Year 2013 has just started. After a lull in political activities in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the Holidays, the momentum is picking up in Eastern DRC, in the Great Lakes Region, at African Union, and at the United Nations. There is a buzz in all the fronts: political, diplomacy, military.
On the political front
M23 and the DRC Government resumed their political talks on January 4, 2012 in Kampala, Uganda. The talks started timidly but according to the observers, have been picking up, with a new twist. A new Congolese personality, the leader of the opposition part Rally for Congolese Democrats Nationalists (RCD-N) and Member of Parliament(MP), Roger Lumbala, has joined M23 rebels, and he is serving as the Vice-President of the delegation in Kampala. Roger Lumbala was elected MP on the ticket of the Rwandan government supported Congolese Rally for National Democracy (CNDP) led by the accused war criminal, General Bosco Ntaganda. Earlier this year, DRC government accused Roger Lumbala of treason for aiding the Rwanda supported M23 rebellion in Eastern Congo.
Roger Lumbala eventually tried to seek asylum at the South African embassy in Bujumbura, the Burundian capital, and barely evaded arrest by Burundian security forces whom Kinshasa had asked to detain him.
After denying collaborating with the M23 rebels and spending too much time in Kigali, Rwanda, he eventually fled to Europe, before joining the M23 rebels, and hence confirming that he has been supporting the rebels all along.
Another major decision regarding the region was made on December 31, 2012 when the UN Security Council and the US Department of Treasury decided to take additional sanctions against M23 rebels and Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), also known as Forces Combattantes Abacunguzi (FOCA).
On the Diplomatic front.
There are two initiatives going on on the diplomatic front:
First, the nomination of UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region. According to sources at the United Nations, the process is well advanced, with names being thrown around, including former US Ambassador at the United Nations Bill Richardson, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, former UN Envoy in Sudan Ibrahim Gambari, former US Envoy to the Great Lakes Barrie Walkley, Enough Co-founder John Prendergast. Sources say that, in preparation for the consultations for the nomination, UN Secretary General has sent his advisor, Susana Malcorra, the head of the UN Secretary General Executive Office, to the DRC, back in November 2012.
Second, the AU Commissioner Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is expected in the Great Lakes Region, with a stop in Kinshasa, Kigali, Kampala.
On the Military Front.
Meanwhile, things did not calm down on the military front. M23 Rebels have shot on MONUSCO helicopters on routine missions. FARDC have been battling the Rwandan backed militia, Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki in the areas of Kabare and Walungu in South Kivu. Tanzanian, Angolan, and Zimbabwean troops are being deployed in the Kivus, while FARDC have been reinforcing their positions against M23 Rebels. Rwandan rebels have also been consolidating their positions close to the Rwandan border with DRC.
Is Peace coming back to Eastern DRC in 2013?
Despite the initiatives on all the fronts, the question remains: is peace coming back in Eastern DRC? Most believe peace remains a dream, perhaps a distant one. Despite the various initiatives, the approach by the UN, AU and other actors appears to remain the same: attacking the symptoms and leave the root of the problem undisturbed.
For most political analysts, peace in the DRC requires bold initiatives.
Appointing the UN Special Envoy is a first step. But who the UN Special Envoy will be, in terms of clout, knowledge of the region, and leadership will be critical.
Also, how the UN Special Envoy will operate will be decisive:
- Is the UN Special Envoy going to engage all the actors, including the Rwandan Government and the Rwandan rebels based in the DRC?
- Is the UN Special Envoy going to have enough power to be able to use both the carrot and the stick?
- How about MONUSCO? What will be the role of Tanzanian, Angolan and Zimbabwean troops?
- How is the Congolese President Joseph Kabila going to approach the M23 Rebels demands, that include a national dialogue and questions about his own legitimacy?
- Is the Rwandan President Paul Kagame going to finally accept to talk to his armed opposition, like other leaders in the region have done or are doing?
These are a few questions that the UN Special Envoy will have to face. Meanwhile, peace in Eastern DRC and the Great Lakes Region remains a distant dream. Perhaps 2013 will be the year when that illusive peace will return.
©2012 AfroAmerica Network. All Rights Reserved.
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Yes some can say that may be this is the first step of the procedure that leads to peace in eastern of DRC. But according to me ,I am not sure about the quik return of peace to that part of DRC ,because as long as there are still lots of kinds of Roger Lumbala ,rwandan infiltrations and many other congolese betraying their country because of money the peace remains still illusive.
Why do I say this ,because the evidence that rwandan officials were and still are supporting M23 which is Paul kagame’s rebellion killing ,rapping and committing every king of violences and nobody did anything to stop that criminality. Is there any one to tell me the meaning of Human right or UN ? From all the situation that is happening in DRC,I can learn only racisme because few rwandans were killed in 1990′s ;killing that was caused by Kagame and his circle,the whole World could found the right word (genocide).Today more than 6000000 of our brothers and sisters are daily killed but unfortunately the UN has not yet found a word .What is behind all this story ? We, small people, do not know but only big guys know.