Rebel Leader Nkunda Arrested in Rwanda, Kigali 'The Israel of Africa'

[XXPANTHAXX]

DR Congo rebel leader 'arrested'

Gen Nkunda says he is protecting Congo's Tutsis from Rwandan Hutus

Gen Laurent Nkunda, the leader of the main rebel group in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, has been arrested, the military says.

The rebel leader was arrested in Rwanda after he tried to resist a
Rwandan-Congolese military operation, the operation's joint command
said.

Some 3,500 Rwandan troops crossed the border to help Congolese forces
disarm Rwandan Hutu FDLR rebels there.

Gen Nkunda has been leading the rival CNDP Tutsi insurgency.

The CNDP launched a major offensive in August, which displaced more than
a quarter of a million people and raised fears of a wider regional war.

Gen Nkunda and his group says they are fighting to protect the Tutsi
community from attack by Rwandan Hutu rebels based in DR Congo, some of
whom are accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide.

The Congolese government has often promised to stop the Hutu forces from
using its territory, but has not done so.

However, others see the CNDP as a Rwandan proxy and the biggest reason
why DR Congo is yet to benefit from landmark elections in 2006 intended
to draw a line under decades of conflict.

Human rights group have accused CNDP forces, along with those of the
government, of numerous killings, rapes and torture.

Talks in Kenya aimed at ending the conflict became deadlocked last
month, with UN mediator Olusegun Obasanjo complaining that the CNDP's
negotiators lacked the authority to make concessions.


Rwanda: 'The Israel of Africa'

By Mark Doyle
World Affairs Correspondent, BBC News

Aid agencies fear a new humanitarian disaster in DR Congo
The United Nations says some 2,000 Rwandan troops have entered the east
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rebels opposed to the Rwandan
government have been based for many years.

A UN spokesman said the Rwandan move was part of a peace plan agreed
with the Congolese government.

However, the presence of Rwandan troops inside Congo is bound to spark
controversy and could have a powerful impact across central Africa.

Rwanda has been described by some as the Israel of Africa.

The ethnic Tutsis of Rwanda experienced their genocide in 1994 but a
Tutsi-dominated government then came to power and has ruled ever since.

Like the Israelis, the Tutsis have enemies on their borders, and now
they have sent in their powerful army to deal with the ones who have
bases in neighbouring DR Congo.

Thousands displaced

The parallels with Israel are not exact, of course. Rwanda and Congo
have been fighting what amounts to a proxy war: Rwanda accuses Congo of
harbouring ethnic Hutu militias who took part in the 1994 genocide and
Congo accuses Rwanda of backing a Congolese Tutsi separatist movement.
---------------------------------------------------------
RWANDA IN DR CONGO

1994: After Rwanda genocide, Hutu rebels move to DR Congo (then Zaire)
1997: Rwanda invades DR Congo to deter cross-border rebel raids
1998: Rwanda invades again. At least four other countries intervene
2002: Rwandan military leaves DR Congo
2003: "Africa's world war" declared over
2008:Congolese Tutsi rebel offensive on Hutus
2009: Rwandan military enters DR Congo
-------------------------------------------------------------

The two countries recently agreed to work together militarily to deal
with the Hutu side of this equation, and the march of the Rwandan army
into eastern Congo can be seen in this context.

So there is the potential for this military move to be a step towards
peace. But its fraught with danger.

Recent fighting in eastern Congo, between Congolese, left a quarter of a
million people displaced.

Most of them will be terrified of the Rwandan presence and a new
humanitarian disaster is possible.

And of course the Rwandan Hutu militias, a well-drilled military
machine, are unlikely to give up to the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan army
without a fight.

So there is also a very real possibility of Rwandans fighting Rwandans
on Congolese soil.


Angola: President Dos Santos Encouraged to Continue With DRC Peace
Effort

21 January 2009

Luanda — Angolan head of State, José Eduardo dos Santos, was on
Wednesday in Luanda encouraged to continue with the effort towards a
solution to the military crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC).

The encouragement came from the Community of Saint' Egidio, based in
Italy, and was transmitted by its envoy, Matteo Zuppi, during an
audience president Eduardo dos Santos granted to him.

"The meeting with mr. President Eduardo dos Santos was very fruitful. We
spoke of the need for peace and stability in the region, particularly
the situation of war in the DRC," said the prelate while speaking to
journalists at the end of the audience.

Matteo Zuppi explained that the Community of Saint'Egidio intends to
contribute to the resolution of the crisis in the DRC, without
disturbing ongoing initiatives.

To him, Angola has a great capacity to attract peace, judging from the
experience of its leader, José Eduardo dos Santos.

"The position expressed by president José Eduardo dos Santos on the
issue is encouraging," said Matteo Zuppi, who is closing Wednesday a
visit to Angola that started Monday.

The community of Sant'Egidio (St. Giles) was born in Rome in 1968
through the initiative of a young high school student. Since the
beginning, its members have been committed to evangelization and
solidarity with the poor and the weak. The Community has its heart in
the small Roman church of Sant'Egidio, from which it takes its name.

The membership of the Community is approximately 15,000 - two thirds of
whom are in Italy.

It is made up of many small groups - "small communities" - people who
share the same spirituality while they measure themselves against the
Gospel by :

The Community of Sant'Egidio acted as a mediator in the talks for peace
in Mozambique (1990-1992). A more recent, very effective, involvement
has been in the Algerian crisis (1994-1995). They are a practical
demonstration of the value of citizen diplomacy.

The activities of the Community are financed through the voluntary
contributions of its members, private donations, and the support of
friends. For some activities, government funding covers part of the
operating expenses.


Congo-Kinshasa: UN Peacekeepers Not Involved in Military Offensive
Against Armed Group

21 January 2009

The joint military operation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) against a Hutu militia fighting in the war-ravaged region does not
involve United Nations blue helmets, the Secretary-General's Special
Representative for the country, Alan Doss, stressed today.

The offensive against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
(FDLR), an armed group which has been in eastern DRC since the Rwandan
genocide in 1994, is a result of an agreement between the Governments of
DRC and Rwanda.

The FDLR has been involved in the flare-up of clashes since late August
mainly in North Kivu, where the national army, the mainly Tutsi militia
- known as the CNDP - and other rebel groups such as the Mai Mai have
fought in shifting alliances, uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top
of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years.

Mr. Doss urged the parties to ensure the protection of civilians and to
fully adhere to international humanitarian law, adding that the UN
Mission in DRC, known by its French acronym MONUC, will uphold its
mandate in protecting civilians.

MONUC will also continue to support the Government's efforts to
integrate armed groups into its army, as well as its efforts regarding
humanitarian assistance and the political process.


Congo-Kinshasa: Haut Uélé - Monuc Concerned By the Fate of Civilians

Codjo Houegniglo
22 January 2009

MONUC and its UN partners are closely evaluating the consequences of the
recent atrocities made on Congolese civilians by the Ugandan Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in Haut Uélé, Orientale province in
northern DRC.

Reflecting MONUC's new mandate which underlines the protection of
civilians as a priority, a MONUC multidisciplinary team went to Faradje
and the areas around Doruma on the 16-17 January 2009, to evaluate the
consequences of the attacks, with a view to proposing a suitable
humanitarian response.

The evaluation mission comprised of MONUC, UN humanitarian agencies, the
Catholic NGO Caritas and two Ministers from the provincial government.

In Faradje, the team checked and noted the damage to property and
collected testimonies and allegations from the local population, at
least those who remained after the murderous LRA attacks.

The team took note of the emergency requirements needed for protection,
psychosocial assistance, the construction of shelters, and the supply of
food and non food items for the population.

"We have been abandoned for three weeks, at the mercy of the LRA, with
no security or humanitarian assistance. This is negligence on the part
of the public authorities in relation to their responsibilities," said
Faradje resident Ephraim Kabuli.

In a massive exodus, thousands of people are fleeing the LRA attacks
which began on Christmas Day 2008, leading lives that are close to
intolerable. Nobody knows exactly how many people have been killed,
abducted or displaced.

According to the first evaluations and the most credible estimates of
the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the
LRA attacks have left 900 people dead and 130,000 displaced, with over
8,000 Congolese living as refugees in South Sudan.

Doruma town, untouched by the LRA attacks, has already accommodated
thousands of displaced people from Batandé, Bokudangba, Bamunzéré, Bama,
Nahuru, Diagbé and Nagogé.

In expectation of new attacks

Several other localities are at risk of new attacks in the coming days.
LRA rebels on the run after the raids of the armed forces coalition of
South Sudan, Uganda and the DRC are understood to be in large numbers in
the forests close to the localities of Tadu, Watsa and Tomati, as well
as Ango in Bas Uélé.

In an apparent desperate attempt to escape and on the search for food to
survive, the rebels have intensified their slaughter of Congolese
civilians, with attacks recorded in the villages of Tomati, Sambia and
Durba. These attacks have in general worsened the security and
humanitarian situation, MONUC underlines.

Under these conditions, local civil society organizations have called
for increased protection for the population, and has demanded the
Congolese government to act quickly to reinforce their security forces
(army and police) in the districts of both Haut Uélé and Bas Uélé.

Civil society representatives have also asked for the communications
tools to have an early warning system, in the event of an imminent or
latent LRA threat.


DRC: Rwandan operation "not welcomed"

Fears are growing that more civilians will be caught up in the battle
against the FDLR in eastern DRC

KINSHASA, 21 January 2009 (IRIN) - The arrival of some 2,000 Rwandan
soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help the Army
disarm Rwandan Hutu rebels of the Forces démocratique pour la libération
du Rwanda (FDLR) has prompted fears of a new wave of civilian suffering.
Below are some reactions to the development.

MONUC, the UN Mission in DRC
“The humanitarian community is deeply worried by the new deployment of
troops in the areas of Goma and Rutshuru… This heightened military
presence gives rise to fears of a new humanitarian crisis just as the
ceasefire was allowing people to gradually return home and giving
humanitarians easier access to several areas.”

Jean-Paul Dietrich, MONUC military spokesman
“The FDLR are in Masisi but the Rwandans have instead gone to Rutshuru.
We don’t really know what they are doing there because our access has
been blocked.”

Lambert Mende, DRC government spokesman
“I don’t think the Rwandan soldiers need humanitarian workers in order
to deploy, unless the humanitarian workers want to conduct espionage.”

UN Children’s Fund briefing
“Immediate consequences [are] restricted access to Rutshuru territory
and withdrawal of most humanitarian actors from their main intervention
zones in Masisi and Rutshuru.
Possible consequences in case of military operations:
- Massive population displacement. A contingency plan (July 2008)
anticipates for 350,000 newly displaced persons in North Kivu during the
first phase of a military operation; 300,000 persons in the province of
South Kivu.
- Current humanitarian interventions for approximately one million
persons will be suspended or hampered by the lack of access and
permanent displacement of populations.
- The reaction of FDLR might entail exactions on the population and
social structures and looting.
- Taking into account that the FDLR have been established in the area
for 15 years, their relationship with the population is important. At
the same time, the coalition is unlikely to respect the distinction
between combatants and non-combatants.
- The reaction of the population with regard to the presence of the
Rwandan army is as yet unknown, but could turn negatively toward the
government.”

Gérard Prunier, historian and author
"Definitely, yes [this is welcome for the people of the Kivus and the
DRC peace process]. These guys were coming anyway in disguised form. So
they might as well come openly ... The new deal is a direct deal between
[Rwandan and DRC presidents] [Paul] Kagame and [Joseph] Kabila and they
are playing with [rebel leader] Bosco Ntaganda. Now Ntaganda is of
course also a criminal (but who isn't in those parts?) But he is trying
to parley his new role as a 'peacemaker' (don't laugh) into a respite
from an International Criminal Court war crimes indictment. If both
Kabila and Kagame want to fish him out, they can try him in some [sham]
court that will declare him innocent for the price of his services.

"The present dispensation might sideline [rival rebel leader Laurent]
Nkunda and enable the real heavy duty RPF [Rwandan army] boys to hit the
FDLR with the approval of Kinshasa, i.e. without Kinshasa playing a
double game of saying, yes we want the FDLR dead and then helping them
discreetly. In any case, the DRC army is useless and they'll just have
token roles while the RPF does the real job .

"All in all it is a good start. But now let's see how it will end. So
many things have gone awry before!"

Justin Bitakwira, Member of Parliament from South Kivu
“The Rwandan government and its offshoot RCD-Goma had already occupied
Congo for eight years and we never heard of a single clash between the
Rwandan army and the FDLR. On the contrary, all the coltan and
cassiterite exploited by the FDLR is sold in Rwanda. So it’s a
[complete] contradiction.”

A media analyst in Kinshasa
“This operation will finally persuade the FDLR to return to Rwanda after
15 years of hesitation. It will put an end to the illicit exploitation
of the region’s natural resources and allow the Congolese state to have
control over them.”

Enock Ruberangabo, president of the Banyamulenge community
“The community wants the FDLR and all Rwandan refugees, who have become,
rightly or wrongly, the key to the tension between our countries, to
return home. To do so by force is not desirable because experience has
taught us that not only are results slow in coming but that matters are
made worse. There is a need to plan how to ensure the security of the
populations of North and South Kivu before any military operation
against the FDLR. Any other way would further endanger security.”

Jean Sekabuhoro, president of the North Kivu Hutu communities
“[We] condemn this treason and reserve the right to use all means at our
disposal to scupper this diabolical plan whose clear aim is to bring
about the Balkanisation of the country.”

Report can be found online at:
IRIN Africa | Great Lakes | DRC | DRC: Rwandan operation "not welcomed" | Conflict Refugees/IDPs | News Item
This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Pan-African
News Wire


DRC: Hundreds of Rwandan troops to help disarm Hutu rebels

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has pledged troops to oust rebels from
eastern DRC

KINSHASA, 20 January 2009 (IRIN) - Hundreds of Rwandan troops entered
eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 20 January to back a DRC
operation against Rwandan Hutu rebels in the east of the country,
officials said.

“We officially invited the Rwandan army to take part in the operation,
to disarm the Interahamwe, which is about to begin,” said government
spokesman Lambert Mende.

He added that the operation was designed “to repatriate, voluntarily or
by force, combatants of the FDLR [Forces démocratique pour la libération
de Rwanda] or Interahamwe or [ensure they] have refugee status in line
with Congolese or international law, which precludes them bearing arms”.

“The operations will last between 10 and 15 days and will be led by the
FARDC [the DRC army] under the observation of Rwandan military
intelligence,” added the spokesman.

The UN Mission in DRC, MONUC, said it was not involved in the
operations, whose joint nature was finalised during meetings early in
2009 between Rwandan and DRC chiefs of staff in line with an agreement
signed in Nairobi in November 2007.

But MONUC’s military spokesman Col Jean-Paul Dietrich did confirm that
“between 1,500 and 2,000 Rwandan soldiers crossed the border on the
Munigi-Kibait road and deployed towards Kibumba on the Goma-Rutshuru
road.”

One wing of a DRC rebel group also active in eastern DRC, the
now-divided CNDP, last week offered to join government soldiers in their
actions against the FDLR.

[Sourakhata]

I wish we could know what is the real truth behind this arrest.

[Arecidea Kwilemie]

Originally Posted by Sourakhata

I wish we could know what is the real truth behind this arrest.

The surprising arrest of General Laurent Nkunda is merely damage control, with General Laurent Nkunda being the latest Fall Guy arrested to recover some sense of credibility for the international police forces the Pentagon and its proxy armies in Rwanda and Uganda and to enable the Kagame military cabal to distance itself from the recent exposés documenting Rwanda’s machinations in eastern Congo.

[Empress Yetzion]

Originally Posted by Yupes

The surprising arrest of General Laurent Nkunda is merely damage control, with General Laurent Nkunda being the latest Fall Guy arrested to recover some sense of credibility for the international police forces the Pentagon and its proxy armies in Rwanda and Uganda and to enable the Kagame military cabal to distance itself from the recent exposés documenting Rwanda’s machinations in eastern Congo.

i’m just wondering what are the reasons these militia have for the atrocities they are accused of perpetrating in innocent civilians. Or are these stories media fabrication to discredit the counties ability to stabilize the conflict?
bless

[Arecidea Kwilemie]

Originally Posted by Empress Yetzion

i’m just wondering what are the reasons these militia have for the atrocities they are accused of perpetrating in innocent civilians. Or are these stories media fabrication to discredit the counties ability to stabilize the conflict?
bless

The militia’s goal is to destabilize the region, manufacture chaos, sue for peace while pursuing war, and use the UN ‘peacekeeping’ mission to aid their predatory agenda. The atrocities are deliberately committed to foster hatred and fear within a community in an attempt to displace civilians permanately.