE DROC HAS INFORMATION THAT
A NUMBER OF THOSE WHO FLED AFTER MASASU'S ARREST AND THE
ASSASSINATION ARE NOW IN POINTE NOIRE.)
4. THE COMMISSION'S INVESTIGATION APPARENTLY INVOLVED SOME
SETTLING OF SCORES AND RIVALRIES FROM WITHIN THE FORMER DROC
ADMINISTRATION--EVEN THOUGH THE COMMISSION'S MEMBERS INCLUDED
NON-CONGOLESE PARTICIPANTS (ZIMBABWEAN, ANGOLAN, NAMIBIAN) IN AN
ATTEMPT TO GUARANTEE AGAINST CHARGES OF POLITICIZING THE FINDINGS.
THE COMMISSION WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WHATEVER FINDINGS IT MADE
COULD NOT BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF FOR POLITICAL REASONS. THE
COMMISSION DID NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN THE
ASSASSINATION, DESPITE PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY DROC SPECIAL
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PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY ADVISOR NONO ((LUTULA)) OF "A FOREIGN HAND"
IN THE ASSASSINATION.
LUTULA HAD BEEN ASKED BY THE COMMISSION TO STAY HOME
A COUPLE OF DAYS DURING THE LAST WEEK OF FEBRUARY (I.E. HOUSE
ARREST), BUT LATER THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO BEGIN BY QUESTIONING
HIS STAFF ON THE EVENTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE ASSASSINATION, SO
LUTULA WAS ALLOWED TO RETURN TO WORK. LUTULA WAS GOING TO BE
DETAINED THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR QUESTIONING, HOWEVER, IN CONNECTION
WITH HIS HANDLING OF THE "SECURITY FILE" BEFORE AND AFTER THE
ASSASSINATION; LUTULA COULD TELL THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME IF HE
HAD ANY CONCRETE SUSPICIONS ABOUT FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT. THERE WERE
ALSO QUESTIONS ABOUT LUTULA'S TIES TO CONGO/B INTELLIGENCE AND
WHETHER HE WAS RECEIVING MONEY FROM SASSOU-NGUESSO.
5. IF THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF
THE INDIVIDUALS NOW DETAINED WERE IMPLICATED IN THE ASSASSINATION,
THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
COMMENT: THIS MAY MEAN THAT SOMEONE LIKE FORMER PRESIDENTIAL
MILITARY AIDE-DE-CAMP EDDY ((KAPEND)) COULD BE CHARGED AND PUT
BEFORE A DROC COURT.) KAPEND WAS UNDER ARREST AND WOULD REMAIN
THERE UNTIL HIS GUILT OR INNOCENCE COULD BE DETERMINED.
HE WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO ALLOW TO GO FREE AND
PERHAPS BEGIN PLOTTING AGAINST JOSEPH KABILA. EVEN IF KAPEND WAS
NOT INVOLVED IN A PLOT TO KILL LAURENT-DESIRE KABILA, KAPEND HAD
GIVEN THE ORDERS TO EXECUTE 11 LOCAL LEBANESE BUSINESSMEN AFTER
THE ASSASSINATION.
KAPEND COULD CERTAINLY FACE CHARGES ON THESE
GROUNDS.
6.
POC:
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS WELCOME.
ACQ:
DISSEM:
USUN, USCINCEUR, EUCOM JAC, US SURVEY
DIVISION SHAPE, CINCUSAREUR, CINCUSAFE, CINCUSNAVEUR, COMSIXTHFLT,
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