DRC Elections 2011 Watch: A Western diplomat's lowdown

1) UDPS change of tactics on Thursdays' demos and 2 police forces with 2 different behaviors

I met this Thursday morning a Western diplomat at a Kinshasa downtown coffee shop catering to expats and moneyed Congolese. (A tiny cup of coffee, without refill, fetches $6,00! As I can't possibly afford such an expense on my limited budget, the diplomat paid for my coffee. I mention this trivial detail because a pro-Tshisekedi reader of this blog accused me of being a member of the pro-Kabila "elite"--people who normally wouldn't flinch at coughing up $6,00 for a cup of coffee without refill!)

The diplomat told me that UDPS has of late changed its tactic for its routine Thursdays demos. Instead of marching, UDPS activists now materialize from nowhere in front of the central Post Office at a previously convened time when UDPS secretary general Jacquemain Shabani appears. And when I was heading to the rendezvous with the diplomat, I saw anti-riot units gathered in front of the Post Office waiting for UDPS demonstrators, while other cops clad in anti-riot gears were patroling up and down Boulevard du 30 Juin, the downtown thoroughfare.

The diplomat also told me there are two different police forces dealing with UDPS rioters--depending on the venue of the demonstration. When the demonstration takes place downtown, two anti-riot battalions trained by the European Union and MONUSCO are deployed. These units are reputed for their professionalism; and they never use live bullets. This behavior is shown downtown no doubt because of the presence of expats and foreign diplomats.

But when demos take place in the cités, where most Kinois live, other strong-armed police units are sent in to squash demonstrators. And these units use live ammuninition.

2) Western goverments have no stakes in Congolese elections

The diplomat was particularly exercised by repeated claims voiced by UDPS leaders and their supporters about the alleged endorsement of Tshisekedi by Western powers. (There's for instance a photoshopped picture of Obama holding a pro-Tshisekedi banner while standing next to the UDPS leader!)

The diplomat insisted that Western powers have no stakes in the upcoming Congolese elections. They have no favorite candidates, he forcefully argued, nor had they made back-room deals with any of the presidential candidates. He called these claims of endorsement "ridiculous" especially in light of the dire economic problems Western countries are now facing.

What's more, Western countries are disappointed by the "unreadable" tactic utilized by UDPS. On the one hand, Tshisekedi's party shows a willingness to participate in the electoral process while at the same time torpedoing it.