Friday, January 31, 2014

Rwanda: " Patterned frosty phrases rape your ears and sow the ice incision "

Voice of America reports

Congolese, Rwandan Envoys Trade Sharp Words at UN

                                                                 Rwandan UN Ambassador Eugene Gasana

UNITED NATIONS — The ambassadors of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo exchanged unusually sharp words Thursday during a U.N. Security Council meeting on their countries' alleged support for rebel groups.

I doubt that they ever trade words that couldn't be described as sharp so I am guessing that
"unusually sharp " means it has reached a whole new level of invective.


The 15-nation council unanimously renewed sanctions against individuals and armed groups accused of ignoring measures to ease violence in the eastern Congo. It also extended the mandate of the U.N. Group of Experts on the DRC.


I guess Rwanda was able to stomach that given the defeat of their own armed group causing havoc in the Eastern DR Congo, M23. However I suspect that it is a short term position and one that is unlikely to survive Rwanda's time on the UN Security Council.

The experts' report on eastern Congo led to Thursday's angry outburst between the envoys. Rwanda, a member of the Security Council, had objected to it and did not want it published.


The mandates extension is covered under section 5 although section 26 would have contributed to the bad day of Rwandan ambassador Eugene Gasana. The issue at stake is that Rwanda has been attempting to resuscitate M23  and the UN Experts Group for the DR Congo are well aware of it and have reported this to the Security Council. Clearly this is behaviour by the Rwandan Government that falls well below the standard that is expected by the UN General Assembly of nations who make up the UN Security Council.

5. Requests the Secretary-General to extend, for a period expiring on 1 February 2015, the Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) and renewed by subsequent resolutions and requests the Group of Experts to fulfil its mandate as set out in paragraph 18 of resolution 1807 (2008) and expanded by paragraphs 9 and 10 of resolution 1857 (2008), and to present to the Council, through the Committee, a written mid-term report by 28 June 2014, and a written final report before 16 January 2015, welcomes the practice of receiving additional updates from the Group of Experts as appropriate, and further requests that, after a discussion with the Committee, the Group of Experts submit to the Council its final report upon termination of the Group’s mandate;


Among its findings, the experts said they had “credible information” that leaders of Congo's M23 rebel group - despite its defeat at the end of 2013 - “were moving freely in Uganda and that M23 continued to recruit in Rwanda.”

The report also said the rebels received support from within Rwanda, including troops and ammunition.

Rwandan Ambassador Eugene Gasana denounced the report in his remarks to the council.


Yes, Gasana it would seem like most if not all constituent parts of the Government of Rwanda is a liar, fortunately none of them are very accomplished liars and the international community has shown on numerous occasions that they don't believe a word the Rwandan Government says.

“We rejected this report, which lacks objectivity, which lacks transparency, material evidence and credible sources," he said. "We deplore the flawed methodology used by an unaccountable and unprofessional Group of Experts, allowing itself the right to accuse the whole nation without any single evidence.”


The UN Security Council has a very different view to that of the Rwandan representative and finds the ".....without any single evidence.”  to be ludicrous. In effect the Security Council has made it clear they don't believe a word Rwanda has to say on the subject. 

" 26. Expresses its full support to the United Nations Group of Experts of the 1533 Committee and calls for enhanced cooperation between all States, particularly those in the region, MONUSCO and the Group of Experts, encourages further that all parties and all States ensure cooperation with the Group of Experts by individuals and entities within their jurisdiction or under their control and reiterates its demand that all parties and all States ensure the safety of its members and its support staff, and that all parties and all States, including the DRC and countries of the region, provide unhindered and immediate access, in particular to persons, documents and sites the Group of Experts deems relevant to the execution of its mandate; "


In his remarks, Congolese Ambassador Ignace Gata Mavita said the panel's report highlighted the patterns of Rwanda and Uganda, who he said persist in destabilizing the eastern part of the DRC.

He said the experts’ report also documented numerous Rwandan army incursions into the DRC, which he said constituted “an act of aggression.”


This isn't an issue for debate. The UN Security Council has accepted the UN Experts evidence and Rwanda can bitch all it wants but nothing will alter that.  It is worth noting the quality of the diplomatic personnel that Rwanda sends to the UN this as reported by Reuters was the Rwanda ambassadors response to being called out for his blatant lies to the Security Council.

" Rwanda's U.N. ambassador, Eugene Gasana - a temporary member of the 15-member Security Council - accused Congo of "crying like small babies," while his Congolese counterpart, Ignace Gata Mavita wa Lufuta, said Rwanda's "arrogant behavior must stop."
“This is a flagrant violation of the U.N. Charter; flouting the principles of peaceful co-existence, international humanitarian law, the rules for the protection of human rights and the imperative standards of international law,” said Mavita.


Rwanda's behaviour in the Eastern DR Congo has indeed been a flagrant violation of the UN Charter. Much of the blame for the tragedy that is the Eastern DR Congo can be laid directly at Rwanda's door, that includes over 6 million people killed.   

Yesterday I blogged about Ambassador ambassador Eugene Gasana words and said I didn't believe him, today less than 24 hours after doing that blog his comment to Reuters proves that he is another Rwandan liar who can not be trusted. His words yesterday:

"...but that Rwanda remained committed to finding a lasting solution to recurring crises in eastern DR Congo, bilaterally or through regional efforts."

The experts' report also said Congo's military had given some cooperation and weapons to a Congo-based Rwandan Hutu rebel group, the FDLR.

Congo's ambassador said his government would like specific information regarding this allegation but said Rwanda used the FDLR's existence as an excuse to interfere.

I have no doubt that there are some rogue elements within FARDC and that they have probably been co-operating with the FDLR, as I blogged yesterday that is treason and Congolese Ambassador Ignace Gata Mavita is correct to ask for details. I think that those treasonous elements of FARDC might well live just long enough to regret their stupidity and greed.

“My government is aware that the matter of the FDLR is one of the most frequently used pretexts by Rwanda to destabilize the DRC," he said. "We wish to reassure the Security Council that the settlement of this issue remains a priority, even after the defeat of the M23.”

This blog has pointed out on several occasions that the timetabling of action against the various rebel groups in the Eastern DR Congo is a matter for Kinshasa and MONUSCO it is not and never will be an issue for the Rwandan Government, it seems that basic international concepts such as sovereignty are beyond the comprehension of Kigali.

Things then got more heated, with the Rwandan ambassador scolding his Congolese counterpart, saying the DRC has had problems for decades and could not blame them on either Rwanda or Uganda.  He said the two countries had only tried to help Congo and that the envoy’s remarks showed a lack of gratitude.

".....showed a lack of gratitude."  I would not describe the massive theft of the DR Congo's mineral wealth and the killing of millions of Congolese citizens over just about two decades as something the international community would expect the Congolese to be grateful for.  That remark and not the Congolese ambassadors remarks tell the true story here.


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