tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post4935398018597964401..comments2024-02-24T06:10:42.255-08:00Comments on Congo Siasa: Can a new military mission save the Kivus?Jason Stearnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11454449854081540397noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-47377667980346227152012-07-22T13:44:20.047-07:002012-07-22T13:44:20.047-07:00Hi ,this anonymous guy up here got it all right:&q...Hi ,this anonymous guy up here got it all right:"This IGLR thing is just wast of time and empty wish list.<br /><br />There will be no military force that will track M23 or FDLR and from my sources Rwanda is decided to not leave M23. Even more troops and money are being channeled in the Kivu to make the situation unmangeable by DRc gov -wat is already the case.<br /><br />In DRC, basically soldiers are not fighting any more. More and more officers are voicing their defiance against Kinshasa high military command.2 individuals are particularly targeted: gnl Amisi Tango 4 and kabila himself". Look the FARDC soldiers on the front line are not paid for the last 6 months, they don't have enough food and their families are with them in the vicinity of the front line and when ever there is a bullet shot the soldier is almost incline to run with his last born instead of taking the fake and useless AK47!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13854204220356570840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-72152220246282321272012-07-22T07:26:51.147-07:002012-07-22T07:26:51.147-07:00Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni internation...Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni internationally backed by the West and the Arab World on BBC Hard talk:<br /><br />http://youtu.be/0vWAdY0uZvA<br /><br />He is very good at justifying himself to stay in power, while he portrays himself as a Leader who is available to mediate in other African conflicts,some have even accused him to be the one who assassinated South Sudanese Leader Dr John Garang, Museveni dreams to be the first King of an East African Federation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-63984549827125357832012-07-22T07:17:32.454-07:002012-07-22T07:17:32.454-07:00H.E Yoweri Museveni, regarded by the AU,the intern...H.E Yoweri Museveni, regarded by the AU,the international community as a Man of Peace who brokered peace deals in the African Great Lakes...was proud to introduce his Child Soldiers:<br /><br />http://youtu.be/upITVcXw_Gk<br /><br />But no arrest warrant will ever be issued against him and his Colleagues for war crimes and human rights abuses he carried out in the past,present.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-17970394005787259302012-07-21T00:57:57.716-07:002012-07-21T00:57:57.716-07:00@Mwanacongo
Lol,I don't think we need a fence ...@Mwanacongo<br />Lol,I don't think we need a fence around that boader,the problem is PAUL KAGAME , we need to continue building our army and at the same time find ways to contain and keep his terrorists out of our land. but since he has proven to be the enemy of peace and stability ,as long as he stil around they will be terrorists attempting to destabilize the region . But i don't think his dictatorship will last long .building a fence will last longer than his now shaky dictatorship ,I believe he will be toppled very soon .congo manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10281097988239620048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-13216432227568086162012-07-20T20:39:49.020-07:002012-07-20T20:39:49.020-07:00@blaise
Yes i know the drones can be affective ,bu...@blaise<br />Yes i know the drones can be affective ,but I don't know how affective ,because NATO has been using them on the PAKISTAN and AFGANISTAN boaders for a long time ,but the Talibans continue to get all their supplies through that boader and PAKISTAN has always been in denial about their involvement with the Taliban.<br />I am Glad BAHUMA is not an RCD or CNDP,that's a little morale busting for the troupes .the soldiers need Commanders that they can trust .<br />I think you are too modarate with the former CNDP , I don't trust any of them 99% of them are spys and they have to be taken away from that region to Kitona etc...<br />I also think the FARDC needs leave the RAIA MOTOMBOKI alone and if possible work with them like Mbuja MABE dit in Bukavu against NKUNDA and Mutebusi.congo manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10281097988239620048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-16582953902820630022012-07-20T15:29:24.595-07:002012-07-20T15:29:24.595-07:00I still think that, demobilisation would work well...I still think that, demobilisation would work well if Police/policing was developed and used as an institution to retrain/rehabilitate ex-militia...<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOgyVmVNtaI&list=UU0R6XjtprIvftMj8Vnyy2Lw&index=2&feature=plcp<br /><br />Of-course, the money/wages has to be addressed as is whispered among all walks of Congolese.<br />We need all the detox we can get to rehabilitate our brothers and sisters.<br /><br />Rutshuru/LondonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-21374756739100506912012-07-20T11:47:25.570-07:002012-07-20T11:47:25.570-07:00About the Kitona operation.
More info on the cond...About the Kitona operation.<br /><br />More info on the conditions under which Rwandan and Ugandan troops were allowed to leave Bas Congo, in exchange of not destroying the INGA dam.<br /><br />This was published in 2003.<br /><br />Et ce crime inqualifiable nous apportera une nouvelle preuve de l'implication des Etats-Unis dans cette guerre d'agression... En effet, fin aoűt, une dépęche de Reuters tombe comme une véritable bombe. « Une unité d'élite ougandaise a occupé le barrage d'Inga. Elle faisait partie d'une force d'assaut contre Kinshasa. L'ambassadeur américain ŕ Harare, Thomas McDonald et le fils du Président ougandais Museveni, tentent depuis plusieurs jours d'obtenir un sauf-conduit pour que cette unité puisse sortir du Congo. » A Kinshasa, une quarantaine de prisonniers ougandais et rwandais sont présentés ŕ la presse.<br /><br />Les Ougandais appartiennent ŕ la « Force Nguruma », une formation d'élite qui a occupé Inga. Elle a été formée par des instructeurs américains, d'oů l'intéręt particulier des Etats-Unis ŕ «sauver » leurs protégés. L'ambassadeur américain ŕ Harare mčne des négociations avec les Affaires étrangčres et la Défense du Zimbabwe pour que les troupes zimbabwéennes et angolaises qui encerclent les agresseurs ŕ Inga, les laissent partir. Le Secrétaire d'Etat Albright charge les diplomates américains de chercher une issue «honorable » pour les troupes rwandaise et ougandaise encerclées dans le Bas-Congo. Qui peut croire que les plus hautes instances des Etats-Unis s'engagent dans une négociation aussi délicate, si ces pauvres assaillants, qui officiellement «ne sont pas au Congo », n'agissent pas sur instruction des Etats-Unis ? Un ambassadeur américain se démčne, sur ordre du numéro trois de la politique américaine, pour sauver des soldats rwandais et ougandais «égarés » par erreur ŕ 2.000 kilomčtres de leurs frontičres. Que le numéro trois de la superpuissance américaine se «mouille » pour sauver des criminels de guerre, prouve indiscutablement que cette affaire est d'origine américaine...<br /><br />En occupant Inga et en coupant l'électricité et l'eau de Kinshasa, les agresseurs ont commis un crime de guerre. Ed Marek écrit : « Les Etats-Unis ont peut-ętre été complices de cet acte de guerre dirigé contre le peuple congolais. Cela change toute la couleur politique de cette guerre ». Effectivement, les preuves s'accumulent que cette guerre a les couleurs du drapeau américain...<br /><br />http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/12499Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-18595262415430035742012-07-20T06:31:14.517-07:002012-07-20T06:31:14.517-07:00@ Ano. July 20, 2012 2:26 AM
Interesting analysi...@ Ano. July 20, 2012 2:26 AM <br /><br />Interesting analysis that you give there. I agree with you that these diplomatic shenanigans (CIPGL) are bound to drag on for ages while the unbearable suffering of populations on the ground will go on. <br />My humble view is that MONUSCO should be used to secure the DRC-Rwanda border. They should even be positioned on the DRC side to appease Kigali. This is a cheap, immediately actionable and unobjectionable:<br /><br />(1) This complies perfectly with the current declared MONUSCO mandate of “protecting civilians”. Because what better way to protect civilians than to stand in the way of their butchers by preventing FDLR to cross to Rwanda and M23 to cross to DRC?<br />(2) This can’t be objected by Kigali either. Because His Excellency President Kagame and Madam L. Mushikwabo have always treated MONUSCO as lake-Kivu-beach-bummers. Thus this a perfect opportunity for MONUSCO to prove people wrong, and do something concrete and actually protect civilians.<br /><br />So let the 20000 MONUSCO troops stand along the DRC-Rwanda border, and let Congolese sort out themselves their mess.<br /><br />By the way, how much would it cost to build a Security Wall “a la Israel” between DRC and Rwanda? How long will it take and how practical would it be? How about a border of powerful land mines?<br /><br />muanacongoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-78573212035643875802012-07-20T04:26:00.127-07:002012-07-20T04:26:00.127-07:00@ Rich,
ty man.
From what was coming out Addis, it...@ Rich,<br />ty man.<br />From what was coming out Addis, it seems that Rwanda wasn't for this military ops in the first place. I bet the term "neutral" will take a new meaning soon. I'm more intrigued by the change in Rwanda military and the allege split between the new generation and the old guard.I won't be surprised that the latter makes some crazy moves. Rwandan's parliament was discussing the creation of yet another civilian's defense force. maybe our Rwandan's friend can give us some insight.blaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10271081481475980902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-86167274319320063102012-07-20T04:19:02.450-07:002012-07-20T04:19:02.450-07:00More on the Kitona operation.
From Le Congo-Zaïre...More on the Kitona operation.<br /><br />From Le Congo-Zaïre d'une guerre à l'autre de Libération en Occupation ...<br /> By Vincent Mbavu Muhindo, on page 108:<br /><br /><br />Les soldats et gradés des ex-FAZ en "rééducation" à Kitona sont libérés et la plupart ayant des comptes à régler avec les kabilistes vont accepter de s'aligner sur la Rébellion. Certains mieux avisés, arguant de l'état de malnutrition évident où le régime les a laissés croupir, refuseront de combattre. Au même moment, deux navires de marine de guerre US mouillent au large du port de Banana pour assurer le "monitoring" de l'opération... Tandis qu'un pont aérien s'est mis en place entre Goma et Kitona - le grand écart d'Est en Ouest! - avec pour objectif la prise des villes du Bas-Congo et la chute rapide de Kinshasa...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-17809640895634078882012-07-20T04:15:43.719-07:002012-07-20T04:15:43.719-07:00@ Congoman,
That's true but remember that movi...@ Congoman,<br />That's true but remember that moving heavy weapons and a battalion is not something one can hide easily.If you check what she had to say, you will realize that it's feasible,specially around hills.<br />http://blog.lesoir.be/colette-braeckman/<br />General Lucien Bahuma Ambamba is an ex faz,from the EFO/kanaga,ex Mlc, he was chief of the DRC Army's national HIV/AIDS program.He was stationed in Runangambo under Mobutu,a back while. <br />So far he seems to be ready to listen to soldiers' pleas.Let's hope he will be more difficult to undermine.It's biggest challenge should be Kinshasa logistical support.<br />http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/un-chief-worried-about-rwandan-support-congo-rebels <br /><br />Like i point out before, the problem in the army is in the chain of command and the soldiers themselves.<br />General Mayala is a courageous soldier but he doesn't have the qualification required.That what I was trying to point out to Rich in our exchange about Mbuza Mabe in Minova.(I was referring to Bukavu).Anyway,he should have be left in the Kivu,to fight.<br />As for the soldiers,the conditions are not good.If you look at footage of WW2, he will realize that the americans weren't just fighting but the high command was actually anticipating soldiers' problems.There is a lot to learn from there.<br />In our case, I think a little ingeniousness can dramatically improve the condition.(like building camps in the front(from bamboos for ex),supply of foods,water,mobile hospital,etc).It's not a money problem.We just need to apply low tech solutions.<br />A side note, gnrl Bahuma's tribal's allegiance should not be relevant but since there is suspicions everywhere it is important.(he is from the northern province I think,not from the Kivus).<br />Beside, if you look at it in the ex cndp prospective, they are between a rock and a hard place.Those who didn't join the M23 are treated like enemy by their keens and possible traitors by the rest of the army.I strongly believe that with a little psychology, the government could win a lot of them back.Some are deserting because of fear.<br />I may sound unpatriotic in my critics of the government but it's far from my thoughts. I just believe we are focussing too much in Rwanda and not doing much ourselves to defend our people.That why i get frustrated.blaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10271081481475980902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-54165048044987543132012-07-20T04:09:15.438-07:002012-07-20T04:09:15.438-07:00Blaise -
Well said, the story about the battle of...Blaise -<br /><br />Well said, the story about the battle of kitona I read above is simply not accurate. As you cleverly put it, many facts are wrong on more than one level, starting from MPLA holding Makela to saying RDF surrounded Kinshasa.<br /><br />One more detail I wanted to add is the rwanda 'great soldiers' being intercepted & disarmed by unarmed Congolese civilians, sorry for those who got torched by mobs but a good army wouldn't allow its troops to be intercepted, disarmed & humiliated by unarmed civilians. It just shows you that when you push your arrogance too far, you are more likely to fall too deep.<br /><br />Anon JULY 20, 2012 2:26 AM -<br /><br />Yes Raymond Tshibanda & Mende press conference was quite intriguing.<br /><br />1. It led me to think despite the recent drop in tension between Kin & Kig, Kinshasa seems not ready to release the pressure on kig. I may be wrong by to me they sounded more cautious & did not seem to take things for granted & tried to keep kig on the back foot.<br /><br />2. You are right by pointing to the fact that Kin seems to want the new 'neutral' force to be a kind of sub-force to the MONUSCO and that only MONUC mandate would need to be adapted (Ntumba Lwaba seems to be on a mission to try and get a consensus on that) hence solving the huge problem of logistic and perhaps the relationship with MONUSCO.<br /><br />3. What I couldn't understand is when they said, FARDC or RDF will not be part of that force. But what will be the relationship between these countries and that force when we know for instance that rwanda has sometimes refused MONUSCO to pass through its soil for DRC missions? In the same way, I don't know who will have priority when for instance FARDC is in a position to struck M23 will they wait for the neutral force, collaborate with them, join efforts before they take on their enemy? The same apply to rwanda.<br /><br />I'm expecting kigali to be uncomfortable with the twist Kinshasa seems to be applying to the idea of putting in place this force. However, due to the mounting pressure on kigali, it will be interesting to see the tone of their language and their message when they decide to talk again on this issue (now they seem very busy enjoying Bill & Chelsea Clinton's visit).<br /><br />RichRichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01301460106025447019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-32266097622615697102012-07-20T04:01:59.996-07:002012-07-20T04:01:59.996-07:00This was reported by CNN in 2008.
Spanish judge i...This was reported by CNN in 2008.<br /><br />Spanish judge indicts 40 Rwandan military officers for genocide.<br /><br />"The judge issued international arrest warrants against the 40, including Gen. James Kabarebe"<br /><br />"The indictments against the 40 are for "crimes of genocide, human rights abuses and terrorism," during the 1990s in Rwanda"<br /><br />"The judge did not indict Rwanda's president, Paul Kagame, because he has immunity as head of state, the documents said. But the judge also found evidence of criminal activity by Kagame, based on the testimony of an informant who told the judge he previously worked on Kagame's security detail, the documents said."<br /><br />http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/06/spain.indictments.rwanda/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-60569676893015809822012-07-20T03:39:38.693-07:002012-07-20T03:39:38.693-07:00@ ano JULY 20, 2012 12:27 AM,
Not trying to be nar...@ ano JULY 20, 2012 12:27 AM,<br />Not trying to be narcissist here but I don't recall any insults addressed to anybody or country(except for one).I must feel a little flattered that I catch your attention I guess.<br />Beside your funny cheap shots{only the truth can wound, so far I'm not bleeding, ;)},the story u were referring to was fascinating.I found the original article here :<br />http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/20thcentury/articles/kitona.aspx#<br />Out of context, a text it's a pretext. <br />A lot of details were left out or neglected in mister Comer Plummer narrative. <br /><br />- the Faz collapse was not only due to lack of fund but treason and sabotage<br />- there was an understanding between gnrl Mahele and the AFDL that the Faz will not fight back.Only the DSP was really putting a fight <br />- The Faz were dismantle by pres Laurent Kabila, officers were sent to Kitona not to be "reeducate" but to die a slow death<br />- James K was the overall commander of the Fac hence he knew exactly the weaknesses of his adversary<br />Giving the context, when one say that Kitona was a daring operation, I wonder what they are talking about.If I'm not mistaken,the commander of the base was one of James K's boys.Beside, the Faz in there were so humiliated that they felt betrayed by LDK(they have to dig their own graves). It's natural, with incentive, for them to give back to Kabila. <br />In Bas Congo, there was no much defenses,The police had to do army work in Kasangulu.<br />For kinshasa, another misinterpretation: the Zimbabweens were holed up at the airport.Angolan air forces were bombing the RDF positions. I witness myself the bombing and I saw a platoon of Angolan retreating right at my backyard in Ndjili.<br />More interesting, Maquela do Zombo was held up by the Unita at the time of that daring mission. It was their hidde out. So the Angolese they pushed back were probably rebels themselves.<br />http://reliefweb.int/report/angola/angola-government-aims-reassert-administrative-control<br />And guess who was stalling the Angolans authorities?Suzan Rice.Can you believe that?<br />Believe it or not,if it was the MPLA, the RDF will have been decimate by then.Beside, what were they suppose to do behind enemy lines?fight to death.<br />In retrospective, I believe the operation was poorly planed.That was a kamikaze mission.They underestimate the Angolans resolve and the angers of ppl deprived off electricity for weeks.<br />Put back into context, you may understand that Pweto was predictable: one side an army who have been fighting for years, opposed to a patchwork of new recruits and foreign troops,unfamiliar with the terrain.add to that a young commander trained briefly in China.<br />It clear to me that the RDF had to be kept in constant state of war in order for you guys to enjoy your development. I don't know how sustainable this model will be.<br />Based on the current changes in your army, it's easily predictable that the chapter is not close yet.<br />It's natural for a Rwandan to love his country.The same is true for a Congolese.All we want is to be left in peace sorting out our mess.I didn't know that James K was born in the Rutshuru region.That may explain why some of RDF are so attach to our land.<br />It was good sport, next time if you may sign your name it will be greatly appreciate.Being anonymous doesn't tell much about your patriotism.blaisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10271081481475980902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-51328986323166359452012-07-20T02:33:33.845-07:002012-07-20T02:33:33.845-07:00@Blaise
I think using surveillance drones will be ...@Blaise<br />I think using surveillance drones will be very important ,but in such a forested erea they may not be very affective .but they will be important for collecting evidences that in the future can be used against RWANDAN officials who are still denying their involvement in aiding and supporting the m23 and all the terrorists groups in that region .<br />Who is that BAHUMA guy? I hope he is not a Rwdphone ,but that name sounds like it. It looks like Amisi Tangofour and co are stil pulling the shots .I was very disgusted when I read about that Rumangabo inti aircraft story.congo manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10281097988239620048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-80313885331728376992012-07-20T02:26:57.257-07:002012-07-20T02:26:57.257-07:00Now Raymond Tshibanda is calling for the new "...Now Raymond Tshibanda is calling for the new "neutral" force to be brought in under MONUSCO, with a revised UNSC mandate. This makes a little more sense, in that the ICGLR agreement in any case left open the huge question of how the proposed force is supposed to interface with MONUSCO. But, coming as a statement from Kinshasa, the proposal begs the question of how Rwanda would see things. Expanding the UN mandate would have been the obvious starting point in AA, and there are surely reasons why this was bypassed -- Rwandan hostility, no doubt, but possibly reluctance also from DPKO and the P5. <br /><br />In any case, the idea of a "neutral" force to go in and shoot up M23 and FDLR (and perhaps some Mayimayi while they're at it?) is an obvious non-starter. Aside from money, who contributes the troops? The force has to be African. It will take casualties, if it actually does what it is supposed to do. No ICGLR country is plausible, even Tanzania (too involved). Only Egypt (what's it doing in ICGLR, anyway?) and Angola have the capacity, and there are obvious political impediments to Angola (Rwandan antagonist and with a longstanding reluctance to get drawn into eastern DRC matters), whereas Egypt is (a) otherwise preoccupied and (b) already a MONUSCO troop contributor. No other current MONUSCO contributor would want to participate, as it would expose their contingents to retaliation. Other usual suspects are also implausible: Ethiopia, for example, already extended in Somalia and in Abyei and facing a possible succession crisis? Nigeria, otherwise preoccupied both at home and in its immediate neighborhood? You go on down the list, and there are simply no plausible sources. Ntumba Luaba has embarked on a trip to ICGRL capitals in search of practical support. I doubt he'll come back with anything usable. <br /><br />In any case, as the ever-ongoing LRA operation demonstrates (think Uruguayans), this kind of internationalized militarized campaign can never be quick, clean or easy. Covert external support to both "negative forces" will not simply vanish. Both are battle-hardened and deeply familiar with their terrain. What country would want to send its troops into such a morass? <br /><br />The whole ICGLR initiative is hopelessly flawed -- an obvious, cynical ploy for kicking the can down the road and ensuring that the eternal stalemate continues and that Kivu remains destabilized and ungovernable. Which suits a lot of interests just fine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-84290302844508965932012-07-20T01:41:58.855-07:002012-07-20T01:41:58.855-07:00WOW! Some comments above are getting out of contro...WOW! Some comments above are getting out of control (you are this ..., we are that ...). This is really childish, plz take a break fellow congolese/rwandese. DR Congo is too big and should accommodating everyone (swahili, mbunza, mongo, tetela, zande, luba, kongo, hema, nyamulenge, hutu, mbororo, soudanese, bembe, mbala, tutsi, teke, indo-pakistani, lebanese, jews, westaf, ...) found inside its borders. What we are just asking is JUSTICE and PEACE, period! Yes we can live together, we should be living together. But JUSTICE first, then PEACE!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-76870541932577906262012-07-20T01:19:44.229-07:002012-07-20T01:19:44.229-07:00@July 20, 2012 12:27 AM
The real nature of the Rw...@July 20, 2012 12:27 AM <br />The real nature of the Rwandan regime is an Hitlerian one.<br /><br />Because you seem to admire that kind of persons, I think you should love SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny.<br /><br />Nazi colonel Skorzeny was dubbed "The most dangerous man in Europe".<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsNbG7fK4MSkorzenyalsonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-79354296660450656742012-07-20T01:14:02.117-07:002012-07-20T01:14:02.117-07:00@ all
This late night insults are originating from...@ all<br />This late night insults are originating from LOUISE MUSHIKIWABO's office ,and they are trying to sabotage not only this blog , but many more medias that are not part of their propaganda machine. I am asking all Congolese not to respond to this guy anymore,their aim is to change the subject and trush any serious debate . Please I urge all my Congolese brothers to not respond or engage in any debate with this people. They are trying to sabotage Congo siasa .congo manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10281097988239620048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-63594006577270966572012-07-20T00:27:36.190-07:002012-07-20T00:27:36.190-07:00Battle of Kitona: why RDF is feared by FADC
a reti...Battle of Kitona: why RDF is feared by FADC<br />a retired marine, Comer Plummer, says this was campaign worthy of study. This was an operation that exemplified audacity and courage, and its aftermath became an odyssey fit for a Hollywood script. <br />How did it go?<br />The fight for Kinshasa began in the early morning hours of August 26, 1998. It lasted for three days. The Rwandans surrounded the city and infiltrated key areas, probing for weaknesses. Their attacks were concentrated against the Kasangulu township at western approach to Kinshasa and N'djili airport in the east. These efforts failed, largely due to the stout resistance of Zimbabwean troops.<br />The Rwandans and their allies pulled back into the hills, where they regrouped and took stock of their plight. They were dangerously short of supplies, their line of retreat was cut, and they were more than a thousand kilometers inside hostile country. FADC and Angolan troops were converging on them from east and west. One by one, they recaptured Muanda, Boma, Inga, Buama, and Matadi. The contingent had only one choice - exfiltration. But from where? The nearest airfield was north, across the Congo River in Congo-Brazzaville. This was not a viable option, given the lack of barges and that country's alignment with Angola. Looking over a map, Kabarebe spotted a small regional airport across the Angolan border at Maquela do Zombo. <br />The Rwandans hastened a reconnaissance team to Maquela do Zombo to determine the suitability of the airport. The team returned a week later, haggard and parched by the height of the African summer. The news was not good: The airport was occupied by 400 Angolan troops. Undeterred, the Rwandans began to plan for an attack on the airport.<br /><br />In mid-September 1998, Colonel Kabarebe was ready to make his move. Leaving behind the sick and wounded, he took the contingent across the border and marched on Maquela do Zombo. Arriving several days later, they launched a night attack that surprised and routed the defenders. Over the following days, Kabarebe had the sick and wounded brought to the new camp, while his forces prepared defenses around the airport. Inspecting their prize, they found that the runway would need improvements. They would need to extend the length of the runway from 1,400 to 1,800 meters to allow for larger cargo planes to land. Runway lights would be required for a night time evacuation. Kabarebe realized he would need time. He pushed forward their defenses and blocked the only access road 100 kilometers from town.<br />For nearly two months the contingent held the airport against encroaching Angolan forces. They repelled several Angolan attacks, including one spearheaded by 26 armored vehicles. Small supply flights arrived from Rwanda, bringing the tools and generators that enabled them to add extend the runway and add lights. With the runway ready, aircraft began arriving to evacuate the contingent to Kigali. Over the next few days, the Rwandans made more than 30 flights out of Maquela do Zombo. Kabarebe later remarked, "As we emptied the airport, we fell back from the perimeters. On the last day, our defenses were just a few kilometers from the airport." On the final night of the operation, the Rwandan rear guard and the commanders made a dash for the last plane as the Angolans closed in.<br />By Christmas Day, 1998, the last elements of the contingent returned home.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-59123690096045408902012-07-20T00:21:40.631-07:002012-07-20T00:21:40.631-07:00Ano above
you talk like a fool. There is no countr...Ano above<br />you talk like a fool. There is no country called Congo! What you see today is a huge country made up of tribes scrapped togther by colonialists! The eastern congo in the past was called Bushi, Mulenge, Masisi, etc. and the Rwandan King ruled over huge parts of eastern Congo. So, Tutsis in Congo are occupyong their accentral homes, only that Berlin Conference put them togther under one nationality as other tribes such as Hunde, Bashi, etc. And almost 90% of people in Kivus are Rwandaphone. Even Bashi speak Kinyarwanda.... colonial bordersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-35650875968178660622012-07-19T23:45:17.143-07:002012-07-19T23:45:17.143-07:00@July 19 , 2012 11:22M
If that the case why are so...@July 19 , 2012 11:22M<br />If that the case why are so many rwandans in Con go. for ages rwandan have been flocking to congo. that is why we have all these congolese tutsi. if rwanda is so great then they entire population of tutsi in congo must go back to Rwanda. to the land of their ancesters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-12814291920795447722012-07-19T23:44:58.354-07:002012-07-19T23:44:58.354-07:00When RDF routed combined forces of FARDC, Zimbabwe...When RDF routed combined forces of FARDC, Zimbabwe and Hutu militia in battles of Pepa and Pweto<br />By Washington Times <br /><br />The battle began at Pepa, Rwandans had held the town since March 1999, <br />The Interahamwe and Congolese infantry brigades also advanced, reinforced by armored personnel carriers and British-made Hawker combat aircraft, both from Zimbabwe.<br />"They were coming in big numbers, really very big numbers," said Lt. Col. John Tibesigwa, the Rwandan commander at Pepa.<br />The Rwandan counterattack began on Nov. 5 and raged for four days. Tibesigwa described the fighting as the most intense he had seen in Congo. <br />Kabila's retreating forces, by contrast, were tethered to the road. Their armored vehicles required the Congolese alliance to move predictably, confined to a tree-lined track.<br />When open range gave way to elephant grass, the Rwandans attacked. <br />What ensued, according to Rwandan and Congolese soldiers alike, was a three-week running battle across the 100 miles between Pepa and Pweto. Weeks later, the road south toward Pweto remained speckled not only with green and white butterflies, but with corpses -- here the body of young man cut down clutching an AK-47, here a splayed green poncho topped by a skull.<br />But veterans of the battle said most of the fighting took place in the surrounding woods. The Congolese and their allies sought the high ground above the road. The Rwandans and RCD rebels moved through the woods behind them and caught them in crossfires.<br />"The Rwandans are very strong; they do flanking actions," said a Congolese soldier, Selester Mbanza, 30, from a hospital bed in Nchelenge, Zambia, where he was being treated for a bullet wound in the buttocks. <br />By Dec. 1, the Rwandan forces had Pweto nearly in sight, approaching the lakeside plain around the town of perhaps 50,000 on an abandoned road along an encircling ridge. By the evening of Dec. 3,<br />The Mi-17 helicopter that had carried Joseph Kabila to Pweto was burned on the soccer field that doubled as a landing pad, apparently too unreliable to use but too valuable to leave to the Rwandans. The president's son escaped by water, taking a ferry named the Alliance with senior Zimbabwean commanders and Burundian Hutus to the far side of the Luvua River.<br />When the boat returned, a 40-ton, Soviet-made T-62 tank was loaded onto the port side. Dozens of soldiers scrambled to starboard. "It was imbalanced," said Mulisa, "and the ferry got drowned."<br />With the Rwandans' gunfire audible across town, the stranded troops splashed diesel fuel onto the line of 33 waiting vehicles and set them afire. Then they split up, some setting off along the riverbank deeper into Congo, others joining the throng of refugees fording the small stream that marks the Zambian border.<br />On the other side, Zambian soldiers collected arms and counted heads. At least 3,000 Congolese regulars were assembled in primary schools about 75 miles south of the border in Nchelenge, where last week they were still waiting for a lift back to Congo.<br />Zimbabwe sent a plane for several hundred of its troops, a return load lightened considerably by the sheer tonnage of armor left behind in Pweto. Two howitzers, two T-62 tanks and at least a half-dozen armored personnel carriers were left intact for the Rwandans, as well as three ammunition dumps and a weapons cache with 1,000 rifles.<br />The total does not include a tank submerged about 200 yards upstream from the ferry, its turret just visible in the middle of the river, which its desperate driver thought was shallow enough to fordAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-66808997195141864702012-07-19T23:22:23.084-07:002012-07-19T23:22:23.084-07:00There are people on this forum who want to debase ...There are people on this forum who want to debase Rwanda, saying it is tiny, impoverished, bbla bla, that one street in Kinshasa is bigger than Kigali, Bukavu is what what.<br />Know this: One Congolese woman came to Kigali and said: "Why didnt Rwandan forces stay longer in Congo to teach us cleanness, discipline and order?"<br /><br />History also is there to show how Rwanda has been ahead of Congo. When Ngongo Luteta was busy selling you to TipTip, Rwandan kings were conquering neighbouring states to expand their dominion.<br />When colonialists came, they treated Rwandans as partners in governance because they found proper functing state, which actually they left intact at Berlin Conference to serve as a model for the rest disorderly tribal groupings.<br />Congolese eat monkeys, Rwandans not. <br />History of human civilisation shows that Rwanda has always been dignified. <br />Tiny Rwanda as it may be helped yu get rid of Mobutu now you are paying back withxenophibia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1209670742820403516.post-56068480296425416842012-07-19T23:12:36.243-07:002012-07-19T23:12:36.243-07:00ano just above...
so you want one-sided insults an...ano just above...<br />so you want one-sided insults and xenophibia to dominate and nothing countering it? hahahaha Actually most people writing on this blog are not based in Congo. Muanacongo, baise, etc, etc, are part of that congolese population they say around the world, where in ratio of two nigerians and one congolese. There are in Europe washing dishes, working in old people's homes, toiling to get money to buy hot-dogs. After a day of a hard, frustrating work, they come back home, sit on computer to loosen their frustrations on Kagame. Go hang, blame employers who are mistreating you, not Kagame.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com