Monday 15 December 2008

IF MONUC FAILS IN EASTERN DRC, PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS RISK LOOSING CREDIBILITY!

A recent conference discussion revealed this. Forgot to spot this on time, but it is interesting all the same. It's challenging to keep a pager on all events relevant to the peace process in the DRC Check it out!


No Easy Answers in Congolese Conflict


WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 11, 2008--

The chronic conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has intensified and exacerbated a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions. On December 3, AEI and the Center for American Progress's Enough Project convened a panel to discuss the conflict's new dynamics, as well as its longstanding features.
The conflict's intensification has resulted from shifting power relations between various armed groups operating in the region. The National Congress for the Liberation of the People (CNDP), guided by its charismatic rebel leader, Laurent Nkunda, has demonstrated its power over the Congolese army and other rebel groups in the region. Additionally, Nkunda has begun setting up local administrations to govern areas under control of his military that are often more popular than the Congolese government. According to Colin Thomas-Jensen, a policy advisor at the Enough Project, "when the chips are down, people feel safer behind CNDP lines." Nkunda's growing ability to control and govern territory from his base in Kivu is increasing pressure on the Congolese president, Joseph Kabila, to negotiate directly with him for a political settlement.
Nkunda's military demonstrated its superiority when it marched to the outskirts of North Kivu's regional capital, Goma, in late October. The United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUC, did not halt the CNDP's advance, and Nkunda eventually declared a unilateral ceasefire. "MONUC didn't really react to this," Thomas-Jensen commented. "It neither protects civilians effectively nor provides a credible deterrent to attacks by armed groups on civilians."
During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Nkunda fought for the Tutsi army then led by current Rwandan president Paul Kagame. But, according to AEI resident fellow Mauro De Lorenzo, Nkunda is not a proxy for Kagame, and the conflict in the DRC is not a bilateral conflict between Kigali and Kinshasa. The true source of the fighting is a set of unresolved issues dating to the 1960s that includes electoral districts, property rights, and citizenship. These issues are less visible than disputes over natural resources and military campaigns, however, and thus receive less attention in the media. According to De Lorenzo, there will be no successful resolution of the conflict through bilateral talks between Rwanda and the DRC. Mediators should instead focus on less obvious aspects of the conflict, which will require more sustained and nuanced international engagement.
Additionally, the conflict will not be solved by injecting more democracy into the mix. The 2006 DRC elections are part of the problem. Premature elections forced the Congolese to organize along ethnic lines, which has fomented tension between groups and resulted in myriad militias. "We need to address the older structural issues," De Lorenzo said.
The conference participants agreed that the Congolese government is incapable of controlling its territory. This is exacerbated by the Congolese army, which has proven unaccountable and chaotic. "Steps need to be taken so that the Congolese army is not a part of the problem," Tony Gambino, former USAID mission director in the DRC, said. "This is not accomplished by short-term military training. It is only accomplished if the Congolese army is restricted to its barracks." MONUC should revise its relationship with the Congolese army if it wants to protect citizens, he added. If it fails in eastern Congo, peacekeeping as a UN strategy for mitigating conflicts risks losing all credibility.
The conference discussion revealed layers of complex problems that often leave Western observers perplexed and disheartened, but De Lorenzo concluded with an exhortation to avoid mystifying Congo's chronic crisis: "We don't have to assume that there is something about Congo that is intractable and impervious to reason."
--DAVID PEYTON
For video, audio, and event information, visit www.aei.org/event1852/.
For media inquiries, contact Veronique Rodman at 202.862.4870 or vrodman@aei.org.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

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jfi

Anonymous said...

Actually, African countries, particularly those close to Congo, should begin waking up and ask what EU is doing in Congo under cover of some European countries.

Mainly, France and Belgium are cruising in Congo freely to train Congolese army.
As for results, we are seeing those DRC troops behaving violently against the population across the country.
They may arguing that the army is using FDLR to do the ugly job of looting, raping and destroying all what is in their reach, however, EU should be taken as responsible of those criminal actions.

Unless EU hidden agenda is to have sufficient reasons to send its mercenaries (after missionaries), we don't see why MONUC fails its peacekeeping missions in eastern DRC of protecting the population from Kabila's army but to help that army.

Obviously, Kabila's soldiers received orders to destroy the whole Kivu to give a way to the EU military intervention.
This issue should be inquired and addressed by neighbor and all African countries accordingly.

Negotiations with Kabila is a waste of time and more suffering in Kivu. Those EU supported rebel leaders, many of them are enjoying good time in EU, should be prosecuted and punished with their sponsors.

BAGAMBIKI.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...yet another panel focused on the Congo without any Congolese participants on it? What's up with that?

Anonymous said...

They are a bunch of Rwandese sufferring from an identity crisis, pathetic!

Anonymous said...

Congo is endangered more than ever with today events. The country is seized in jaws by the tandem of the puppet Kabila with Ban-ki-Moon +kuchner+ Michel's + de gucht+ de decker + etc when the Congolese people are believing those angels from hell are working on their salvation!
Though, I am confident Congolese soon or later will recover their true independence, I am wondering at what price and human burden that will be?
Loosing again 5 millions lives or more? No! Time is over for such harassment and disastrous situation because of EU, actually France and Belgium, backing the roaming FDLR in Congo.

That French score is not sole but a historical pace of blood in Viet-Nam, Algeria, Malagasy, Cameron, Rwanda, Congo-Brazza, Zaire-Congo and now again in DRC.
The French touch was a must in the 25 year Angola war, in South Africa apartheid period and even now with obvious friendship between France and RSA.

The whole French West Africa is an economic cemetery and a complete Sahel for soon.

The last experience of France in Rwanda in the 1972-1994 period is self explanatory.
Well, let's agree French people are really more clever than other Europeans. Their psy science and skills are really powerful. They lost wars 4 times against Germany but managed to be the end winners!! USA and GB paid for France even when it was Fascist of first category. They lost war in Viet-Nam but it's USA again that paid the bill for them!! Really, surprising.

Now in Rwanda and in Congo, they managed to destroy Tutsi and Hutu with only one sole strike killing more than 1 million people plus 2,5 million refugees and exported war in Zaire-Congo that killed 5 millions lives. The French is a good Billiards player for sure: with one ball, and they blow 7 millions Africans (Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Congo Brazza).
Things are still going on with as they say: La France est la première fille de l'Eglise. For now, who is paying the bills? EU, of course but not Italians ...

Rwandans know quite well they aren't "uber menchen" but common Bantu from one of the most common but powerful nations pertaining to the big Africa continent.
As such, they will fight together with their neighbor and fellow nations to free Africa from those invading vultures.
For sure, they will endeavor destroying any organization that or any individual who will attempt to put them in slavery.
Their score is already high and trustful. Maybe, they will succeed where other failed...

Bagambiki