DR Congo: " Meaningless words, yellowed by time, faded photos exposing pain "

New Times Rwanda reports

Remarks by Rwanda Permanent Representative to the UN

                                                          Rwandan UN Ambassador Eugène-Richard Gasana.

Remarks by Permanent Representative to the UN, Eugène-Richard Gasana, at the UN Security Council briefing on Monusco/PSC Framework.

14 March 2014

Thank you Madame President. I thank SRSG Kobler and SESG Robinson for taking the time to brief us today on the reports of the Secretary-General and ahead of Monusco’s mandate renewal.

As the Secretary General report highlights, despite the positive developments of late last year, it is clear that the momentum has slowed, with limited progress on both the political and the military fronts. We are looking at a volatile security situation in not only the East but throughout the country.

I have no idea what report Ambassador Gasana is referring to. It would be logical to assume it is the most recent report, you can find it here. Go read it and then you can determine if " the momentum has slowed,.. ". I suspect you will reach the same conclusion that I have, that being, Gasana is talking shit. Something that is not uncommon with Rwandan officials.

“Negative forces” are still at rampage; killing and maiming, raping young girls and women, recruiting children and causing thousands of displacements of civilians. The seriousness and scale of killings and violations that continue in Katanga and in areas formerly occupied by M23 in North Kivu are deeply troubling.

Actually the report says nothing of the sort. I would suggest that it realistically details the situation in the East and points to some substantial progress. I can only assume Gasana is making this shit up for domestic consumption by the supporters of the Kagame regime. From the Secretary General's report:

" The situation in North Kivu remains volatile. Following the defeat of the M23, MONUSCO issued a warning to other armed groups, urging them to surrender or face military operations. Through sustained pressure and a proactive communication campaign by the Congolese armed forces and MONUSCO, armed groups, including Mayi-Mayi Lafontaine, Forces populaires congolaises (FPC), Mayi Mayi Simba, Mayi-Mayi Shetani and the Mouvement pour la libération du Congo (MPLC), expressed their intention to discuss the terms of their surrender with the Government. "

A major reason for this is the prevalent culture of impunity that continues throughout the country. All perpetrators, whether from the FARDC, which has committed 18 % of crimes reported in 2013, or any other armed group, must be brought to justice and held accountable for their crimes.  

Cry me a bloody river. That a representative of Rwanda has the gall to make this charge when Rwanda are the principal culprit behind much of the instability and it is Rwandan proxies that have benefitted most from the culture of impunity makes this charge one of the most cynical hypocritical I have heard in quite some time. Have a look at Rwanda's export receipts for coltan, a mineral it has virtually none of and then ask who has benefitted from a culture of impunity. Rwandan militias have raped the Eastern DR Congo and its people. 

There is no doubt, no doubt, that the next few months will be critical and we need to take a serious look at how Resolution 2098 is being implemented especially in the neutralization of negative armed groups; in the consolidation of the peace process, and in the protection of civilians in liberated areas.

What a dickhead. Resolution 2098 is the UN resolution that authorises the Intervention ( Africa ) Brigade. It was also a result of a major Rwandan own goal. We don't need to look at how Resolution 2098 is being implemented. We need to make it clear to Rwanda that it doesn't now or in the future have any further role to play in the Eastern DDR Congo. 

" Some how we are meant to believe that the political approach and the military are at odds despite both efforts being mandated under Security Council Resolution 2098. It then moves to the farcical with a reference to the ICGLR ( International Conference on the Great Lakes Region ) summit is somehow related to the United Nations as if it was another arm of the organisation rather than a separate body altogether. To make matters worse he either does not know or conveniently forgets that the origin of the Intervention Brigade or as I term it due to its origin the Africa Brigade is a request from the ICGLR to the UN Security Council. 

Fortunately or unfortunately from the perspective of Rwanda the UN Security Council made sure that the Africa Brigade was a neutral force tasked with extending the sovereignty of  the DR Congo rather than the Kigali aligned force Rwanda wished it to be... "

We welcome the reports presented by briefers on some members of some armed groups that have peacefully surrendered and indeed we applaud FARDC supported by Monusco for attacking and destroying a number of ADF camps. The resumption of the Minova trial is another positive development and we look forward to a conclusive prosecution that can set a precedent for future cases.

I agree the Minova trial is positive, it shows a commitment from Kinshasa and FARDC to clean up the mess that FARDC had descended into. In other words and contrary to Gasana's comments above an ending of the culture of impunity. Of course while the atrocities were occurring in Minova, M23 and their allies the Rwandan Armed Forces were  inflicting the same atrocities on the people of Goma during the M23 occupation of the city.

"  Human Rights Watch has documented at least 24 cases of summary executions by M23 fighters during the M23’s occupation of Goma and nearby areas, between November 19 and December 2. All but three of the victims were civilians. Human Rights Watch research found that M23 rebels raped at least 36 women and girls in and around Goma during the same period, including at least 18 wives of army soldiers and a 10-year-old girl, who died from her wounds a day later. The M23 forcibly recruited army soldiers and medical officers, police, and civilians into its ranks in violation of the laws of war, and took them to its military bases for “retraining.” They also looted hundreds of homes, offices, and vehicles. "

When Rwanda starts its own prosecutions of its Armed Forces for their role in the above crimes one might take Gasana seriously.

The recently promulgated Amnesty law as per Nairobi agreement is also positive step in national reconciliation but one that will require measurable actions. We urge Monusco and international community to closely monitor its implementation.

Yes. The amnesty that will allow M23 to escape the consequences of their actions in the Eastern DR Congo. When this guy talks about impunity the only possible response is laughter, or tears.

Madam President,

However, these positive developments should not obscure the fact that one of the oldest armed groups remains at large. As always for the past 20 years, the problem that we have is the posture of the DRC government and the UN peacekeepers ‘currently Monusco’ towards the threat posed by FDLR genocidal forces responsible for the Genocide against the Tutsi. 

The posture of both MONUSCO and Kinshasa is transparent. They will be neutralised, most probably by force.

Throughout the last quarter of 2013 we were told that FDLR are next on the list of negative forces to be eliminated; what happens from when the promise is made to the next briefing, no one knows, no accountability… At our last meeting on Monusco, the military operation plan presented to the Security Council was that FARDC was to go after ADF, they did it.

Actually we were told no such thing. I was surprised that the FDLR were not the next group targeted by the FARDC, MONUSCO and its offshoot the Intervention ( Africa ) Brigade it was an assumption most Congo watchers made. However by September 2013 it should have become obvious that things might not proceed in the order we assumed. 

" I suspect that the ADF haven't thought through the consequences of this little bit of murderous adventurism. I hope the price that is extract in return is so high that we will never again have to read about these pricks."

Following that, we were told that Monusco was to put their resources against FDLR. Nothing happened! Only a week or two before this briefing, do we hear in the news that there was a military operation against FDLR. This threat of FDLR persists despite the mandate of Monusco, which was given extra offensive capabilities after the deployment of the Intervention Brigade and the lack of Monusco to commit to fighting this force remains evident.

I have argued numerous times on this blog that the timing is something that the allied forces of FARDC and MONUSCO and its Intervention Brigade will determine. That is just common sense. Rwanda seem to think they have some say in this issue, they don't.

Once again, It is high time we see a change of attitude of the DRC Government towards the FDLR; Rwanda has for several years expressed legitimate concerns with the lack of political will of the Government of DRC to tackle the threat of FDLR. Various UNSC reports have detailed evidence of all kinds of support given to FDLR by DRC and Rwanda has even provided more.

It is utterly appalling that the Rwandan Ambassador to the UN is even worse informed than than the nations propaganda outlet New Times, that is inturn so utterly incompetent that it can't even take note of what the major world news services are reporting. I blogged on this issue two days ago noting: 

" Or in other words New Times Rwanda have published today ( 14/3/14 ) a report that fails to acknowledge casualties reported two days ago by Al Jazeera."

The MONUSCO, Intervention Brigade, FARDC coalition have commenced operations against the FDLR.  

The continuous excuses given by Monusco again and again when it comes to conducting military operations against FDLR, is kind of disturbing. When it is not excuses of lack of intelligence, (and which Rwanda did share with Monusco), it is engaged in propaganda operations to hoodwink the UNSC about military operations with FARDC against FDLR.

What excuses? MONUSCO has given no excuses whatsoever. Equally before commencing operations against M23 it gave no excuses and was roundly criticised for that. The coalition of forces are presumably preparing and again as I have said time spent in preparation in a military context is rarely time wasted. Why the hell the coalition would keep a hostile government such as Rwanda informed of its preparations is beyond me but when you live in the fantasy world of the Rwandan regime it would seem anything however improbable is in fact possible and desirable. As for hoodwinking the UN Security Council the charge is laughable.

On 09 Mar 14, Monusco/FIB jointly with FARDC raided FDLR illegal roadblock along Karengera – Tongo road. Reliable information reveals that Col Ramadhan, acting FARDC commander of the 8th Military Region, leaked information of the impending FIB attack on FDLR, hence undermining this operation.

That is an allegation that I have only seen in pro Rwanda news reports to date. If it should turn out to be true and I am deeply skeptical, I would imagine Col. Ramadhan will face a treason trial and if found guilty will pay the ultimate price.

It is not only Rwanda expressing frustration over inaction against negative forces; the countries of the region, under ICGLR have expressed frustration by lack of political will by Monusco to address the threats of armed groups in the Great Lakes region.

Really ? What countries would they be. The most obvious would be Uganda and as far as I am aware they have said nothing of the sort. In fact the exact opposite would seem to be the case:

" Officials said Uganda's chief of defence forces, General Katumba Wamala, met Congolese counterpart Didier Etumba in the town of Beni in Congo's North Kivu province, where Kinshasa was launching military operations against the rebels. "

As I said I have no idea which audience this speech was aimed at but if it was the international community, to whom it was given, it will only have confirmed as if any confirmation was needed that the Rwandan regime is not to be trusted ever on anything.

Eastern DRC has been host to domestic and foreign armed groups particularly M23, FDLR and ADF-NALU. As a result, ICGLR came up with detailed mechanisms to address the situation, including political and military measures. Some of these mechanisms have been taken over by UN, including Intervention Brigade under Monusco and yet the major threat posed by FDLR has not been tackled.

Yes as I said above that was a major diplomatic cock up on Rwanda's part. Mind you with diplomats of the caliber of Ambassador Gasana that is not all that much of a surprise. The reason the UN through MONUSCO is in command of the Intervention Brigade is that members of the ICGLR ( International Conference for the Great Lakes Region ) decided that the Brigade was a good idea but putting Rwanda in charge as Rwanda proposed was rather akin to putting the fox in charge of the chicken run. You might want to bare that in mind when you asses the reliability of the ambassadors statement on the frustrations of other countries in the region. Other ICGLR are frustrated but that frustration is aimed at Rwanda not MONUSCO.

This was again subject of ICGLR Heads of State Summit in Luanda, Angola on 15th January 2014, where the Chiefs of Defence Staff of Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa were again tasked to assess the situation and come up with new mechanisms of eradicating FDLR.

I will let the ICGLR own website deal with that. It is of course another out of context load of shit.

On the FDLR Current Situation; Let me briefly share with you some updates on the FDLR activities. The FDLR strength is estimated to 3,640 with infantry integral weapons. This strength is likely to increase due to ongoing recruitment and training.

What a load of bullshit. The FDLR have been shrinking in numbers for years. Even Kigali has made that claim and it seems to be born out. Yet this fool thinks he can make that statement and the world will agree with him.UN Experts Group for the DR Congo put the number at about 1500.

" Based on interviews with ex-FDLR combatants and UN sources, the Group estimates FDLR has approximately 1,500 combatants in both provinces (see S/2013/433, para. 97); of these, approximately 1,000 are in North Kivu. The Government of Rwanda told the Group that FDLR has 4,000 to 4,200 combatants."

Currently, FDLR is engaged in the following activities:

* Enhancing collaboration with FARDC especially at operation level. This has enabled FDLR to refit, re-arm, share intelligence, have freedom of action and free passage for infiltration and terror attacks in Rwanda. Since July 2013 to date, 42 FDLR infiltrators/terror elements have been arrested and undergoing prosecution in Rwandan courts;

Current evidence ?

* Mobilization, recruitment, training and establishment of terror networks in Rwanda. These activities are facilitated by provision of safe passage and logistics by FARDC;

Current evidence ?

* The recent claim by Monusco that FDLR is located in populated areas is a sheer lie; instead the outfit has most of its forward units in Virunga National Park in North Kivu Province. It also maintains its dispositions in unpopulated areas of Mwenga and Uvira Territories in South Kivu; and

The only claim I have seen along these lines is that the FDLR are in the field with families and that makes them a difficult target if you are trying to avoid killing non combatants.

* On Illegal mining and taxation in eastern DRC to sustain the war effort.

Well given Rwanda's expertise in this area I won't argue with him.

Madam President,

I would like to discuss a different issue of M23 Ex-Combatants; while the SG report suggests that consultations on the unresolved issue of these ex- combatants in Rwanda are ongoing; we remind this Council that these combatants have been in Rwanda since March 2013. It is almost a year. 

Really that will come as a surprise everyone. Just in case the Ambassador has forgotten M23 was in the field in the DR Congo until their defeat in November 2013. The lies of Rwanda never cease to amaze me.

The Government of Rwanda has done everything required by international law to contain this group, including relocating them to Ngoma District in Eastern Province approximately 250 Km from the DRC border, but despite our repeated calls for international community to take over responsibility, not much has been done.   There were some contacts that were initiated in December but its really not that much.

That is actually funny. Rwanda want the international community to take over responsibility for M23. I agree with the call. Lets start with investigators from the ICC.

On the report of the PSC Framework, I will not dwell much on that since the implementation of the PSCA will be discussed on 27th of this month in Nairobi.

To conclude, as we have said previously, next month marks the 20th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi and there could be no greater symbol of justice for its victims than the defeat and eradication of FDLR, a virulent genocidal force that has been allowed to terrorize the region for the past two decades.

With that statement I agree and this blog has always taken that position, however I will not characterise the genocide as against the Tutsi. It was a Rwandan genocide and many non Tutsi died.

I thank you Madam President.

DR Congo " On waves of silver I dreamed of gold 'Till I lost the peace that dreaming gives "

The Cameroon Tribune reports

FCFA 193 Billion Lost To DRC Gold Smuggling

                                                                               DR Congo conflict gold

A UN report for 2013 says corruption enabled gold to be shipped to Illegally Neighbouring countries.

The latest United Nations report Assessing the gold smuggling racket in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, says 400 million U.S. Dollars (about FCFA 193 billion) Was Lost by the country in back in 2013 as the mineral WAS smuggled to East African countries.

The FCFA are Central and West African currencies that are pegged to Euro incidentally not in use in the DR Congo.

According To the East African Review, businessmen teamed up with soldiers and politicians to steal DRC minerals, shipping them out via Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania, with the money used in financing eastern DRC's recurring wars.

The Rift Valley Institute   (RVI ) make some interesting observations on the functioning of FARDC ( Congolese Army ) when it comes to matters economic.

“ Subordinates are obliged to pay regular amounts to superiors, often referred to as rapportage (‘bringing in’)—or, as many Congolese soldiers put it, ‘feeding the horse so the horse feeds you’. Rapportage works as an instrument of control: those failing to submit sufficient revenues are sent to so-called ‘drier zones’, with fewer opportunities to make money. The relationship between commander and subordinate is not one of unrestrained predation, but entails a kind of reciprocity. Just as subordinates are expected to deliver to their superiors, so they too are supposed to provide something in return: protection, advice, mitigation of punishments, promotion, leave, and training.”

The 276-page report by the UN Group of Experts on the DRC armed conflict says, corruption, poor quality of life for Citizens, illegal mineral exploitation and interference from Neighbouring countries, remain major sources of instability in the DRC.

Of course it isn't just gold or for that matter FARDC, again from the RVI:

" Opportunities for profiteering extend far beyond minerals: militias have exploited and traded charcoal, hardwoods, cannabis, fish, and wild animals. In addition, almost all armed groups depend heavily on illegal taxation, usually obtained at road-blocks and markets, and through food collections in villages. Some groups—like the FDLR and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group largely operating in the Ruwenzori borderlands—also cultivate food crops on a large scale, trade consumer items, and have extensive investments in urban areas, owning shops, motor-cycles, and pharmacies. These activities require collaborators within the state and business sectors, evidence of armed groups’ broader social underpinnings."

Kenya and Uganda Have Become Major Exporters of gold since the two countries-have the infrastructure to transporting illegal minerals to   international markets. An Estimated 20 million people in DRC, Uganda and Rwanda, and Kenya to Some extent, depend on the illegal mining of DRC minerals as Their only source of livelihood.

Lets not forget coltan or Rwanda. 

" According to the United States Geographic Survey, Rwanda produced more than 25% of the world’s coltan in 2011, more than what their coltan deposits should be able to provide. Rwandan coltan mining relies on mines in the DRC, some of which are in conflict areas and some of which are not. Of the ten large Rwandan mining companies, only four have taken any measures to verify that their product is not conflict-sourced. Rwanda has also been implicated multiple times in Congolese coltan smuggling by the UN, along with Burundi and Uganda. However, Uganda and Burundi do not report having a coltan industry, so those claims are even more difficult for the UN to verify. It is believed that about half of all Rwandan coltan comes from conflict regions in the DRC."

Charges of gold smuggling against Uganda are not new. Some high-ranking military ounce Officials Were Accused by a UN Panel of involvement in smuggling Congolese minerals and other natural resources. HOWEVER, Uganda says it now HAS mineral processing protocol with the Congolese government and dealings with Congolese gold dealers are above board.

But it isn't the official Congolese gold dealers who are the problem.

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;

Resolution 2136 (2014) is here. 

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.

Africa, Germany & the UN: " From the dream on the barbed wire at Flanders and Bilston Glen "

Al Jazeera reports

Germany sees bigger military role in Africa

                                         Ursula von der Leyen said she foresaw boosting the training mission in Mali 

New defence minister talks about Mali and CAR and says Germany cannot stand by in the face of "murder and rape".

Germany's new defence minister said Sunday her country should engage more strongly in Africa by sending additional military trainers to Mali and supporting the French intervention in Central African Republic.

It is easy to forget that pre WW1 Germany had fairly extensive colonial acquisitions in Africa. The Treaty of Versailles extinguished Germanies African possessions. German East Africa  included what are now Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania , Kenya and Mozambique. German South West Africa Namibia and Botswana. German West Africa included bits of Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and  Togo.  

Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday Germany that "cannot look the other way when murder and rape are a daily occurrence, if only for humanitarian reasons."

She is of course correct and what is frustrating is that dealing with the situation in the Central African Republic ( CAR ) seems to be a step too far for the UN Security Council. Ideally the troops on the ground would be wearing blue helmets and under a unified command rather than French and African Union troops. The failure of the UN to get its shit together has left a gap that it seem the EU nations are now moving to fill. That is a good and the forces in the CAR are UN mandated but they represent a failure of the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council needs to be reformed.  

The first female defence minister said she foresaw boosting the training mission in Mali from its current mandate of 180 personnel, with 99 now on the ground, to up to 250, and deploying a medical services airbus to back up the French mission in CAR.

"In Central Africa, a bloody war is unfolding between Christians and Muslims. We cannot allow this conflict to set the entire region ablaze," she added.

I think it would be fair to say that Muslim terror groups are eyeing up opportunities in sub Saharan Africa, the last thing the world needs is another Afghanistan. In the neighbouring DR Congo the government is fighting the Ugandan Muslim terrorist group the ADF, interestingly the UN Experts Group for the DR Congo noted:

" The Group determined that during 2013, foreign, Arabic-speaking men have conducted military training courses and operations with ADF; however, the Group was not able to firmly establish the nationalities of these foreigners or their organizational affiliation(s)."

In the long term European national armies should be merged into a European military because "unified armed forces are a logical consequence of an ever-increasing military cooperation in Europe," said the minister who has been in her post for about one month.

It would be a logical development for the EU and it might well come to pass but where does that leave the UN Security Council ? When the UN acts it does so with the authority of the world, a rival EU Security Council would damage the authority of the UN, it also might prove a damn sight more efficient which is why we need to reform the UN Security Council.   

Development Minister Gerd Mueller meanwhile said Germany also planned to expand its aid activities in Africa, especially in Mali, speaking to the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

This reads very like a German vote of no confidence in the UN Security Council and who could blame them, New Zealand has long desired UN Security Council reform. 

" At the height of the Rwanda killings, New Zealand and others pushed for the Council to act; but, under pressure from the US, France and UK – all with a veto – its response was watered down, the UN peacekeeping force was downsized, and the genocide continued, unabated.

As recounted by the Czech Ambassador (on the Council at that time ), our Ambassador “drew his final trump”, and turned a draft presidential statement into a draft Council resolution - “an absolutely brilliant manoeuvre” because, “unlike a presidential statement, a resolution didn’t need unanimity”; and any debate would highlight the veto possibility and expose the opponents in “their real colours”. "

New Zealand for all its brilliance at the Security Council couldn't stop the Rwandan genocide. The CAR is fast becoming a genocide situation, a student of history might see many ironies in the German intentions, the less obvious one being that the Security Council was set up to ensure that never again would the world witness a holocaust.

The chairman of the German Armed Forces Association, Andre Wuestner, told the same newspaper that the Mali mission would likely take more than a decade, citing the "disastrous" state of the armed forces there and the goal of "a stable and functioning state".

The West African nation of Mali was hit by a coup in 2012 when its northern half was occupied by Al-Qaeda-linked armed fighters before being liberated by a French-led military intervention.

French forces also intervened last month in CAR to try to stem violence between mainly Muslim Seleka fighters who had staged the coup last year and rebels from the country's Christian majority.

If the UN Security Council will not reform it will become redundant and kudos to Germany for making it so obvious.

Rwanda: M23 - " The smiling she chameleon, the smiling vinyl whores "

Reuters reports

Rwanda asks for U.N. report on Congo sanctions to be dismissed

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Rwanda asked a U.N. Security Council sanctions committee on Friday to dismiss a report that says the defeated M23 rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo are still recruiting fighters in Rwanda and Congolese troops are involved in rights abuses.  

Rwanda can be counted on to never give up denying the undeniable.

The confidential report by independent experts, seen by Reuters last month, also said it had "credible information that sanctioned M23 leaders are moving freely in Uganda and that M23 continued to recruit in Rwanda."

That is hardly a secret. Given that they crossed into Uganda after being defeated and have been given political asylum, the other obvious point being that M23 was always the creation and creature of Uganda and Rwanda.   

The experts monitor U.N. sanctions on Congo and report on violations to a U.N. Security Council sanctions committee, which is made up of all 15 council members. The committee was meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the experts' report.

"Considering the many flaws indicated in this document, the U.N. Sanctions Committee should consider dismissing the Group of Experts' final report," Rwanda said in a seven-page document submitted to the committee, which was obtained by Reuters.

Rwandan denials are largely ignored by all. That is the problem with constant lying, the problem is that the allegations against Rwanda are always backed up by evidence that would be acceptable in any democratic jurisdictions judicial system.

Rwanda, which just started its second year of a two-year term on the Security Council, said the allegations against it in the report "have no relevance in the current circumstances," and could undermine regional efforts to bring peace to the volatile, resource-rich eastern Congo.

I would have thought that allegations that M23 was actively recruiting in Rwanda might have a lot relevance in the current circumstances

"The Sanctions Committee should thus consider removing these allegations against Rwanda in the final report," it said.

The U.N. experts have repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of backing the 20-month rebellion by M23 in eastern Congo, a claim the Rwandan government has fiercely rejected. The U.N. Security Council has blacklisted M23.

Congolese troops and the U.N. peacekeeping mission - which includes a unique Intervention Brigade mandated to eliminate armed groups - defeated M23 in November and the group signed a peace deal with the Congo government last month.

But Martin Kobler, the top U.N. official in the Democratic Republic of Congo, warned on Monday that there were "credible reports of emerging M23 activities in Ituri in northeastern Congo."

It is hard to independently verify any of this but the UN Experts have made it clear in their report the standard of evidence required for an allegation to get included in the report.

" The Group used evidentiary standards recommended by the report of the Informal Working Group of the Security Council on General Issues of Sanctions (S/2006/997). The Group based its findings on documents and, wherever possible, first-hand, on-site observations by the experts themselves. Otherwise, the Group corroborated information by using at least three independent and reliable sources. "

That is a high standard and show the correct triangulation technique used by intelligence gathering agencies, Pablo at Kiwipolitico explains:  

" One of the simple yet key concepts in intelligence gathering is triangulation: try to receive information from at least three independent sources about a given subject or target in order to avoid selection bias, erroneous reporting, disinformation or content manipulation. It is the mark of the intelligence professional that s/he avoids making value judgements or offering assessments until source triangulation has confirmed the accuracy or veracity of reporting from the field or in intelligence streams provided by informants, contract assets, liaison partners and open sources."

On top of the rumors and reports, M23 have never been a very smart organisation when it come to the use of social media,  so  I have kept an eye on the obvious sites, their main website following M23's defeat went off line.

It is now dead. However the website had a Facebook page and it has become increasingly active over the last few weeks, usually the content is a mixture of 13 year old school boy smut running alongside article that had been published on the official site. The page is now covering political developments in the DR Congo.... how is this for interesting ?  

 

" The chameleon is a great teacher. Watch it .

When he takes a direction , he never turned his head . Make like him. Have a goal in life and that nothing distracts you . Chameleon does not turn his head but his eyes he turns .

He looks up, down . That means learn . Do not think you 're the only one on earth.

When it happens in one place, it takes the color of the place . This is not hypocrisy. It is first of tolerance and then the etiquette. Face each other does not help. Nothing has ever been built in the fight. Always try to understand the other. If we exist , we must admit that the other exists .

If the chameleon advance , it throws one foot. It balance ? This is called prudence in walking.

To move, it hangs its tail and if his feet sink , it remains suspended. This is called secure his rear . Do not be reckless.

When the chameleon sees a prey, he does not rush it but he sends his tongue. If language can bring him , she brings him . Otherwise , it still has the possibility of resuming his tongue and avoid evil. Go slow in everything you do."

It proves absolutely nothing and only a fool would ignore it. 

M23 is one of dozens of rebel groups in eastern Congo. Millions of people have died from violence, disease and hunger in the region since the 1990s as armed groups have fought for control of the area's vast deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, cobalt and uranium.

I think we can still use the word " was"  when it comes to M23, if they are coming back in a new incarnation I doubt that they will be given an opportunity to surrender to Ugandan authorities a second time.

'BLAME RWANDA'

In the document given to the committee, Rwanda said: "A clear pattern has been established whereby the Group of Experts seeks to entrench a 'blame Rwanda' narrative by endorsing any account that incriminates the government of Rwanda and dismissing those that exculpate or vindicate it."

I was unaware of any independent accounts vindicating the Rwandan government, the Rwandan government owned New Times Rwanda does not count.

"It should be made clear that the use of a U.N.-sanctioned mechanism to launch deliberate attacks against a U.N. member state through grave but unsubstantiated and damaging accusations without any credible evidence to back them are unacceptable," it said.

Except there is overwhelming evidence and it is accepted by everyone but Rwanda.

.

Uganda also wrote to the Security Council committee to deny accusations in the report that sanctioned M23 leaders were moving freely within Uganda and that most of the gold produced in Congo was traded in Uganda.

"It is difficult to understand why the group (of experts) came up with falsehoods and misconceived conclusions against Uganda in this way," Uganda's minister of state for international affairs, Okello Henry Oryem, wrote in a letter to the committee, also obtained by Reuters.

"The report in our view is obstructive in the ongoing efforts ... in bringing peace and stability to Democratic Republic of Congo," Oryem wrote.

Again the Ugandan denials would carry far more weight had they handed the leadership of M23 over to the DR Congo authorities to face the numerous charges against them or even for that matter the International Criminal Court. You can't have it both ways you are either supporting and protecting the M23 leadership or you comply with international agreements hand them over.

Rwanda and Uganda both argued that they had cooperated with the U.N. experts and that information they had provided to the group had been ignored.

The UN Experts report is littered with statements such as this.

" On 6 November, the Group wrote to the Government of Rwanda to clarify this event; however, as of the writing of this report, the Group has not received a reply."

Several council diplomats said neither of Rwanda's requests to the committee were likely be successful. The committee works on the basis of consensus, which means it would only take an objection from one country to block Rwanda's requests.

Rwanda could go on to demand that the council place a hold on the report, which could relegate it to a kind of limbo and indefinitely prevent its official publication.

There can be little doubt that the International Community don't believe a word Rwanda says.

Theoretically, the Security Council could vote to publish it, but that would be unlikely if Kigali found support from council members like Russia and China, which have in the past delayed or prevented publication of U.N. experts' reports on other issues and repeatedly criticized U.N. experts' broad mandates.

Note, not the USA but those bastions of freedom and democracy Russia and China.

In August, Rwanda blocked a joint U.S.-French proposal for the U.N. Sanctions Committee to impose U.N. sanctions on two senior commanders in the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo, arguing that the evidence against the men was weak.

Rwanda has repeatedly intervened in Congo, saying it had to hunt down the Hutu militia which fled after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Rwanda and Congo have fought two wars over the past two decades in eastern Congo.

Not according to Kigali. Kagame has never even heard of the DR Congo if Kigali is to be believed.