The Framework Agreement is on first glance paradoxical: prompted by the recent escalation in violence in the eastern Congo, nowhere does it mention either the M23 or any other armed groups. In part, this is because it did not want to substitute itself for the (moribund) Kampala negotiations, which had been backed by the region. But this lacuna also stems from the fact that the PSCF has grander ambitions than just dealing with this recent outbreak. It wants to tackle the unfinished business of the Lusaka-Sun City peace process (1999-2006) and address the root causes of violence in the region. It sees these as the failure to build strong, accountable institutions in the Congo; and the persistent meddling of the region in the east of the country.
Admirable, to be sure. So how does it intend to go about it?
From first appearances, the strategy is to leverage donor aid to create twin processes, one with the Congolese government to build institutions, the other with neighboring countries (especially Rwanda) to provide incentives to promote development in the Congo.
There has been some progress, even before the process has kicked off in earnest. Let's take a look at some of this:
- The Congolese government has set up a three-tiered oversight mechanism for national reforms––it's run mostly out of the presidency (the president controls both the comité de pilotage as well as the comité exécutif, despite a push by Prime Minister Matata Ponyo to play a more active role), but provides for "consultations" with donors and civil society through its comité consultatif.
- The Congolese government has also sent a draft to Mary Robinson of what a plan for national reforms could look like––while it is still under wraps, it reportedly includes efforts to sanction abusive officials, accelerate decentralization and reconciliation, and split the supreme court into three courts, as required by the constitution.
- Separately, the government last week briefed ambassadors on their plans for SSR, possibly one of the most important institutional reforms––more on this later, but it is a serious, if overly ambitious plan that sees army reform largely as made up of restructuring, training, and equipment. It has little of combating impunity and promoting competent military leadership.
- On the regional front, little has happened, but the signatories of the PSCF are preparing for the first meeting of the regional oversight mechanism, and Robinson will probably be submitting benchmarks to the UN Security Council in time for the UN General Assembly in September. One of the main questions here will be whether to make the benchmark for Rwanda a passive or an active one: Do we simply ask them no longer to support the M23, which is difficult to observe, or do we place the burden of proof on them, given their support to the rebels last year, and ask them to force them to accept a reasonable peace deal?
- Then there is the development aid package, which World Bank President Jim Kim announced this week: $1 billion for development projects in the region, apparently––but not explicitly––conditional on the implementation of the PSCF. This includes a considerable amount of money for hydropower in Rwanda and its neighbors––$340 million for the Rusumo Falls project and $150 million to rehabilitate the Rusizi dam on the border between Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Here, there appears to have been a shift in emphasis, from sanctioning Rwanda (a good chunk of the money that was suspended last year has been now disbursed) to providing positive incentives for collaboration.
- Meanwhile, donors in Kinshasa are also trying to promote more coordination in support of the PSCF, but also in order to leverage their aid for political reforms. A draft proposal for this kind of coordination is currently circulating in Kinshasa, but the Congolese government continues to be extremely allergic to any notion of a CIAT-II (CIAT was the donor coordination body during the peace process from 2003-2006).
So what does this mean? It could be a lot worse; both donors and the Congolese government have moved quickly to take advantage of the new process––a welcome sign of hope. But the entire project rests on several tricky premises: First, that there will be enough pressure on the Congolese government to carry out reforms that the leadership there has been extremely reluctant to carry out––this pressure will either come militarily, through the M23; through the opposition, which is still divided but could cohere for a serious national dialogue; or through donor coordination and leverage. The first is obviously unpalatable,;the second is ideal but will the opposition/civil society be able to present a united front?; the latter has consistently failed over the past decade. And all of this as Kabila is entering a risky three-year succession struggle (his last mandate expires in 2016, unless he changes the constitution).
Secondly, that the international community will be able to bring new approach to dealing with armed groups in the eastern Congo, especially the M23 and the FDLR. There seems to be some will to hold Rwanda accountable for the M23, but that momentum seems to be waning and faces resistance from Kigali and the successful donor programs in that country. And there has been no change to the tied-and-tested military approach to the FDLR––one could imagine some creative thinking on further incentives for high-ranking, non-genocidaire officers (e.g. third country exile, resettlement in the Congo).
Lastly, for the moment the trend is toward escalation, so there may very well be more war before there is a serious peace effort. The M23 has been fighting with the Congolese army on the outskirts of Goma for the past week, there are serious reports of an FDLR incursion into Rwanda as of last night, and the Congolese army wants to give the Intervention Brigade a chance before it considers any compromise with the M23.
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45 comments:
This is a fair analysis. But the root question remains, will the people in key positions do the right thing? It is hard to see that all of the pressuring and pushing and coaxing will lead to anything sustainable and effectual if the folks we are hoping to act don't have the will to act. For me, this is a huge failure in Western and UN advocacy. We are willing to accept less for the Congolese than we would accept for ourselves. This is reflected in all of the efforts and prescriptions that come from the UN and the West in general.
Buying off Rwanda and creating more empty peace agreements with false promises. It's just a circular system that denies numerous political and historical factors. Unfortunately only conflict and underhanded agreements will solve these issues.
I don't think all those good ideas will matter if fundamental reforms are not followed through.
Army reform just mean partying with the old ways or at least applying the principles and laws that already EXIST in the army.
It's not for lack of training(belgian/american commando trainees during Goma fall) or equipments(tonnes of materials in containers during Goma debacle)that cause the fardc to flee but a poor management of human resources. Competences are not used where they should and people get away with murder.For example, the poor "general" Mayanga had 500 or so combattants under him as a mai mai chief but he was in charge of more than 3,000 soldiers as head of the north kivu military region.How was it supposed to handle that?
Even Mzee FAC had more organization and sense of purpose than our Fardc.
It seems to me that as long as the laws of nature(survival of the fittest) are perverted by the IC, there will be no push for change from Kinshasa.
As we are not insulted enough,even ally(South Africa) thinks that they need to baby sit us.
http://www.agenceecofin.com/politique/2505-11186-selon-la-ministre-sud-africaine-de-la-defense-son-pays-va-faire-du-baby-sitting-en-rd-congo
A “positive takeaway” from the “framework UN-WB tour in the great lakes” is that the IC has finally joined ordinary Congolese (that Heal Africa Dr Mukwege represents) to ditch that 19-year long intellectual-impersonal-diplomatic lingo crap about the Kivus conflict and characterise it for what it is: gravest human tragedy that puts the humanity of each one of us to shame. When you see even WB president Kim while in Goma, shake the loan-shark and military-like image of his institution (from R. McNamara to P. Wolfowitz) , to say “Enough is enough”. Then you know now is time only for “solving” and not any other distraction.
Also, the very conception of the “framework“, as a solution mechanism of this conflict, deals a fatal blow to the “demonic lie” peddled in the last 19 year, and that made all insensitive to the suffering of fellow humans in the Kivus: that somehow this conflict is “too complex” or even self-inflicted (by Kinshasa gov).
But as Ban says, good intentions are not enough. Now is time for immediate and tangible actions by all principal actors (JK,Kagame, Museveni). The first action should be to end the “present danger” that M23 militia is to the civilians. That should be the priority for all.
PS
“3 days only” war between FARDC and M23 must have left amateurs of “warnography” (craving for war as infotainment) begging for more. Armchair disciples of Sun Tzu (Art of war) started dishing out daily casualty reports and pseudo-strategies. Don’t worry you will be served very soon.
muanacongo
HERMAN COHEN & Co. and the “AddisAbaba Framework”
Many Congolese have seen this video of the ultra-extremist-zionist Herman Cohen boasting that this “framework” is his brainchild. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwYuW32BlxM).
I am sure Cohen is banking on the clause recommending the exploitation of cross-border natural resources between Congo and Rwanda. Question is what are those resources? Is it the Kivu lake’s natural gas or Virunga mountains gorillas? Is that the real “causus belli”?
Look Herman Cohen, that broad daylight heist has been foiled. Even the envisaged decoupling through the framework is just as stupid. The martyr of Kivutians make them more Congolese than anyone else every day (Ask Mrs Robinson). Fiction is not Reality.
Humanity is in gravest danger that today people like H. Cohen have such undue sway on the “thinking and decision making” on American foreign policy. Whenever given a chance, they have destroyed societies, turned Africa into a war zone (Liberia, Angola…). Where are Dick Cheney’s PNAC luminaries who once invested corporate media to “sell” the Saddam Hussain’s AMD lie? Where are they now that Irak is burning with most brutal Shiite-vs-Sunni-vs-Kurds sectarian violence they never experience before with no end in sight?
Just why are people like Herman Cohen allowed to destroyed societies with diabolical experimentations, with no American interests being served whatsoever?
As for Congo, you Herman Cohen and friends have lost. Good will always trump evil. Leave African people build peace and prosperity. You are old, just retire and die!
muanacongo
The lady in charge of south Africa defense said that her forces will be in Drc 2 baby sit the fardc because Congolese cannot organize their institutions. In the mean time, the so called Republicans guard are busy controlling 5 out of 8 mineral warehouses hence making them out of reach for control.
In the world of "critical thinking", it is called "confirmation bias". Which is this compulsion for fishing any bit of information to validate one's uni-dimensional argument. Is there still anyone left out there not to admit the imperative need to reform DRC army or what Kongo NYC calls it nicely the "DRCgov centrality of agency" in the Kivus crisis?
Look people, the Kivus tragedy has now gone beyond "indulging in blame games", we are now in the "solution mode".
How about President Kikwete's bombshell (he knows about this crisis more than anyone on this forum). He suggests a "global solution" where Congo, Rwanda and Uganda all "negotiate" with their respective "foes", M23, FDLR and ADF-NALU?
(http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20130526-rdc-pas-paix-durable-negociation-globale-selon-le-president-tanzanien).
How about that?
muanacongo
It will be interesting to see what strategy pres kabila will adopt in order 2 take command of the army as he did with the economy.The stakes are higher and quite lethal.A lot of his barons depend on the influence they have on some units in the army (like the allegations against Numbi and ex gov Masangu). They will not go down without fighting viciously. A progressive or sneaky approach is wise.
I must have missed the post where the blog owner gave supreme power to x or z to determine what 1 can say or when a subject is close. As far as I know I can start a whole conversation abt the #bikalakasa if I so wish. Internet beef is childish and doesn't solve anything. Again, it just a blog, what matter is what one does INDIVIDUALLY for his country.That's the bottom line. What have we done lately for the kivu? That's real live,real talk.
Dear Blaise,
Look, South Africa is not and has never been a Congo's ally or friendly country. It amazes me to see even Kinshasa makes this same mistake. Many facts since mid 90s shows that South Africa plays a very damaging role when it comes to conflicts or other matters concerning the Congo. Knowing that, I think we should nothing good only worse from South Africa.
What Congo needs are strong institutions and offensive diplomacy, real national and patriotic army, well organized diaspora and engaging civil society to save the Congo.
Unfortunately, what we have now is just a shame president and his court ruling on "village Pumbu".
Well Spoken, Bob Mbeki!
@Bob mbeki
Thx for your insights but I'm afraid u r talking 2 the wrong person. I was just pointing out how condescending our supposed ally was talking abt us, Congolese. States have interests not friends, that's the first lesson in international relations.
obviously ppl are convinced that the solution for all evils will be the IB. I'm sceptical but who am I to judge? You just have to compare military budgets 2 see what's wrong in the picture.
The Apartheid SOUTH AFRICA was a strong ally of MOBUTU's ZAIRE,The 1990's MANDELA's S.A was not very much engaged in Africa's affairs,the MBEKI's administration became more engaged in Africa and the DRC in particular.then ZUMA followed up on MBEKI's policie.today SOUTH AFRICA is the strongest ally of the DRC on the Continent .the 2 Country have forge a strong economic alliance from mining and oil deals ,the INGA project etc.South Africa has to protect its interest .I don't care what a soldier or politician says.even if South Africa does not play a key role in the intervention brigade ,the entrance of the strongest Army in East Africa(TANZANIA ARMY) is going to be a game changer.
I meant countries
@congoman
I agree that Tanzania intervention is a complicating factor for the coalition(they will think twice before attacking the IB hence cutting themselves from the port or Dar).
Don't forget that South Africa also financed the Rcd/Goma.Like mr bob mbeki said,I won't trust them necessary.
The bottom line is really for pres Kabila to find the right mixture to get the army going.It's important that the army moral run high.The pres had to find a way of addressing divers suspicions and injustices in the army.
The good news is that despite that,there is a 8.8% croissance forecast for 2013/2014.I just wonder how high we can go if the gov succeed on restoring security across the national territory.
http://economie.jeuneafrique.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17494
Apparently SA is dragging its legs while Fardc are ready to "kick M23 butt till Kigali" under the concerned eyes of Goma's mayor.
http://mobile.reuters.com/regional/article/idCABRE94R0HQ20130528?edition=ca
A rwandan told me that every time we talk about Rwanda sending men to M23, we make it sound like it's NATURAL for RDF to DEFEAT FARDC.I point out it's absolutely not a natural fatality but a complex from those who were trained in the RPA.Not the case for all Congolese soldiers.
@blaise
yes I agree with you .but remember.that was the MANDELA administration.this is a completely different SOUTH AFRICA .he did not just support the RCD but he also armed Rwanda and Uganda.MANDELA was too old and distracted by BILL CLITON and T BLAIR .I don't even think the guy was running his own Country.the guy was spending more time in European Capitals than in PRETORIA wile the entire African Continent was being set on fire (SIERA LEONE,LIBERIA,DRC,ETHIOPIA,ERITREA,SOUDAN,ANGOLA was almost starting to affect western ZAMBIA...) The old man may be a Hero for his people but he is not my hero .MBEKI changed all that and focused more on African affairs.
about the FARDC I totally agree with you .the damage of brassage and mixage still needs a lot of cleanup but right now the moral has been boosted by the reinforcement. I don't know who will come after JK but unlike you guys I might be naive but I really don't think he will cling to power past 2016.whoever will replace him I don't know but he is going to cleanup all the filth left by the mixage and brassage BS.but the m23 terror movement took with it a big chunk of the filth .now we need to deal with the corrupt bros like the TANGO FOR...and that will be an easy thing to do after all the remaining spies and terrorists are dealt with .
Blaise -
Ref # "I point out it's absolutely not a natural fatality but a complex from those who were trained in the RPA.Not the case for all Congolese soldiers."
Well said my friend.
Rich
@ blaise
I don't consider the RDF tribal militia to be a good army despite all the propaganda.that's the only so called military in East Africa that does not have an air force...they're just a tribal militia that can be crashed anytime .that's why they will do anything to get deal that will lead to another mixage.but that will never happen and if it happens again JK risks becoming a CHOUCHESKU.people still angry and they will never forgive JK for that mixage and brassage BS that gave criminals like BOSCO and NKUNDA etc. the grade of
generals and almost destroyed not only the FARDC but the Country.they have .eaten and finished all the carrots there's no more carrots for terrorists.
@ Bob Mbeki
I agree with Congoman. With no basis it is would be just a speculation to say who is or not DRC’s ally. In IR, countries bind each other in varying degrees of privileged associations. One such type of higher association is Bi-National Commission (commissions mixtes). On this basis, DRC has Bi-National Commissions (BNC) with only Angola, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Those are allies in my book.
Also, it should be clear that Mwalimu Nyerere Tanzania’s Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and Mandela’s ANC are not only the longest but the only truly ideologically-inclined and panafricanist political parties left in Africa. They don’t pay lip service, they “practice” panafricanism as history shows. Besides, normal “national interests”, they sincerely believe that Africa can not integrate or develop without “peace”. No other country in the world has worked for peace like SA: Burundi, SouthSoudan, Liberia, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, DRC… That mechanical “pursuance of immediate economic interests” is not always evident in all these cases.
In one word: I think people suddenly “vilify” SA and TZ because they chose to side with Congolese people, as they did Angola and Zimbabwe.
That said your recommendations to Congolese are great!
muanacongo
There are things that just defy logic. New generation of Congolese defy Congo-bashing headlines.
Check this out:
(1) Here, Mme Ivette Mwanza Mwamba’s company (African Smelting Group) invests $millions in a tin smelter in Sake- Masisi (a stone throw from the frontline). A first in the Kivus. WHY? Unshakable faith in Congo’s bright future! (http://radiookapi.net/actualite/2013/05/28/nord-kivu-la-fonderie-detain-implantee-sake-compte-raffiner-plus-de-50-tonnes-par/).
(2) Here, Seti Yale Jr (old money) launches the inaugural “Int’l Congo Auto Show” or Congo Salon Automobile a la Frankfurt Auto Show (30/5 to 2/6/2013). WHY as this was supposed to be the poorest blab la… As Set Jr puts it, this is the time for all Congolese to rebuild the country and not just the gov. (http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/92115) (He is JP Bemba MLC opposition member, that is the Congo I love!)
(3) Or here, to improve the tarnished DRC’s image, Congo will have the inaugural “Tour du Congo” (bicycle race) (http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/91143) (18-29/2013) (900 km). (Tour de France or Giro d’Italia here Congo comes)
I spare you more other “inaugural firsts”, maybe specialists should study the "Congolese metaphysics" to explain to us all what justifies this resilience, this irrational attachment to that land, this hope against hope for the promised strong and prosperous.
The moral of the story is “all Congolese need is just to get this Kagame monkey off our back” so we can rebuild that freaken piece of land in the heart of Africa!
muancongo
@Rich,
thx man,they all believe abt a stupid theory of fear as a long term solution. They are in borrowed times. A relation based in fear is unsustainable,many things can happen.
@Congoman,
You maybe right abt JK not clinking in power,maybe he is emulating Kibaki and working for his legacy,pushing Matata, building infra, nobody knows. We all are just guessing based on what we think we know.
My concern is not having a regime change but instead I care more abt Congo making the right moves,regardless who is in power. At the end of the day,only few people are directly affected when a family member access to power. For the rest, it won't really matter at least physically.
That said, I believe that people are more focus on the consequences than the causes. I'm convinced that one of the CAUSE the Fardc are defeated is because we are disorganized. The CONSEQUENCE is any force can defy us.
So in this perspective, if we solve the consequence(RDF/UPDF) involvement, will that fix the cause? Will it prevent the bakata katanga or Morgan to wreak havoc in Congo? That's where we should focus.
Dear all,
I do not agree that RSA is a Congo's ally. I insist again RSA has always played a very damaging role in Congo crisis. Facts are tremendous, with few cited above by Congoman, to strengthen my point.
The only interests RSA has in the Congo are individuals to individuals (Zuma entourage and Kabila entourage) and other mafia-like ventures.
The Congo find itself at the centroid of the most evil triangle of our time. The vertices are Anglo-Saxon imperialism (Clintons, Tony Blair, Rice, ...), RSA and the poor Rwanda (add to this lower vertex countries willing to be manipulated like Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, ...). To understand the Congo tragedy, you need to be able to understand how that evil triangle works. Otherwise, you will ear comments like the situation is very complex, ...
Rumour has it that the reason why FARDC waded off M23/RDF latest attacks at Mutaho was mainly because they didn’t get those “orders to retreat from ghost commanders” as has been the case so far. There has been “shift of usual commanding personnel” of M23 buddies. Blunt motivational talk by Gen. Oleko did also help. So much so that already deprived Goma’s women collected a sum as a token of love and encouragement for people soldiers, the valiant FARDC. Talking about paying our soldiers well!
DEVOIR DE MEMOIRE
One of the many proofs of DRCgov indolence is the shocking lack of “national memory” about many Kagame/Museveni-sponsored massacres Congolese people have endured in the last 19 years. I mean, where is a monument to Mwenga women buried alive by RCD? Where is a monument to victims of “guerre de 6 jours” between Uganda and Rwanda in Kisangani? Where is the monument to the Kiwanja genocide by Nkunda’s CNDP? Where is a remembrance site in Goma-martyr for all the victims of this war?.....
Here Congolese should learn from Jewish people who are so excellent at never forgetting and remembering their people killed in WW2. Congolese primary and secondary schools’ curriculums should reflect this “constant existential threat” that the Congolese lives under!
muanacongo
@ Bob Mbeki
I would agree with you as far as the big picture goes. It is just too easy to tell how big sharks are at play in Congo, far beyond those small fries or small African accessories. Absolutely, the “Congo crisis is COMPLEX” phrase is too well known now. Back room deals and vague language mark this conflict. For them, the “framework” is the last resort.
That is why some of us have advocated that any “negotiations” be done in “public” and in a “plain language”.
But I still objectively agree more with Congoman that SA is more motivated to protect its national economic interests throughout DRC than those undeniable private deals. The investments of its companies (in mining, telco, oil and other sectors) far outweigh Zuma’s cousin oil deal or any kickback from JK. Have a look at these graphs and tables, DRC is today a major net export partner for SA, and with the reconstruction drive going on, SA companies are making a monopolistic killing there. (http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113447.pdf)
I just can’t find the bloody link, but I was surprised to learn that SA’s tourism contribution to GDP is better than any other sector and it is dominated by African middle class (not Americans or Europens aas one would expect), and guess which countries: NIGERIA, DR CONGO and ANGOLA visitors (in that order).
I am just saying the motivation for a “peaceful DRC” for SA is just too overwhelming. We can always speculate about private things. I know that too simplistic AngloSaxon vs French line from the Kin LePotentiel newspapers very well.
I may be horribly wrong but that is just my "view" not the "truth".
muanacongo
@ blaise
Yes i totally agree .the intervention brigade can't be used as an excuse against the badly needed reform of our security sectors.but in order to do any real reform and I mean real clean up,they have to be a real balance of power in the region .without that balance they can't be any reform .I think everyone knows that .peace has to return to the east at any cost .we can't let others continue to impose their will on us at gun point .those who think that this mess has weakened JK are just fooling themselves.we can't continue to underestimate his power to maneuver and use this crisis to his advantage .
@ Bob Mbeki
I don't think the people of KIVU cares if S.A or ZUMA is a friend of JK or the DRC.all they want is for someone to help kick out those RWANDO-UGANDAN terrorists who have terrorized them for the last2 decades.they do not care if that help comes from CHAD,SOUTH AFRICA or ANGOLA ...all they want is to be able to return to their farms without being blown up by those KAGAMEs terrorists,to be able to send their kids to school without the fear that those kids will be abducted and turned into child soldier and killing monsters.all they want is peace and they will welcome anyone who offer to help them achieve it .
@congoman
You are absolutely right about maintaining the balance of power but in my view one doesn't have to be a prerequisite for the other to occur.Bear in mind that the IB will only have 3,000 soldiers. They will be essential for tilting the balance but Fardc still have to occupy conquested territories otherwise we will keep having that ping pong game where the Fardc dislodged,the militias retreated,the Fardc move somewhere else,militias come right back. That what one of the things that cost the Us the war in vietnam.
When I think abt army reform,I just picture putting the right people the right place and let's the whole thing restructured itself. We have a wealth of capable officers who studied different aspects of the military.Why not putting them in their field of study first inside the army and take it from there? I can guarantee you that the result will be startling. It won't be overnight but way better than what we have to witness with all those drop outs who are in charge actually.
We need to raise the level of our army. There is a lot of people who should not be in the army. I was listening to the INPP director and was impressed by the tremendous work they did with the DDR,helping soldiers transition from the military to civilian life.They taught them mechanic,electricity and masonry. I thought that was an great idea to create micro centers across the kivu to absorb all those young people.
I always love this institute.What despair me in Congo is that there is so many good initiative but they are not coordinated. We need that missing link in order to fly like eagles.
Blaise Congo man -
Sorry to intrude,
Ref # "We have a wealth of capable officers who studied different aspects of the military.Why not putting them in their field of study first inside the army and take it from there?"
I think that's what SSR is all about. What you have mentioned in the sentence above, is the main component for any decent SSR and that has always been a process and not an end product.
In order to do it properly, one must get serious (quick and rational) in doing an in-depth stock take of the army. Such stock take enables to identify not only the quantities but also the qualities of the military and armed personnel. it is after such stock take that one will be able to reallocate resources and expertise according to the needs on the ground. This has been ongoing but I'm not sure where they are and what has been achieved so far...
I also wanted to add that being in renown mil academies won't be enough we have younger and new revolutionary and patriotic officers who joined the army without necessarily going to big school. Some of these officers have learned their job on the ground and acquired real knowledge of fighting both the terrain and the enemy. We can't just leave them out or sideline them...
So as you can see, this is not a straightforward process nor is it a static one. this is a dynamic thing that should be ongoing both in time of peace as well as war. What is sure is that starting from the more homogeneous units (new units trained by Belgians, the US, SA...) and gradually build the remaining or needed corps of the army can be an ideal place to start any reform.
Rich
Congo’s CURSE
The curse that has bedeviled Congolese people since 1960 is its “POLITICIANS”. Short-termists, visionless, blood-suckers… Now I hear that there is this so-called “Dialogue or Concertations Nationales”, apparently to foster “national cohesion” or something. HOW? Should any Congolese be begged to be in solidarity with FARDC and our people in the Kivus? I just don’t get that calculus that will make Kagame back off and M23 lay down their arms once those Congolese politicians have had a glass of lotoko (Congolese vodka) together in kinshasa!
I am worried because whenever these morons meet, the Congolese people always gets short-changed. It is either those in power want to cling to it or those in the opposition want to join the gravy train, and both sides feel merry. UNANIMITY is not democracy. Congo needs a strong OPPOSITION to keep a check on those in power. Though weak and marginalised, the Congolese opposition has done a relatively good job so far in parliament.
In my view, the ONLY dialogue should be a SINCERE dialogue amongst ALL the communities in the Kivus to thrash out their DIFFRENCES, suggest a consequent way to live together in PEACE and RECONCILE. They should be folks out there who can facilitate this: how about the Dalai Lama, or Bishop Desmond Tutu, or President Jimmy Carter or even Pope Francis? It may be a stretch maybe, but the point is politicians and warlords have sowed so much HATRED in the Kivus that we need a serious HEALING PROCESS. And these world moral authorities can HELP!
I just hope I am missing something here.
Typo errors (unforgivable)
Here (MAY 26, 2013 AT 2:10 AM ) its Panzi Hospital Dr Mukwege, NOT Heal Africa
Here (MAY 29, 2013 AT 10:07 AM ) its Gen. Olenga not Oleko
muanacongo
@Rich
No harm made, please intrude, lol. I agree abt your assessment overall.
U absolutely right abt not leaving ppl out. Lets say that experience had to go hand 2 hand with theorical knowledge (fruit of past experience). I was thinking more abt the administrative and managerial aspect of the military. Like those special functions one need to study in order to perform well. Im thinking abt those coordinations jobs and logistics. Even the genie need some help.
The idea of starting with homogeneous units is great. I wish there will be a throughout analysis of the state of our army and our to plug the holes now.Last year eusec was complaining abt a bunch of critical posts that weren't filled.They leave next year, I wonder were we stand so far.
The main problem in the great lacs region of central Africa is the terible weakness of congo security system, which deraved from chaotic administration, legacy of ancien regime of Mobutu.
The Kabilas never been given a chance to fix it.
The democracy process neither helped much, since the congolaise culture of democracy is not far from Anarchy politics.
The international community is very right to point that weakness as the main cause of unstability in the eastern congo.Kabila must fix it while the UN brigade will assist him in doing just that.
@ Rich and Blaise
I Completely agree with both your comments but i think the biggest problem is not the shortage of qualified officers.we have so meny well educated officers and like Rich mentioned ,we also have many young patriotic officers who joined the army during the war for patriotic reasons and have acquired experience and knowledge on the ground .the biggest problem has been impunity.and the presence of enemy combatants among the ranks who infiltrated the FARDC through those so called peace deals.this issue has to be dealt with before anyother.they have to be a real clean up.those enemy combatants who did not join the m23 are even more dangerous .we can't win if our military intelligence continue to be passed to the enemy .this shall be the priority.a major cleanup has to be done as soon as possible.like Blaise mentioned in one of his previous comments ,we still have some of those guys in Command of some strategic regions like Kisangani and elsewhere ...this has to change. we lost many battles not because of the luck of educated or experience commanders but because of having those spies in position of command passing intelligence to the enemies and ordering our troupe to retreat for no reason during an offensive .this is why a major cleanup has to take place before any other reform .
@congoman
U should take a look on the wikileak in rapport with gnral Obedi in order 2 have a grasp of how bad it is. That was 2004! I couldn't believe what I was reading.he basically said he wasn't sure of the loyality of his own troops while fighting gnarl Nkunda. I wondered why that situation wasn't tackled with more tact
FREE private Bradley Manning!!!!!!!!!
Without whistle-blowers like Bradley Manning or Floribert Chebeya, Humanity will become cockroaches at the mercy of the “MACHINE”. Where are those int’l NGOs (Amnesty Int'l, Int'l crisis Group, reporters sans frontieres...) who always make noise in Africa about democracy and freedom of the press? Where are those Hollywood stars who like to get free publicity in Africa? Where are George Clooney and fellow clowns to defend Bradley Manning, Wikileaks Julian Assange or Guantanamo Bay prison hunger strikers? despite President O good intentions?
For the last 19 years, the “MACHINE” waged a senseless war in the Kivus through their local African mercenary/accessory Kagame against congolese people. Now TRUTH is out, and let’s give PEACE a chance in the Kivus as Tanzania’s President Kikwete says.
People, fight The “MACHINE”, FREE private Bradley Manning!
muanacongo
@ muana Congo
i completely agree with you .all those so called NGOS are now very busy lobbying BAN KI MUN and the UNITED NATIONS not to send the Intervention brigades to the DRC.this is how low this people have gone in proving their hate to the Congoles people.they have made Eastern Congo their cash Cattle and they just can't let it go.even though more than 99% of the people of Eastern DRC can't wait for this brigade to arrive and help them kick out those terrorists,this so called NGOS are now trying to prove to the world that the people of DRC will be better of in the hands of this terrorists murders like the m23...than the UN.what a shame.
If private Manning was a Congoles or Zimbabwean solder being persecuted by his government for leaking some government info to the media ,the so called World Bank and IMF(predator lenders) will all be busy right now planning their next so called aid cuts...the EU and the US will be discussing how hard they will punish the people of those Countries with their sanctions,CHINA will take all the blame for doing business and investing in those African Countries,George Cloony will be on CNN's PIER MORGAN show and the tonight Show urging his fans to boycott Chinese products.the EU will issue a travel ban against those so called dictators and their entourage.the State Department will issue a travel warning to those very dangerous oppressive Countries where a young soldier get persecuted and face the death penalty or life in prison for leaking some info to his Blogger friend or the media .
@Congoman
Thanks for pointing to that letter by so-called int’l NGOs to Ban KiMoon (). Ask yourself why they didn’t associate any single Congolese NGO to this latest letter? It is because ALL Congolese are behind the FARDC and UN Brigade to decimate negative forces in the Kivus at last.
Look, it is desperation to remain relevant. These NGOs are just a mob of racists who have invented a hugely “lucrative industry” out of AFRICAN blood and misery. The END of the Kivus tragedy will make most of them REDUNDANT and jobless.
Read that letter between the lines to see just how it is all about “deligitimising” anything Congolese and actually do the bidding of their “proteges”.
Of course they always hide behind that “protecting civilians” hogwash. But how come there is not a single “human rights” int’l NGO to side with the Nigerian victims of Shell oil pollution in Niger Delta (none of them attended the US court case!). How about the ignored plight of indigenous people who are chased from their lands by DeBeers/AngloAmerican who effectively own Botwana?
I am just saying, these racist int’l NGOs are largely responsible for perenising Conflicts in Africa. Because they need TV images of African tragedy/death/famine to appeal for FUNDING. See how when these racists are put out of African affairs, solutions are found. Kenya elections of reconciliation or Zimbabwean constitution agreement…
In short, ALL Congolese are saying: PLEASE dear BAN and Mama Mary Robinson, you have listened to these self-interested NGOs for the last 19 years and 8 000 000 got slaughtered. For ONCE please LISTEN to the very people of the KIVUS. Help FARDC, bring the UN Brigade sooner, enlist the help of Pres. Kagame and Museveni. This criminal mob of M23 will be history!
PS
Here that stupid NGOS letter (http://www.warchild.org.uk/news/open-letter-ban-ki-moon-about-situation-dr-congo)
Here some analysis (http://www.irinnews.org/report/98140/ngos-concerned-about-new-drc-intervention-brigade)
muanacongo
@muana Congo
After failing to persuade both South African and Tanzanian congress to stop their troupe's deployment to the DRC ,and failing several times to force populations in areas under their Control to demonstrate against the intervention brigades, Rwanda and It's M23 terrorists had to turn to this international so called NGOS but this is not 1996 .they can fool themselves but this time no one is going to be fooled by this racists.many of the South Africans and Tanzanians have already deployed and they are now starting to patrol the City of GOMA and surrounding areas.
All we need is that missing link for Congo to be reborn http://economie.jeuneafrique.com/regions/afrique-subsaharienne/17912-stefaan-marysse-l-economie-de-la-rd-congo-reste-dirigee-en-fonction-des-besoins-de-l-exterieur.html
@ Blaise
"All we need is that missing link for Congo to be reborn" What is the nature of this LINK. Is it a person, a group of people. Is it a system,
providence or luck.
LINK, qui est tu?
Cheers
Bismark
@Bismark
ahahah, it's hard to tell.I believe that the "missing link" is for us,Congolese, to figure out how to transform the "potential" to "power", no magic formula or easy solutions. A framework should be define in order to free individual innovations. A little bit like the State encouraging/canalizing people efforts. Me just thinking.
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