DR Congo: " I trust you trust in me to mistrust you "

DW TV Germany reports

DRC ready for 'declaration' on M23 rebel defeat

After pulling out of peace talks, the Democratic Republic of Congo has said it is ready to sign a document formalizing the defeat of the M23 rebels. It accuses mediator Uganda of taking sides.

                         M23 rebel fighters who had surrendered to the Ugandan government under guard in Kisoro district

The Democratic Republic of Congo is now prepared to sign a "declaration" reflecting the defeat of M23 rebels, even though it has withdrawn from Uganda-hosted peace talks.

Given that Kinshasa has won on the ground and that is all that actually matters if M23 will not sign an agreement that complies exactly with Congolese requirements then not signing anything is a sensible position.

The DRC and M23 rebels had been due to conclude a deal on Monday (11.11.2013) but Congolese negotiators said they would not sign an agreement with a group their UN-backed army had just defeated.

I am starting to wonder why the Congolese government is going to all this effort. Uganda have made it clear that they will not hand over the rebel leadership I blogged a few days ago about  Alex Engwete's suspicions with regard to Ugandan plans for the said M23 leadership. It is time for Kinshasa to play hardball. Kinshasa should only sign an unconditional surrender with M23 and that should include a requirement that the military and political leadership of M23 should be handed over to the International Criminal Court, that is probably a dead rat that Kinshasa could stomach as a compromise to the leadership of M23 being handed over to the custody of the DR Congo.

The DRC said it wanted a simple declaration from the rebels that they would not take up arms again. It also accused Ugandan mediators of taking sides.

M23 seem to want this agreement and I am guessing they want it to make some sort of political capital and resurrect if only in their own eyes a legitimacy they have never had. Whilst M23 have never had a very firm grasp on reality one might have thought it would have dawned upon them that the only losers in this ongoing debacle are the defeated members of their former movement. Any chance however slim, of a rank and file integration into the Congolese Armed Forces ( FARDC ) must surely be gone.

Uganda have played their hand very badly. In the realpolitik world they would have been far more sensible to hand the leadership over to the ICC. Failure has a price, regardless of the behaviour of the Ugandan mediators the international perception of the Ugandan role can only be interpreted as being pro M23. As more details emerge of M23's criminal brutality Uganda will share with Rwanda the ignominy of having supported them. Something Uganda had to date largely avoided.

"We will not sign anything that is contradictory to our national interests" said DRC government spokesman Lambert Mende.

The M23 said the document arranging the terms for an end to its 20 month uprising had been agreed upon days in advance.

Quite clearly it was not agreed to, further more M23 either comply with Kinshasa's instructions and do as they are told, or shut the fuck up. They have no ability to alter the situation, that this still has not dawned on them leads me to believe the Congolese charge that Uganda has been taking sides. When M23 fled across the border into Uganda the situation on the ground in Kampala changed from peace talks to surrender that Uganda has not used its good offices to make this clear to M23 strikes me as an act of unforgivable incompetence.    

Uganda denies taking sides

Uganda rejected charges of bias in favor of M23, saying the DRC had made no formal complaint in ten months of mediation.

"Thus we take this accusation by Mr Mende as unfair, unfounded, false and unhelpful to the peace process in Congo," Ofwono Opondo, a spokesman for Uganda's government, told a news conference in Kampala.

"...unfair, unfounded, false and unhelpful to the peace process in Congo,"

It doesn't matter whether if it is fair or unfair, true or false Uganda have failed to publicly recognise that the peace process ended with M23 defeat and furthermore compounded that failure by failing to make that reality clear to M23. Kinshasa holds all the cards and Uganda has stuffed up.

U.N. experts have accused both Uganda and Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels.

Both countries deny the charges.

Uganda will be seen as a M23 backer regardless of the current reality of that situation by granting asylum to the M23 leadership. The scale of this cock up is astonishing, Uganda needs to wash its hands of the M23 leadership and hand them to the ICC . Then and only then will they be able to regain a share of the moral high ground. I will say it again, failure always has a price and Uganda will pay that price for shielding the M23 leadership from the consequences of their failure.

Gaius Kowene, DW's Goma correspondent, said people in the city were very happy that the DRC government did not sign the peace agreement. "People think there are traps in that agreement. That's why they want the government to make sure that they don't sign anything that might harm the country later," he said.

Uganda could learn from that. It is clear that Lambert Mende understands the concept of realpolitik.

Goma, a city of one million people and capital of North Kivu province, was seized by the rebels on 20 November, 2012. They departed ten days later.

M23 seem to be unaware that they are no longer in a position of power or influence. Again Uganda had the role of educating them of this fact and have failed to do so.

The fall of Goma led to a revamping of the DRC's army and the strengthening of the UN force and its mandate in Congo. When peace talks faltered, rebels were driven from all the remaining towns they occupied in recent weeks.

FARDC have gone from being a joke to a respectable military force something that doesn't seem to have dawned on the political leadership of the region. 

“It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.”
Philip K. Dick

Uganda seems to be taking Philip Dick's advice

Uganda is holding Sultani Makenga, M23's military commander, and several other rebels who fled the government offensive.

DRC government spokesman Mende complained that Uganda had not handed Makenga over to Congolese authorities, as agreed under a regional agreement signed in Addis Ababa earlier this year.

As I said above I think the Congolese government would accept a ICC compromise and that should be Uganda's next diplomatic play.

The head of M23's political wing Bertrand Bisimwa told DW the DRC government was "trying to get rid of M23, to sideline it, rather dealing with the causes of the conflict."

Who cares ? Bertrand Bisimwa is irrelevant, and the Congolese government has got rid of M23.

DR Congo : The Bambuti ( pygmies ) are the latest victims.

DW ( Germany ) reports

Conflict forces DRC jungle dwellers to leave their traditional homes

In conflict regions in the DRC schools often serve as emergency accommodation for refugees, many of whom have left their traditional jungle homes. This can lead to problems with local residents.

                                                             Bambuti

It is early September and school should be resuming after the summer break. But tempers are running high in the town of Oicha in eastern DRC, some 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the border with Uganda. Around 60 refugees have found shelter in a primary school - much to the anger of the pupils. They are furious that classes cannot be held because of the newcomers who have fled from rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU).

One girl tells journalists from a local radio station that she and her fellow pupils will do all they can to make sure the newcomers leave again as quickly as they came. "We'll make sure these pygmies leave our classrooms," she declares. "Either we'll make a lot of noise or we'll throw stones."

Just imagine what they make of the insanity that is all too frequently the Eastern DR Congo. If this article is to be believed and I see no reason to doubt it, blaming the victims for the awful situation they are caught up in is now also the norm in the Eastern DR Congo.

The word 'pygmy' is commonly used to describe an ethnic group in eastern Congo who call themselves 'Bambuti.' They live in small settlements in the jungle of central Africa, living mostly from the animals and plants to be found there. Because of their simple style of living and their small stature, they are frequently the target of mockery and discrimination by other groups. This has been the case for generations, says Ulrich Delius of the Society for Threatened Peoples. And so an atmosphere of hostility is pretty much pre-programed should they find themselves having to live in close proximity to other Congolese, as is the case in Oicha.

How very sad.  From Wikipedia 

Bambuti societies have no ruling group or lineage, no overlying political organization, and little social structure. The Bambuti are an egalitarian society in which the band is the highest form of social organization. Leadership may be displayed for example on hunting treks. Men and women basically have equal power. Issues are discussed and decisions are made by consensus at fire camps; men and women engage in the conversations equivalently. If there is a disagreement, misdemeanor, or offense, then the offender may be banished, beaten or scorned.(in more recent times the practice is to remove the offender from the forest and have them work for private landowners for little to no pay.

Lack of understanding

Delius says many Congolese have no respect for the Bambuti, even though "they are an ethnic community who possess a high level of knowledge in their familiar habitat."

From the same Wikipedia entry.

The way of life of the Bambuti is threatened for various reasons. Their territory in the DRC has no legal protections, and the boundaries that each band claims are not formally established. Bambuti are no longer allowed to hunt large game. Due to deforestation, gold mining, and modern influences from plantations, agriculturalists, and efforts to conserve the forests, their food supply is threatened. There is also much civil unrest in the country.

In 2003, Sinafasi Makelo, a representative of Mbuti Pygmies, told the UN Forum on Indigenous Issues that during the Congo Civil War, his people were hunted down and eaten as though they were game animals. Both sides of the war regarded them as "subhuman" and some say their flesh can confer magical powers. Makelo asked the UN Security Council to recognize cannibalism as a crime against humanity and an act of genocide.

It would seem that the 21 century has now caught up and will soon overwhelm the Bambuti. When it inevitably does it will be worth reflecting on our own humanity  inhumanity. 

"But what can they do when they are forced to leave? They have to start again from zero," Delius said in an interview with DW. That is exactly what is happening now. Forests are cut down, appropriated by mining companies or invaded by rebels. The indigenous population are never consulted.

However in Oicha the refugees do have something to say. They vehemently defend themselves against the complaints from local residents. "We Bambuti are only in the town because of the war," said a representative of the group now living in the school. "But we have nothing to do with the war. Our home is in the forest." The Bambuti say they will leave the school if the authorities provide material for alternative accommodation. They also say they are surprised by the reaction of the people of Oicha.

Actually I am surprised as well. From a previous blog about Louise Baseme yet another victim of the brutality of the rebel groups ( M23 ). 

" One of those helping Baseme is Bernard Ntwimenyumusi. The 51-year old stands out from the crowd, not only because he is one of the few men in the camp, but also because of his close-shaved face and impeccably ironed orange dress shirt.

Ntwimenyumusi lives in Goma, far enough to avoid the sight of hungry children. But every morning, he calls a taxi-moto to drive him to Kanyarucinya, and confronts this painful reality.

"Every time I come, I see new faces," said Ntwimenyumusi. "Those who are arriving now die from hunger because they need to get stand behind those who have been here for a long time, and at some point the distribution stops before they get their turn."

In order to help the new arrivals, Ntwimenyumusi opened his home last month to several families seeking shelter. He currently houses more than 20 people, and shares his family's food reserves with them.

"When you are a parent, when you are a Congolese citizen, you can't do anything but give what you have to those who are less fortunate," said Ntwimenyumusi, who insists his neighbors do more than him by hosting up to 50 people in a single home."

For Ulrich Delius, it's a situation that pits two groups of victims against one another. He points out that many groups within the population are suffering; they are either treated badly by the authorities or they are the victims of violence perpetrated by either the authorities or by the army or rebel militias. "The stronger group then hits out at the weaker members of society," says Delius. The Bambuti are the weakest link in the chain.

" Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all. "

Bob Marley
There is nothing I can add to that.

Seeking a solution

Experts estimate there are more than 20 different rebel groups active in DRC. Prominent in the headlines has been the M23 group which has occupied territory in North Kivu for more than a year. With their spectacular capture of the provincial capital Goma in November 2012, they forced the DRC government to enter into negotiations. International mediators were also involved but without so far finding a solution. Other militia groups are often forgotten, much to the dismay of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni who would like to be rid of the problem on his border.

How bloody ironic is that. Museveni one of the men demanding Kinshasa comes to a political solution with M23 would like to see a military solution to this problem. I have no issue whatsoever with a military solution I just happen to think it should be applied to all the armed groups plaguing the DR Congo, including the ones he backs M23.

When African heads of state met in the Ugandan capital Kampala in early September to seek a solution to the M23 problem, Museveni drew their attention to the rebel group ADF-NALU. For years they have terrorised people on the Congolese side of the border. Many people also sought refuge in Ugandan schools. "These refugees are suffering," Museveni said and called on the international community for support.

Unfortunately that is very much the case the total displaced a month ago by the actions of the ADF-NALU was 66,000 people and climbing. 

In Oicha a Congolese Pygmy aid organisation is now trying to help. With help from the German emergency aid NGO "Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe", it is trying to organise material so that alternative shelters can be built for the refugees.

A very sad story.

DR Congo: Why is this a catastrophe ?

DW ( Germany ) Reports

David Zounmenou:"M23 rebel group in DRC weakened by leadership problems"

The UN special envoy to the Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson is visiting the volatile eastern region of the DRC, as fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese troops backed by UN forces continues.

Her one week visit will also take her to neighboring Uganda and Rwanda. The top UN official is responsible for trying to implement a framework agreement, signed in February, to bring about peace in North and South Kivu.

DW: What is it that she possibly can achieve with this visit?

David Zounmenou: The visit is very important given the escalation of violence in the region. The visit will certainly call on various actors to show restraint and put an end to the violence and probably reinvigorate the negotiation process which will help to avoid the kind of catastrophic scenario that we are now foreseeing.

It must be me. I can't see the situation as it is at the moment in Goma, as a catastrophe unless we are looking at it from the perspective of M23. I personally don't give a toss what happens to those murderous bastards. This is exactly the scenario that the UN Security Council envisaged when it authorised the Intervention Brigade ( Africa Brigade ). Voice of America reports: 

GOMA — Residents of Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, are optimistic that the withdrawal of M23 rebels from positions outside the city could bring an end to fighting in the area. The situation is still volatile, as tensions with neighboring Rwanda remain high.

Days after the shelling stopped, the Virunga market in Goma is starting to shuffle back to life.

It’s Sunday - a typically slow day - but many of the shops here are open. Women are folding colorful fabrics, and customers are walking through rows of used blue jeans hanging from wooden posts.

Should a war break out with Rwanda then it might be fair to describe it as a catastrophe. That said Rwanda has to confronted about its ongoing human rights violations in the DR Congo. It is the worlds job to keep the situation under control, we owe the people of Goma that at the very least.  

   

How much influence does she have on the region, will she be able to achieve what she hopes to achieve?

The region has been in the spotlight for a few months now. I think everybody knows what is at stake if nothing is done and that is the reason why the UN has stepped up the game by consolidating the mandate of its peacekeeping mission and by warning the regional actors that have been involved in the conflict to stop providing the support to rebel fighters in the area. So I think she stands a chance to speak to various actors and to call them back to negotiations.

I have no objection to a talk fest but that is all it can be. There is no accommodation possible with M23 they have three choices unconditional surrender, withdrawal to Rwanda or death. Rwanda will not respond to carrots so it must be the stick.  The Intervention Brigade and MONUSCO is part Mary Robinson's stick. Good to see it being used so effectively.  

Shouldn't she have visited the region before the situation escalated?

I think the UN has always been visiting the region. Ban Ki Moon accompanied by the World Bank chief has recently visited Congo to see what was happening on the ground. But there has also been a difficult political process of negotiations unfolding in Kampala. It seems to me the government in Kinshasa didn't give the process the full attention and political commitment it deserves because Kinshasa believes that the M23 organization is at its weakest point for two reasons: Firstly, because the support from Rwanda has dried up probably because of the outcry of the UN group of experts' report and secondly, the leadership issue within the M23 group itself, the sanctions, the departure of Bosco Ntaganda and the dismissal of the political head Bishop Jean Marie Runiga. So all these factors gave Kinshasa the impression that they can step up the game and defeat the group once and for all.

I am skeptical about support from Rwanda having dried up. Jason Stearns at Congo Siasa blogs: 

The most recent fighting appears to have triggered renewed Rwandan support to the rebels, according to UN and diplomatic sources. According to one such source, the M23 launched an attack on FARDC positions in the night of August 22/23, leading UN military observers to believe that the M23 had night-vision equipment. The UN mission has also reported to the Security Council that Rwanda has provided such support. A diplomat told me that his country, a Security Council member, had also confirmed Rwandan support to the M23 in the recent fighting and had spoken with authorities in Kigali about this. According to the same source, most important donors in Kigali were on the same page in this regard.

I have no doubt Kinshasa sees this as an opportunity to rid the Eastern DR Congo of the M23 cancer. I suspect it might be more than just an impression from their perspective. I agree with their thinking.

Where does the current situation leave the Peace, Security and cooperation agreement signed in February 2013? Is it dead or there's still hope that it can be implemented?

I think the agreement still stands and still holds and I think we can still hope for sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region. This is because the agreement signed did give the responsibility to the various actors involved in the conflict. It is up to countries supporting the groups fighting in the DRC to stop doing so and for the Congolese local authorities to undertake political reforms as per the agreement. I think it's time for a political dialogue that will help all countries in the region to avoid a deplorable situation.

Not so sure about that. It will I suspect depend on what happens at the ICGLR meeting this week. I think that Kabila's attendance at the meeting is a mistake and he should have sent if any one a junior official.  

The UN has constantly accused Uganda and Rwanda for supporting the M23, what sort of welcome should she expect from these two countries?

It will be tough and extremely difficult but you also have to understand that Rwanda feels a bit isolated currently and has a limited margin of maneuver. So it will be an opportunity for them to give the other side of the story.

That is hilarious. Rwanda really needs another opportunity to lie.

David Zounmenou is a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa