It is was a h
ighly orchestrated production, with Kabila's twin sister Janet in attendance, and two national MPs contributed several hundred dollars to the operation.The result? In Kitchanga, the former capital of CNDP-held territory, only 14 weapons were handed over after local leaders had told them not to hand over their guns. The population there is heavily militarized after Governor Serufuli distributed thousands of weapons in 2001-2003 (although Gen Bosco declared that it was a huge success). In Goma, however, the population handed over 986 weapons in just 3 hours. But what kind of weapons: according to people who were there, barely a single AK-47. Instead, a lot of old, decrepit rifles, the kind that poachers use, barely functional. A lot of doubts that this was for real. "They needed to show something for the president's sister," one Congolese soldier who attended the ceremony told me. Others have suggested that this has been a way to pay off disgruntled CNDP officers after they failed to get positions in government. Nonetheless, some national newspapers (close to Kabila) hailed it a huge success and proof that peace had come to the eastern Congo.
I wonder why only 50$? That doesn't seem like all that much money in N Kivu for a Kalachnikov -- wasn't PAREC offering 100$ in Kinshasa? And a Bicycle in Katanga? (which is also probably worth a bit more than 50$ in the local market there). One would think that given the arms market and security concerns, the price would be a bit higher in Goma.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you saw this February 18 Radio Okapi report entitled "Opposition in Masisi against operation 'Weapon for $50'": "Community leaders forbid populations to turn in their weapons for $50, determining that they are the only guarantee of security in the advent of a resurgence of hostilities."...
ReplyDeleteHello Jason,
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blog since I discovered it a few months ago. I was in Goma in 2008 and 2009, working with IDPs, and I wrote a blog from there (http://stopthewarinnorthkivu.wordpress.com)
I have read the last press release by Global Witness and now some news are starting to criticize it. Do you agree with it?
Best
Nicolás Dorronsoro
nicolasdorronsoro@gmail.com
@ Mike J - Problem with cash for guns is that it goes against the market. Suppose an AK goes for $100 on the market (I have no idea what it really costs) and the government offers $150. Well, then I'll give you my gun, buy another gun for $100 and pocket the $50. Then I'd go back to the government, and give my gun for $150 and start all over. Cash for guns programs can only work when there is no demand for work, and are (in my opinion) more or less useless.
ReplyDeleteThat's more or less right - apparently, an AK goes for between $25-40 on the black market around Goma these days, so you can more than cover the cost with your PAREC money.
ReplyDeleteAlex, the Okapi story you mention is about people like Erasto, a Hutu local chief around Kitchanga who is very close to Bosco and the CNDP leadership - so the CNDP were pretty hypocritical about this.
Ha. I was wondering why the road between the 1st and 2nd roundabouts was so crowded last week. Oh. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about the sweet PAREC teeshirts people were getting. They put them on about 50 taxi moto drivers who honked around town all morning.
ReplyDeleteI have been watching this exercise closely and though it is not a runaway success, its fairly satisfying.
ReplyDeleteIf some weapons were worth only killing animals(actually what can kill an animal can also kill human), at least be satisfied that already depleted animals would be saved.
Please do not try to find faults, or read between the lines. Support the good initiative. If you can afford, donate some money and help take out some weapons out of circulation.
By the way AK rifle can cost anything over 1000 USD.