DR Congo: Two crossed dead Frenchmen, emblazoned on a mound of dead Frenchmen

Chimp Reports ( Uganda ) reports

France Moves To Preserve Influence, Fuels Insecurity In Great Lakes

By Diana S. Katabarwa 

                                                                                                  Herve Ladsous
When the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2098 on 28th March 2013, for an offensive force to neutralize and disarm Congolese as well as foreign rebel groups in East DRC, this presented France with an opportunity to take decisive measures to safeguard its political and economic interests as well as cultural influence in the Great Lakes region. 

I think Diana S. Katabarwa might be insane. The French contribution to this " offensive force " that is the Intervention ( Africa ) Brigade is of course so extensive that they have no troops involved, no military advisors involved, in fact nothing at all, other than a seat on the UN Security Council that authorised the Intervention Brigade. The question then becomes how did those devious French cheese eaters manage to manipulate the UN security council into such an action ? 

The French were subtle so incredibly subtle the world missed their diplomatic play totally, no where will you find it reported that the French somehow manipulated International Conference for the Great Lakes Region into demanding that an intervention force be deployed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

" The ICGLR summit asked the rebels to withdraw from “current positions to the ground of tactical importance not less than 20km from Goma town within 2 days (from Saturday).”

The Kampala summit also resolved that a composite force comprising one company of a proposed neutral force, one company of Congolese army (FARDC) and one company of M23 be deployed at Goma airport, and also asked the UN Stabilisation Mission in Congo (Monusco) to “occupy and provide security in the neutral zone between Goma and the new areas occupied by M23”."

How did the French know at this early point before even the ICGLR asked for the Intervention Brigade to come under the auspices of the UN and be integrated into the MONUSCO command structure that here was their opportunity to recolonise Africa ? Even better those subtle French, managed to get Uganda and Rwanda to propose what was eventually to become the Brigade . 

French policy in the Great Lakes has always been ‘the end justifies the means’ which explains why in 1994 France continued to support the Rwandan army even as the genocide unfolded and bodies were piling on streets, in churches and stadiums.

France was not oblivious to what was going on at that time but regarded its support for the genocidal regime as a necessity to stop the advance of the English speaking Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) ‘’invaders’’ from overrunning what France considered as its territory and posing a threat to French influence, language and culture.

OK  Time for a quick history lesson. Germany colonised Rwanda in 1884 followed by Belgium in 1916 and Rwanda achieved independence in 1962. Now I might be a bit dim but I had no idea that both Germany and Belgium were actually part of France during the colonial period. I also was unaware that post 1962 the Rwandan state seeded authority to France. Or let me put it another way, Katabarwa is talking shit.

The French and Anglo Saxon rivalry for influence in post-colonial Africa coupled with France’s delusions of grandeur drove France to prop up a regime that massacred one million people in Rwanda in 1994.

Quite a few. The whole bloody world was guilty of looking the other way during the Rwandan Genocide. There is no excuse for it but lets not make it Frances exclusive responsibility. Abdicating our responsibility means it can happen again, and we only need to look across the Rwandan border to see the evidence of that.  

This rivalry for influence recently came to a head again in North Kivu Province of East DRC where France in the guise of MONUSCO took decisive measures to protect its interests.

What rivalry ? The Anglos Saxons to use an antiquated term are not really interested. 

After M23’s withdrawal from Goma in December 2012, despite the presence of MONUSCO on ground, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Mayi Mayi Shetani militias and Janvier Karairi’s militias moved into positions in and around Goma, Mudja, Rusayo, Kanyati, Ishasha, Nyamilima, Kisharu and Vishumbi to reinforce the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

This development did not go unnoticed by the locals but for some reason received no mention whatsoever from the international media, human rights groups or NGOs on ground.

Actually I suspect it did go unnoticed by the locals I sure as hell didn't see any evidence of that. 

In April 2013 the UN Intervention Brigade arrived in North Kivu accompanied by 30 French military experts. Shortly after, rockets were fired from the FARDC/FDLR controlled area into Rwandan territory.

I have been unable to confirm a French presence. It would seem rather unlikely however I would be less surprised if they were observers. 

FDLR had experienced a new surge in confidence similar to that of 1994 when they cheered as the first French troops arrived in Zone Turquoise which was presumably established to stop the genocide but instead ended up providing safe passage into Zaire for Interahamwe and ex-FAR (former Rwandan army) as they fled from the RPF advance.

If I was part of the FDLR I would be feeling anything but confident. They must know it will be there turn next and unlike M23 they have no where to run.

On 30 July MONUSCO gave “negative elements’’ (read M23) 48 hours to disarm. Following the ultimatum, out of over 25 armed groups in East DRC, M23 was singled out and attacked by the joint forces of the UN Intervention Brigade, FARDC and FDLR.

So M23 were unaware that despite bombing Goma and Rwandan territory they were going to be attacked. That is worth a Darwin award.

Belgian Foreign Minister Reynders visited Joseph Kabila on 22nd August 2013 and advised the DRC government not to integrate the M23 into the national army 

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) that had only a few weeks earlier sent over 60,000 Congolese fleeing into Uganda was of no immediate concern to the UN Brigade. Neither was FDLR that has terrorized Eastern DRC for the last 18 years. 

" Immediate " is the operative word. Rwandan troops massing on the border. M23 firing into Rwandan territory in an attempt to start a full scale war. I wasn't in the least surprised.

The 48 hour ultimatum and attack on M23 was the method employed by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations to thwart UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Mary Robinson and US Secretary of State John Kerry’s preference for a political resolution to the conflict which if attained would give the Anglo Saxons an upper hand in East DRC. France regards the DRC as its territory. 

Really. This is getting a bit hysterical. I am assuming the author wants an Anglo Saxon influence.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is headed by Herve Ladsous who was deputy head of the French UN Mission in 1994. He defended the Habyarimana regime prior to the genocide and after the genocide he was instrumental in organizing for the establishment of Zone Turquoise which provided an escape route for the mass murderers. 

Eighteen years later, Harve Ladsous is once again in position to influence decisions at the UN regarding security matters in the Great Lakes region and to take measures to safeguard France’s influence and interests. France has perfected the art of presenting its interests disguised as solutions to local problems, the most recent such ‘’solution’’ being to neutralize the M23.

Yes.... Frances greatest foreign policy goal isn't the Central African Republic where it was the colonial power it is M23's elimination. Delusions of grandeur ? 

" KAMPALA (Reuters) - South African soldiers gathered in Uganda on Thursday for a "new mission" to the Central African Republic (CAR), where 13 of their comrades were killed in a rebel coup at the weekend, South African media and a senior Ugandan officer said.

"The intention of the South Africans is to reorganize themselves and then redeploy massively in CAR and topple these rebels. They were humiliated and they want to avenge," the officer told Reuters, asking not to be named."

The South African Army deployed to CAR to prevent a rebel takeover. They did so when it became apparent that France was not interested in any intervention other than the protection of French interests and citizens.

Harve Ladsous, current Chief of UN Peacekeeping operations defended Habyarimana’s government in 1994 

The idea of a strong and organized local force emerging with the potential to stem the exploitation of Congolese resources that has been going on for decades is not in the interests of Belgium and France who have been beneficiaries from colonial times to the present day.


Those bloody Belgians.