RUD-Urunana and RPR are committed to peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa

Dear Mr. Jason Stearns,

As you may know, I have always admired your objective and independent work, both as an ICG Senior Analyst and UN Expert, on the Democratic Republic of Congo.  However, your comments regarding RUD leaders made in you recent blogs  lack objectivity and,  frankly, are really unfair. Worst, they fall in the general framework of those who have limited knowledge of what is happening on the ground or just choose to ignore the facts for whatever reason.

First, let me thank you for having publicly stated in the interview you gave to PRI/NPR on January 23, 2009 that Western countries intelligence services have confirmed to you that RUD-Urunana and RPR leaders do not engage in activities contrary to laws and regulations in the countries of their residence and do not conduct financial transactions aimed at financing rebellions in the DRC. You were right then and your statements remain valid now. The reasons RUD-Urunana and RPR leaders do not engage in such activities are simple:

RUD-Urunana and RPR political platform is articulated around promoting peaceful solutions;

RUD-Urunana and RPR are primarily political organizations. RUD-Urunana and RPR political leaders do not get involved in military affairs;

RUD-Urunana and RPR have been engaged in a peace process with the DRC government, in which they committed to peaceful disarmament and repatriation or resettlement of Rwandan refugees. Financial transactions for a potential rearmament would be contrary to the spirit of the process and the vision shared by the two organizations;

AN-Imboneza and RPR-Inkeragutabara do not conduct offensive military operations. Their primary role is to protect refugees.

It is  important to clarify the contributions by RUD_Urunana and RPR to peace in the DRC. To those seeking war, bloodshed and continued impasse in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, RUD-Urunana and RPR have opposed peaceful solutions, dialogue, and the respect of dignity and basic human rights. Hence, National Democratic Congress (NDC), a coalition between RUD-Urunana and RPR, has multiplied and will continue to undertake initiatives in the search of peaceful and durable solutions to the problem of Rwandan refugees in the DRC. Unfortunately, we realize that, so far, our initiatives to bring peace in the region have not reached tangible results. The main reason for the recurrent failures to reach the solution is the lack of a real and firm commitment from the UN Secretary General, the African Union, the European Union, and the leading World powers, such as the USA, Great Britain, and France in support of the initiatives. That lukewarm predisposition from the International Community has encouraged the countries in the Great Lakes Region faced with the problem of Rwandan refugees, Rwanda and the DRC in particular, to resort to war and armed conflicts to resolve the problem which is both political and humanitarian. 

RUD-Urunana and RPR leaders, including military commanders and troops have always expressed their readiness to meet anyone, within the International Community, including official representatives of countries, Non-Government Organizations (NGO) and Think-Tanks, and individuals interested in the peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Many actors, including ambassadors of Western Countries, the MONUC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Government and several NGOs have heeded our calls and met RUD-Urunana and RPR political and military leaders, either formally or informally.

SInce January 2008,  in Kinsasa, the NDC and the DRC government voluntarily engaged in a peace process. The process continued in Pisa and Rome in May 2008 with the facilitation of Sant’Egidio Community.

RUD and RPR leaders worked with the DRC government, with the facilitation of Sant’Egidio Community to disarm the troops, for voluntary repatriation or resettlement in the DRC or third countries. This is a fact witnessed by the International Community in Kisangani on May 26, 2008 with the publication of the Roadmap.  On July 31, 2008 RUD-Urunana political and military leadership led the disarmament and regroupment of combatants and their dependents in Kasiki, in front of MONUC, the international Community and even official representatives of the Rwandan Government. Hence, are we surprised  when you insinuate that RUD-Urunana leaders have hindered the disarmament and repatriation or resettlement of combatants and their dependent.

As you may recall, in the night of February 10, 2008, the coalition of Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and the FARDC attacked the disarmed combatants along with their defenseless dependents, including women, children, and the elderly were attacked. On 10 February 2009, Mr. Lambert Menge Omalanda, DRC Communications Minister and Government Spokesperson, stated in the Congolese media that the attack was organized in Kinshasa and the Kivu by "extremists" and "troublemakers bent into disrupting the pacification of the East." It is important to realize that the attack happened after several major advances in the Kisangani peace process:

From 6 to 8 August 2008, the UN mission in Congo (MONUC) conducted and completed the identification of the refugees regrouped in Kasiki.

On 8 August 2008, the British ambassadors based in the DRC and Rwanda visited the 158 disarmed Rwandan refugees in Kasiki camp.

On 23 January 2009, a delegation of refugees grouped and disarmed in Kasiki visited Kigali in order to ascertain of the conditions that await them once repatriated to Rwanda. At the end of the visit, the delegation prepared and published an ad-hoc report.

On 27 January 2009, an agreement between the NDC and the Government of the DRC was signed in Rome with the firm support of Sant’Egidio Community, Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC) and SIT-Norway. The Agreement provided for the creation of a peace zone in and around Kasiki, where people who do not want to fight or fleeing combats should be accommodated to receive protection and humanitarian assistance.

Consequently it is clear that by attacking the camp, the RDF/FARDC wanted to kill all the occupants and, by the same token, kill once for all the peace process the NDC and the DRC government had voluntarily and firmly engaged in. To date, we do not know the whereabouts of most of the survivors of the Kasiki pogrom and other RUD-Urunana/RPR combatants and their dependents.

Hence, accusing the survivors of conducting raids, pillages, and military operations or of crimes is similar to adding insults to injuries and tantamount to advocating the annihilation of those survivors.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention on the following points: RUD-Urunana is an independent political organization. Thus, RUD-Urunana is not a faction of the FDLR, has never been associated with the FDLR, and has its own vision and political platform. Thus, the association with the FDLR appears to be an attempt to create a confusion. The fact that some leaders of RUD-Urunana were members of FDLR does not justify such an amalgam. Otherwise, Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) that have been successively under the former and current Defense Ministers General Emmanuel Habyarimana and General Marcel Gatsinzi would be labelled “Ex-FAR splinter group”. As a corollary, the RDF, that include former ALIR and FDLR commanders General Paul Rwarakabije and Jerome Ngendahimana would be labelled “ALIR splinter group” or “FDLR splinter group.” To the extreme, since General Paul Kagame and James Kabarebe were members of the National Resistence Army (NRA) of Uganda, the RDF would be labelled “NRA splinter group” . RUD-Urunana was created in 2004 and subsequently allied itself with the mostly Tutsi RPR, created by ex-RPF high ranking officers.

SInce you live in the area I would like to meet with you over a cup of coffee, to clarify any point you may have.

Best Regards,

Felicien Kanyamibwa, PhD

SG, RUD-Urunana and President, NDC.

New York, November 12, 2009

©Copyright  Felicien Kanyamibwa, 2009