DANGEROUS DECLARATIONS FROM THE FARDC CHIEF OF STAFF

Everyone following the daily situation in Eastern DRC was impressed by General Kayembe's bold declarations last Tuesday in a press conference. He unapologetically said that his troupes (meaning FARDC and allies including FDLR) are very well versed in their enemy's tactics and strategy now. He assured the press that all CNDP positions are within his troupes'reach and it was a small matter to crush the Movement once and for all. The Congolese press jubilantly commented the general's affirmations. Extremist politicians proceeded to organize paid for manifestations, supposedly discrediting the CNDP for good, after spreading the rumour of his leader "disappearence" for illness, wounds or even death. The UN Mission (MONUC) did nothing, as usual, to denounce the provocative moves on the part of the army hierarchy, political activism or else, knowing perfectly how all this can be part of a sinister plan the Government has been iching to carry out. Kinshasa and all Kabila's supporters, including in the international community, have not understood yet that the CNDP is not about a single individual, but a whole people's cause.

Such lack of understanding explains why some observers are getting nervous about this http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7649020.stm. But how can anyone expect the return of the CNDP in the Amani Programme when, instead of correcting its faulty mechanism, the government maintains its belligerent stand as General Kayembe's declaration shows? The international facilitation has taken a wrong course by passively watching Kinshasa overarming the North-Kivu on one hand, and, on the other, by virtually considering the CNDP as the main problem in the Kivu. There is nothing threatening stability as much as General Kayembe's statements. He supposedely thinks, like Kabila, that the number of men and weapons being flown in from Sudan is a way to peace!

He cannot possibly think that his declarations are conducive if the CNDP is supposed to consider

Monuc disengagement plan. They are likely to procude the opposite effect. Double language cannot be trusted. Carrot and sticks have never worked in the Kivu peace process no matter which policy advisors and experts have preached such ideas. Only dialogue between the two adversaries can lead to peace. Unless dialogue is taken seriously, no one can expects the CNDP to disarm. And dialogue with the CNDP will pave way to a much needed dialogue at a national level on so many unsolved issues blocking Congolese people's development. Dialogue is something different from unilateral deals. The international facilitation should put more pressure on Kinshasa for this dialogue to be different from faulty deals like the Amani Programme, so hastily coocked up that it was meant to fail. Everyone has the right to know that of the 4 commissions that were supposed to be put in place by that programme, only one started tentatively. There has never been sufficient political will to make it work. And yet both the government and the International facilitation talk about this failed programme as if it were any legal framework for true peace. This is where the complicity of the International facilitation appears in its hypocritical colors.

What comes out clear at this stage is something I have said several times before: the government entered the Goma conference to keep some appearence of political will in the peace process, but it never renounced the idea of pursuing the war against the CNDP. It is very surprising to see that the country is plagued with illegal foreign criminal forces from North to South, national territory is occupied in Kahemba (Ouest), and yet the so called International community and the government see no other enemy than the CNDP. By insisting on disarming the only voice of reason, the government and the international community are doing what all corrupt societies do: silencing the voice of the people trying to reclaim their liberty. History will tell the reason behind this, but it should no be very difficult to find some shared interests between the government and the said community. The population is paying a very high price, that is why it should claim its freedom confiscated by the current leadership with the tacit suport of the International community.