M23 PATIENTLY WAITING FOR KINSHASA DELEGATION

No one is talking about the negotiations in Kampala. This is because no negotiations are going on. M23 delegation is patiently waiting. However, it is not surprising that Kabila is not willing to go back to Kampala. Any observer, as well as M23 officials are all aware that Kabila never intended to negotiate, too late though because his country did react to the speedy and complete control of Goma in November last year. What is happening today is that he is not showing up and even if he did, he is not likely to negotiate at all. His confidence now lies totally in the presence in Goma of Kikwete’s army and the SADF elements. As I have said so many times, his FARDC have to total support of FDLR and all other militias such Nyaturas operating from Masisi. The latter are in the news today, boasting of ambushing M23 forces in Rukoro. They only wish… we should say “in their dreams”. In any case, they are paid by the DRC government to spread such unfounded rumors.

Who has really spread such rumors? The head of civil society in Goma, which is also paid to do the same, in the hope of showing the Congolese opinion that M23 is being attacked in its stronghold. However what this gentleman is after is his own dream job of becoming the successor of Lambert Mende. The fastest way of getting there is to use the M23 card, which is very safe if you want to entice Joseph Kabila.

Going back to the negotiations: it is clear that it’s concluded affair for Kabila, since he has give Malu Malu a new job and Raymond Tshibanda is a on a diplomatic tour, probably to gather more support for the UN brigade called to fight and eradicate M23. DRC government officials have declared, last week end, that after Kampala the M23 will be no more, very dangerous declaration for people supposed to negotiate peace. This shows that Kinshasa is still convinced that M23 will dissolve itself magically, which is not possible if you think of the military force you are talking about. It is important to stress the military force because Kinshasa refuses to face it, preferring to always accuse the neighboring countries instead to facing it off with M23, whether with weapons or with diplomacy. We have before us another stalemate. It is then time to call upon Mary Robinson and her boss to remind them that they are failing in their mission of pushing the DRC to seek for the diplomatic and political solution to the problem. Their failure is shown by their passive attitude towards Kabila’s reluctance to join M23 in Kampala.