BAD FAITH FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

So Kinshasa and M23 went to Kampala, and we know as a fact of experience that Kinshasa is not about to negotiate. And we also know where the stubbornness is coming from: Kabila's support from the so called international community. This is no speculation. We do not need to speculate anymore from the moment we saw the UN forces fighting M23 with the FDLR. Ladsous saw in that the best way of defeating M23. However, we also know M23 was not defeated since they retreated freely to allow CIGRL to push for political solutions. Now one wonders why, if we need political solutions, it is not the UN department for Political Affairs that takes the lead. When it comes to the Kivu, you wouldn't even know that that department exists due to the huge activism and presence of Mr. Ladsous department. This is France at its best, changing definitively the narrative on the Kivu political problems: they want them to appear as Rwandan problems, and in so doing, exonerate Kinshasa of any responsibility as well as giving themselves to pick a fight with Rwanda using the genocidaires. This discourse will be sung again at the UN general assembly this year.

On the other hand, I am not interested in it really. I was even shocked to hear that M23 would be willing to disarm if FDLR are also disarmed.  Absurd, because for one the political problems of the Kivu imply the FDLR too, but they are first and foremost a problem of development, which the FDLR have made worse with the increase of IDPs to add to refugees and the looting of local resources, for example. So, of course FDLR are absolutely unacceptable. But even if they were to be disarmed, our local political problems will still stand. And they are the same in Kamina or Isiro, Mbanza-ngungu or Mwene Ditu, Kalemie or Lisala, etc...The bad faith of the international community I want to deal with is that they have tried hard to transform the conflict, only to avoid what they fear most: that the Kivu seeks its own autonomy. And mind you I know the usual voices will accuse me of balkanization inclinations, haha. Autonomy does not mean total independence, a clarification for people with narrow views on political action.

However, our people should understand two things: 1) that the solution to our problems starts from that autonomy; 2) That such autonomy simply means that participatory political action works better from the local level, so does production which creates economic growth. We must all understand this and it is valid not only for the provinces in the DRC but for the whole of sub-saharan Africa. Local politically well structured governance also limits the levels of corruption as it is likely to respond to the needs of the people rather than power politics. It is for these two reasons that I am convinced of the need to keep the DRC as a country but with a greater autonomy of each of its provinces, beginning from the Kivu that never tire to fight for the freedom of our people. But then this will require more transparency  even on the part of the International Community in its dealing with a country endowed with strong local politics and strong local economy. For the starters, the zillion of NGOs such IC promotes will be the first casualties,  next the whole cooperation discourse will need a redefining. How can our vultures of the IC allow that? You understand why they are obsessed with portraying the DRC problems as Rwandan??? We will be observing what is "NOT" happening in Kampala.