For the fourth time in three months, the eleven countries from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICLGR) will meet in Kampala tomorrow. Their discussions will focus on ways to deal with the crisis in the eastern Congo, in particular the creation of a neutral force.
Preliminary meetings have already begun - various UN and AU delegations have spoken with ICLGR's military advisors, and a report from the Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM) is being provided. A diplomat attending the summit told me that they will need some more time for the military planning, and a Military Assessment Team (MAT) will apparently brief the ICLGR again on October 24-25.
The mood in Kampala is skeptical - the meeting comes on the heels of the mini-summit organization on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 27. Little concrete came out of the summit, and the UN said that the neutral force idea would have to be further refined for it to receive the backing of the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, relations between the Congo and Rwanda have reached a new low. Kagame, in an interview with TIME and a speech in front of parliament, has described Kabila's government as "ideologically bankrupt" (along with the M23), and "does not respect or work for its citizens." He has also accused Kinshasa of incorporating genocidaires into his army. A member of the Congolese delegation, on the other hand, has said the Rwandans weren't acting in good faith during the negotiations, taking the M23's side (Kagame has said publicly that there needs to be a political solution, the M23's demands need to be listened to).
But the biggest obstacles to the so-called neutral force are logistical: Until now, only Tanzania has pledged troops, and even then it is unclear whether those troops would accept to conduct risky counterinsurgency operations in the mountains and jungles of the Kivus. And no one has figured out how to finance the force - while many African countries are enthusiastic about it, the funding would mostly likely come from western donors, who are largely skeptical.
While the Congolese and the M23 have had some informal contacts in Kampala, both sides are already planning for further military operations. The Congolese have moved thousands of troops to the Kivus for reinforcement, and the M23 have trained hundreds of new recruits in recent months. The Congolese have also reached out to southern African countries for bilateral military support, and there are suggestions (largely coming from Kinshasa) that the Angolans and South Africans might be willing to back them if push comes to shove.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
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37 comments:
Jason -
Interesting to see how this idea of neutral force will pan out or die out!
It seems the idea was Congolese but had to be enriched through the ICGLR mechanisms but as one can guess rwanda could only try to undermine it from inside pretending to go along with it but also making it difficult to materialise.
Your idea of lack of donors and the willingness of participant forces to be involved in direct fights with insurgents is a real issue that needed to be at least clarified so far in the process; remember the neutral force had 3 months to be put in place since the idea was first announced.
I also wanted to draw attention to the ongoing wave of defections from M23. Some reliable contacts who got some information from those who defected are saying there are signs of growing tensions within the M23 top commanders & political figures.
Some said money collected from various taxes in controlled territories are going to bosco leaving many officers unhappy.
Some others commanding officers and political figures are complaining that they were promised that the operation will be fast and that there was going to be a surge of foreign backers (some from the west) to help M23 get what it wanted and that they would be in far better position in a very short period of time. However, they have now been in this unpredictable war for many months and they have not seen any sign of the things they were promised when they were convinced to mutineer.
Others have also said that recent reports of aid freeze against rwanda makes them believe that they (M23) will soon run out of their key support and that under pressure rwanda is more likely to shift its mind as it did with laurent nkunda.
So, it will be interesting to find out more on how M23 can survive without the controlling hand of kigali. Remember I did say that in one of my comments that the longer it goes the more interesting it will be to see how either M23 will manage internal tensions and how FARDC will try to consolidate its positions. So far they both seem to dither.
FARDC dithering is hardly a news but M23 dithering will be a new element and if these reports (internal tensions, an underpressure rwanda backing off) are confirmed I can only see this movement disbanding (at least under the current name) maybe before the end of the year.
Affaire a suivre en tout cas ...
Rich
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@Rich,
interesting insight as always.You will excuse me to think "half empty glass". I don't trust people who are so easily bought off.
It's obvious that the ICGLR is a waste of time.Pres Kagame said it clearly that Rwanda will not take the lead.Gnrl Kabarebe thinks it won't work.That's tell you that GoR will tag along but won't be committed.
It will be very helpful if pres Kabila follow up with the idea of a national consultation.The idea will not be of course to redo the constitutional order but to bring the country together and discuss how to bridge the differences.There is a huge need of that truth and reconciliation committee to bring people together and face our destiny.
We need to be better organize, we need a better plan, a systematic approach our numerous issues.
Anything shorter than a overall strategy will just kicking he can down the street until the next rebellion.
I think PK used kinder words to describe Kabila's bizzare inconsistency and international community's hypocricy. Kabila and his ministers (Mende, etc,) are jokers. On one hand they support JVM and regional initiatives, on the other they trot the whole world calling for sanctions against some individuals, dismissing Rwanda as supporting the M23, etc. What can you describe this Kinshasa kitchen cabinet? Then you have all human rights NGOs, they focus on M23, saying they monopolise all crimes in Congo. Goodness sake. I read Roger meece's presentation to UN SC, he said the August and Septe atrocities were commited by Rais Mtomboki and FDLR. But That woman in Geneve Pillay, whtever she is, she is obssessed with the letter and numbers M23!
Then aid: The whiteman did not come to develop AFRICA? Aid is being tied on accepting homosexuality (Malawi has accepted it), and other obscure interests (Congo issue) and not to alleviate poverty. Or else, aid is achieving its goal in Rwanda (poverty reduction), then why use other non-developmental reason to withhold it? For the first time I have come to hate hypocricy of so called developed countries. They set aside insginificant amount (perhaps less than 1% of GDP) to give in aid, so they could maintain control over Africa and acquire mining and logging coccesion deals. Where is China? China bring some aid and investment so that we get rid of our former colonisers! But the sad thing is that you embrace China, the west will sponsor a rebellion against you, it is dillema!
@ James Serudonyori, you're right, just let those DRC Government fools be puppets to Belgium and other anti Rwanda detractors, they're not the first idiots we've had in African leadership, remember how Patrice Lumumba was labelled as a 'communist' by the West and other Congolese puppets? remember how Thomas Sankara was labelled as a 'communist' and Mitterand via Ivory Coast looked for a replacement to stop Sankara spreading ideas of revolution? Fools is what we can label any African who follows theories and analysis of Western imperialism!
just yesterday kagame was taking money and orders from the west. now that they refuse to give him money he is labelling them as bad people. Years back when Mugabe was criticising the west as the imperialists Kagame jumped to their defence. Just like Kagame they west also have their own intersts, if you dnt serve it the will sideline you. we live in an opportunistic world
@ James Serudonyori
" The whiteman did not come to develop AFRICA? "
Are you asking a question ? We ( the whiteman ) came to ruthlessly exploit the human mineral etc resources capital of Africa But we have moved on a bit. Slavery is now illegal in the west although you may not of noticed that. Incidently the President of US is black again you might not have noticed.
" Aid is being tied on accepting homosexuality (Malawi has accepted it), and other obscure interests (Congo issue) and not to alleviate poverty."
I was unaware that western aid was contingent on compulsory African homosexuality. Could it be that the west has moved on with regard to equality ?
Should not all people have equal rights under the law ?
Your racism, homophobia and ignorance would seem to qualify you for a leadership position in the new " Africa " An Africa based on Mugabe and his ilk rather than Mandela who has shown the world the way forward.
@ Stewart: I am not a racist but it is better the truth to be said. In history we were taught that the colonialists decided to abolish slavery because it was no longer economically viable. They wanted the labour to remain where it was and engage in cash crop agriculture to fuel industrial revolution in that part of your world. So, any humane move was made for a economic purpose.
Now, let us come to interesting conditions attached to aid. Forcing homesexuality down people's throats, because they are poor, is not geared towards creting equality, no. It is just to humiliate people and undermine their values. Neocolonialism works through dominating other people's way of life. So, you are bringing this homosexuality thing to undermine what makes us Africans.
As for aid: my goodness. I read Dambisa Moyo's book. This Zambian was educated at Oxford and Havard. After reading it, it became clear to me that aid is a tool of control, domination and making the west feel good. If you use aid effectively you can come out of poverty, and if you are out of poverty you will stop glorifying the whiteman and give him what he wants. So, they have to keep you there.
Rwanda was getting strong, using the small aid it was getting (we are talking about 80 million pounds here from UK, not even enough to buy Christiano Ronaldo) to improve lives of its citizens. Now it is becoming victim of own success.
if it was about human rights, there are other violators who are never mentioned. Basing aid decisions on just AI reports and biased Group of experts interim report?
@James:
Bringin in Moyo's book is not getting old does it ? I dont know how old you are, but as good as Moyo has stated her point ( and a lot of truth is in it ) as much was it proven that it simplifies issues far to much just so that it fits into her argument.
Yes development aid is used to sometimes achieve certain agendas in foreign policy, and that is a shame, but the way of the world. Homosexuality is not necessarily the "big one" ( and most of the african homophobia is created by right wing christian groups finding fertile soil for their limited view of the world...most of this organizations come from the US in the first place ...so who is the puppet now !? ).
And to the point of slavery. It is far to simple and short sighted to put the end of slavery to just economic reasons. Yes, it was a important element, so was the end of colonialism. If having colonies would have been extremely economical viable, then we would have it till today.
But back to slavery...an element not only well known to the colonizers...but also to the indigenous societies where te colonizers recruited their slaves from. Big african kings and chiefs selling out their own people to gain more money and influence is a well known fact ( read Mungo Park ).
So before you go off and try to explain to world to us and how it goes, do your homework and read more then just Moyo's book... the truth ( which you claim to tell ) has always two sides...a obvious one and a less obvious one. Nothing in life is black and white, even if its much more convenient less exhausting for a lazy mind to do so...
The last 6 months have been hell for Congolese people in the Kivus, but they also have debunked many myths and revealed many truths, provided many lessons. Just 4 of them:
(1)There is no such thing as a “common foreign policy” by the West on Congo, or Congo-Rwanda conflict. Clearly, the US, Belgium, France, Britain or the UN each pursues distinct objectives. Even inside each of these countries, there are two opposed camps of friends and foes of the Congo. Or the camp of justice for the Kagame-martyrs in the Kivus (ref. Britain MPs letter to Kagame) and that of inveterate Kagame-backers (Tony Blair or Andrew Mitchell). Check this row in Britain about Kagame-backer and far-right-wing Andrew Mitchell strange “unfreeze” of aid to their despot protege Kagame (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2215369/Rwandan-despots-16m-aid-deal-faces-axe-countrys-appalling-human-rights-record.html#comments)
This is why Congolese Diplomacy that traitor Mbusa Nyamwisi sabotaged needs to be inventive enough to exploit this and reposition Congo in the world once again.
(2) One thought the Kigali junta was just bent on looting gold and coltan from the Kivus. It is rather bigger than that, it seems to be a matter of life or death for them. They are convinced that with peace, rule of law and Congolese state authority in the Kivus, they are nothing. So they would do everything to delay or prevent this. Remember this conflict broke out when Congo decided to end impunity and bring rule of law in the Kivus.
(3) Congolese government should now avoid “secret or tacit agreements”. All should be publicized. No wonder people in Kigali regret the late Katumba Mwanke as compromising secret deals were cut by Congo while Rwanda wanted to maintain chaos in the Kivus.
(4)Lastly, though many Congolese would kill me for this but I personally would want to see a speedy diplomatic and political solution to this conflict. Like recently in Ituri with Cobra Matata or in N-Kivu with many Congolese militias, M23 should be invited to “regroup” to disband before Congolese government should sincerely respond to only “reasonable” of their grievances (with express guarantee from UN, CIRGL and SADC).
@Marc and Stewart ,
I agree with you. James' positions are full of unnecessary racist and homophobic insinuations.
I have the impression of listening to Pres. Mugabe or Julius Malema.
@ Marc,
We are discussing morality issues here. The west gives aid because you know, they say "We have to help these people who are dying of malaria, hunger and help them treat their women well, etc" You have to agree that most western countries are no longer rich enough to spare money to give as handouts to poor nations. UK is making massive cuts, Italy is collapsing, Greece and Spain are dead, etc. But despite their hardships, they say let us help these africans... morality comes in. They give negligible handout, 80 million dollar, 200,000 dollars, fine...
And I am challenging this whole thing of marality, things are done for a purpose, hence Dambisa Moyo's take on aid.
If you read through her book, you will notice that she says past authors against dead aid, were completely ignored! Aid is just industry, instrument of control. It aids new-colonism.
If it was just meant to develo people, then Rwanda would continue to receive it. Researches commissioned by donors themselves point to effective use of aid in Rwanda to alleviate poverty.
But now the whole English press has gone rabid, talking about war in Congo and quoting Amnesty International reports. Then they cut aid, because morals do not allow them to support violators of human rights.
Never mind that those who tie aid on morality ignored UN resolution to wage wars around the world.... They pursue their interests, others rights are no concern to them...
So, this is what makes me angry with 'the first world, developed democracies' take the world for granted.
@James:
well we dont have to talk about if Moyo is all wrong or all right. Thats not the issue. Sure she has very valid points, and one of them is clearly that development aid is not all about moral reasons. But so it is NOT only about manipulation. Like i said, issues are more complex as just "one way" ( and that makes it also sometimes so difficult to tackle problems ). And Moyo was not the first one, nor is she going to be last one who wrote about the dangers of a "aid industrie". But lets be honest, its not only about the people handing out stuff, but also about the people who receive handouts, without asking the right questions before doing it.
You seem to be very much in the "me, the victim of injustice" role... we cant cry all the time about the injustice that we experience if we turn a blind eye to the motives and motivations of the elements around us ( you point that out, i think ). But just being angry and frustrated with the world around you, is not helping anyone. Accusing the "other" side to always to impose some "other" morale on you, that is just a weak excuse, especially when the handouts where taken gladly while there was no "fuss" about it.
Nothing in life is for free... absolutely nothing. It always comes to a price and very often we cant see what we have to pay if bill is collected ( morally speaking ).
@ Marc,
Totally agree with you last sentence:nothing in life is free.
Remind me of "sweet dreams' lyrics":Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused."
@Marc,
you are right in many ways... but we are talking about this now because of events that have been unfolding... and we have to sustain the debate and see the way forward for Africa...
"We can't see what we have to pay if bill is collected," ya, absolutely. We have to appreciate that we have to rethink aid. Kenya was denied aid in late 80s and early 1990s but the country has leant to sustain itself. only 14% is funded by the donors, actually it doesnt need it. Rwanda's Agaciro fund will perhaps show us another way to do it. China is emerging stronger and is ready to bring their money to Africa, "Chinese are our friends," Dr Dambisa Moyo.
Aid is the bridge throigh which the west uses to come and do anything in Africa. David Cameroon and Hilary Clinton connected aid with hosexuality, etc, etc. So, you cannot discuss aid in isolation from other factors.
Uganda, Congo, Angola, Egypt, Ghana do not need aid, they need good management of their resources. If more and more countries will despise aid, and the West does not impose negative influence (sponsoring rebelions), Africa will emerge as a new economic force, another Asia in offing
Donors will always do what fit their interests.
Sky won't fall on Rwandans because aid is frozen or cut. As a Rwandan, I won't much focus on either aid should be cut or not. My concerns are related to a well coordinated campaign against Rwanda and its leadership. This campaign is orchestrated by groups with obscure interests in the great lakes region. Some are those who ran the show since 1918, and created conditions for the 1994 genocide.
If you can exceedingly make it with 100% then you will effectively make it with 60%. Rwanda gov should adapt their spending accordingly while identifying other possible revenue streams( taxation niches, increased share in region trades with EAC and COMESSA,
additional policies to ease national and foreign investments- Rwanda diaspora injects in Rwandan economy 230 Millions Us$ each year).
In 21st Century, developing countries don't necessary have to turn to the Breton Woods institutions and affiliates or OECD countries for long term loans(strangely these are some time referred to as AID).
Angola and Mozambique are doing great with cash flowing from Exim Bank and ASEAN countries. Zimbabwe(a land locked country like Rwanda) partly survived the much anticipated financial collapse by turning eastward.
@ Gisa,
That's a more positive and better way of seeing things!One should not lamenting on aids. Mzee Kabila and Congo survived although cut off international aids, IMF and WB.
Only exception is Zimbabwe,not a good example 2 follow,pres Mugabe is killing his own economy doing same zairianization's mistake Mobutu did(nationalization without formation). beside,Zimbabwe was a middle income country before failing of.
It needs not take a neuroscientist to observe that “foreign aid” is a “leverage tool” in IR. You can’t happily require aid but give nothing in return. The assumed understanding is, the more aid you get, the more “ally” you are made, the more patronage you enjoy in the int’l media, the more “fake” always perfect performance statistics you are given by IMF and WB. Cases abound: Kagame, Museveni, Zenawi’s Ethiopia, Mubarak’s Egypt, Jordan…
On the other hand, Dambisa Moyo makes valid points especially regarding the “addictive effect” of aid. However, in my opinion it is not the “donor” but the “recipient” who needs to be blamed for this obscene relationship. Therefore it is the recipient who would alter it.
"Beggars are not choosers". It is pathetic for example that Kagame loudly curses the hands that feed him, yet he revels unashamedly in Rwanda being the world “best spender” of other people hard earned money. If he was proud enough he would decree that “extraordinary Rwandans” would no longer take aid from anyone, just as proud Congo did towards Belgium both under Mobutu and JK.
Look, instead of Africans like Kagame blaming “whites”, they should create conditions of peace and prosperity, bigger markets and economies of scale in their regions so they don’t need “foreign aid”.
Muana Congo, you make a point but then you veer off course, for obvious reasons.
If you read Dambisa Moyo's Dead Aid book, President Kagame is the only African leader mentioned in that book. In fact Moyo was invited to address Kagame's cabinet retreat at Rubavu on the way forward out of aid. So, Kagame has always despised aid, but you dont wake up one morning and say I dont want that aid, you use it to supplement your efforts. Remember Rwanda is just 18 years old. In 1994 it was destroyed in every aspect, after killing people, genocidaire uprroted roofs, stripped shops bare, stole all the currency from banks, so it was starting from scratch... last year's budget would be funded 40% from external sources, down from almost 90% years ago.
Trade will prosper, the Chinese will invest and give loans, we will do away with aid.
if you have been to Europe you will also realise they dont have much to give, they only squeeze themselves for the sake of retaining influence overseas. Much of their programmes go unfunded, no cash. They need to bail out their trade partners in Europe, etc.
@James:
i dont think you are actually reading my posts...
@Gisa:
bringing in Zimbabwe as a example of how the "new" cashflow helped african countries is pretty short sighted. The cash flow that Zimbabwe secured, doesnt help the country itself. It keeps the lid on top of the boiling pot and saved the rulers from another bitter development...FOR NOW! But it doesnt create long lasting solutions for the country's economic crisis nor does it solve the fact that Zimbabwe wracked its economic structures.
A lot of money spent by the ASEAN countries, do the same as the money did of the west in the 60ies and 70ies...it probs up certain groups and provides some money to keep the situation calm, but it doesn't create extra value to the citizens.
Best example is Angola, you have to be pretty blind to not see how the "oil" money wracked the countries humble economy after years of civil war and at the same time fed a upper class like a fat goose.
The problem with China, right now, is that they are exclusively self-oriented. They are mainly interested in their own growth. Ultimately they dont care what happens to the other countries they invest in, as long as the ROI is good. The West did the same after the 2nd world war. Until some people developed something what you could maybe identify as a conscious (not all of them of course and the ship is still run mainly by the morally corrupt, but so is the captain of the "chinese" ship ).
Like I said nothing comes without consequences and if you believe that any meal is for free, then you are pretty naive. The money of the West was not for free and caused much injustice and turmoil over the decades and so is not the money from China etc.
Im not saying though that everything is lost, the truth lies as always in the middle. Just dont be wide-eyed ...I also said earlier that there is not only "one way" of doing a thing and the reality has many shades of grey.
@ James Serudonyori
I agree with you when you intimate that many in Europe want to play powerful but they are in reality bankrupt. I will add that we are living a moment of truth. To paraphrase Francis Fukuyama it is the “end of history” for many. Apart from the USA, Germany and the Germano-scandinavian countries for particular reasons, many economies in the West are empty card boards. It is not just Greece, Portugal or Spain. Many in the West want to feel “superior” to someone, why not to the African? Bastards!
That said, one has travelled enough. I am a Dambisa Moyo fan and follow her. But one of her cardinal sins is to mention Kagame on foreign aid. It is a “contradiction in terms” because Rwanda is the biggest ongoing beneficiary of aid in the world. Another of her sins is to not provide a “solid way out of aid”. She talks about “security markets” as a solution, correct. Now, for instance how many companies are listed at Rwanda’s stock exchange? Is it liquid at all? How about the sovereign bond market? The same applies to Congo. But I still love her though.
Finally, I do understand that because of 1994 for you guys Kagame is your Ben Gurion. Appreciate that. But please do look beyond. Ben Gurion is no longer in Israel. This man is short-sighted and busy misleading you folks. This senseless war in the Kivus is unnecessary. Forget about Hema-Tutsi empires stories, we are doomed to live together in peace in the Great Lakes. We need to create bigger market and economies of scales to compete with the rest of the world. That is the only way to recover our dignity!
@ James Serudonyori
" @ Stewart: I am not a racist but it is better the truth to be said."
I have no issue with the truth James in fact I think I said it.
" We ( the whiteman ) came to ruthlessly exploit the human mineral etc resources capital of Africa "
Slavery wasn't abolished because of economics your understanding of history is flawed to say the least.
http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/
It in fact it remains a blight on the world to this day.
Incidentally nobody is forcing homosexuality down anyones throats. It is called equality.
Mwana Congo, do you believe the Un group of experts' report? It is highly biased! Actually, the sources are congolese military, intelligence, NGOs and some un-named border people. And then pictures of a bullet, uniform, boots and guns. Can you believe it? That is fakery.
The war in Kivus is caused by absent state. Kinshasa cannot gurantee its eastern citizens stability, prompting each triobe to form a militia. Yes, M23 but Raia Mtomboki, etc, etc, etc, etc, Pareco, etc, etc,
Let Congo be strong, control its territory then all this you wont hear about.
@ James Serudonyori
Guaranteed, you and I will disagree on the involvement of Rwanda in the violence in the Kivus.
Just wondering why does Rwanda refuse to just “denounce the M23 negative force” as per ICGLR, UN or AU designations? Instead Rwandan gov. proposes its “mediation” between DRC gov. and M23 because of some consanguinity. So can the DRC gov. also “mediate” between FDLR and Rwanda gov. (since we have Congolese Hutus)? Are not the neighbors Rwanda and DRC supposed to fight together their “negative forces” or is M23 a “positive force” for Rwanda?
Also both of us do agree that the ideal solution is strong state institutions. Yet this conflict broke out precisely when at last DRC decided to strengthen the prime institution “army” by cutting out the parallel army of CNDP and really integrating them into the Congolese family (ref. Gen Kaberebe interview).
A question, as strengthening state institutions is an ongoing process, what do you think should be done NOW pragmatically for M23 to disband and bring relief to the suffering civilians there?
@ Muana Congo,
So you neutralise M23 and Congolese problems are over? Let us be honest, the most active groups that rape, kill and sow sufferings are FDLR, Raia Mtomboki and other ragtag militias. Roger Meece reports to UN only blame M23 for diverting military resources...not for atrocities.
So, because Rwanda does not denounce M23 therefore it supports it?
Kabila has been playing games and Rwanda feels misused. Kabila came, asked Rwanda to arrest Nkunda, which they did. Then he came asking them to arrest Ntaganda, it would be endless child game... Refer to Kagame and Kabarebe interviews...
Then remember there is too much anti-Rwanda feelings, anti-Tutsi feelings, there is a deliberate plot to disinherit Congolese tutsi refugees in Rwanda by condemning them to permanent refugee life, hence M23's genuine cause.
Congo should reform its institutions, impose state authority and stop blaming neighbours. It should also guarantee security and prosperity to everyone, then deal with its militias. Nobody helped Rwanda dwal with FDLR. And FDLR is a force with fanatical ideology, it is led by trained officers but it is stopped from doing anything in Rwanda. Congo also should impose itself, that's all.
@ Muana Congo
What should be done NOW: If you cant beat them, join them. Congo should hold talks with M23, implement the 2009 to the letter, demobilise and integrate afresh, because after all FARDC is a collection of untrained criminal militia groups. Once there is peace, MONUSCO can help it regularise the army, by weeding out bad elements. then the country will enjoy sustainable peace.
@ James
" The maxim is "Qui tacet consentire": the maxim of the law is "Silence gives consent". If therefore you wish to construe what my silence betokened, you must construe that I consented." Thomas Moore - A Man For All Seasons.
@ James Serudonyori and H Stewart
I just did’t wish two of us to hog this thread.
“Mea culpa”. You answered the wrong question. It is my fault indeed as because of typing errors my question has come out completely differently. Which gave you that opening. LOL.
For starters, you can see that our premises and points of reference are different. M23 is for all a “negative force” like FDLR and others. Al-shabaab and The Touaregs have conquered huge territories in Somalia and Mali, yet all agree that they are “negative forces” and effort is made to eradicate them by AU and UN. The UN and others recognize that M23 is busy committing “worse war crimes and recruiting child soldiers” why would they be treated differently?
As I have said before on this blog that there should be a “political solution” to this conflict but this should be between DRC and Rwanda. If M23 is a Congolese militia then they should accept to be treated like all other Congolese militias
Now here the real question I had put to you:
… and DRC and Rwanda are joint responsible for this conflict, what do you think each country should do NOW pragmatically for M23 to disband and bring relief to the suffering civilians there?
@ Muana congo:
This is a simple question to answer "what should be done?"
Rwanda denies supporting M23 and I support them on that. Even if they are supporting them as UN GoE insists. It is just negligible support worth not wasting time on. Ak47s, street children rounded up and given basic training in weapon handling (refer to testimonies in Goma and in Un reports), mobilisation through telephone calls, etc. Honestly what kind of support is this? That Gen. Kabarebe launched the rebellion over phone? hahahah, telling Congolese do this, move this rebel, this that on phone! Mobilising politicians, military, etc on phone, like headmaster instructing his primary school pupils...
That kind of support is no support, and I believe Rwanda cannot put its regular forces in harm's way without proper supply and rescue logistics plus support weapons. So, let us eliminate the possibility that Rwanda is supporting M23. This militia is on its own.
What should be done?
1. Congo should take the responsibility. Kabila and Mende are okay in Kinshasa, leaving donors and NGOs to deal with the situation on their behalf.
2. They should stop blaming Rwanda but instead support regional initiatives such as JVM, etc.
3. FARDC, if they want to eliminate M23, they should fight them to conclusive end.
4. Rwanda says it doesnt want to be involved in this, because of congolese double-stanrds. yes, they should be left out, and Congo deals with its situation with help of 1.4bn dollar MONUSCO.
I hope this makes sense
Here is an excellent summary of the situation in the Kivus.
http://ethuin.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/far-from-the-kivus-la-francophonie-covers-conflict-and-bad-governance/
It has emerged that, the Chief M23 pedophile, Bishop Runiga is a first Cousin to James Kabarebe's wife, Esperance Mudenge.
On the hot topic of Aid, I think its immoral for Kagame's little-slimes to come here and preach to the world, that Aid should be handed out on a gratuitous basis. As if Janet Kagame uses the same mentality when using Rwanda Tax payers(sorry, western Aid)money to fly over 200 guests for her birthday bash and only 15 friends are invited from Rwanda???
And guess what, the brother-Richard Murefu the next day used the same plane with a couple of friends to fly to UK to watch the premiership.
How sweet can Aid money be than that??
Rutshuru/London
@ Virunga,
thank you so much for your invaluable insights,it's really important to debunk all the propaganda both governments are serving us ad nauseum.that just show their hypocrisy:incite hatred between the poor and watching from afar.
@Virunga,
do you have more info on our side of the fence?Here is the akasu from the other side.
http://africantyrants-akazu.blogspot.com
@Blaise
What I know on our side, is in many pieces that need to be investigated extensively.The corruption ring is run by foreign legion:Tanzanians, Lebanese, Ugandans,Rwandans,etc. and managed by Jaynet Kabila and Zoe Kabila.
In-fact, Jaynet is more closer to criminal Kagame than Joseph Kabila when it comes to business criminality-that's why Joseph sometimes goes in tantrums by planning half baked military operations on Kagame's Alibabas. Its got nothing to do with fighting for our sovereignty, but more of getting back to the sister. Now you can understand why Criminal Kagame is always surprised when such attacks take place.
I'll try to get my source to give us more insight:
Rutshuru/London
@ virunga mountains
Keep up the good work.
That is why I have always wished that ordinary people on both sides in the region woke up and saw this thing for what it is: a macabre business venture by the elite.
With open societies, no secrets, more unmediated inter-communities dialogues, “war gamers” will find it hard to sow hatred and play their “game”.
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