My Comment
There is a lie going around that the Tutsi’s are actually
the true Jews. They are very intelligent and have been blessed by God to rule
and dominate others. They control Uganda,
Rwanda and now want a piece of
Congo.
Once they get a price of Mineral rich Congo, their God given destiny will
be fulfilled.
Uganda denies aiding Congo rebel
fighters : If you look just a little bit more carefully, it is very easy to see
the lies that drive the American New World
Order System:
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/07/uganda-denies-aiding-congo-rebel.html
Fooling us about Uganda’s neutrality in the Congo Conflict!!! Militarizing the Congo to help USA and allies to rape Congo resources: DRC troops, civilians fleeing to Uganda after rebel clashes
Congolese Civil Society organizations condemn Uganda’s meddling in the Congo Conflict: Uganda, Angola leaders hold talks over DR Congo conflict
How Corporate Media Aid And Abet Crimes In Africa: A case of Kagame and Museveni
Kagame , The USA Darling and African economic model who violates human rights with impunity :The danger of running from one USA client state and hiding in another USA slave state : Former Kagame bodyguard attacked in Uganda
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/07/kagame-usa-darling-and-african-economic.html
Taking us to be fools!!! Four African CLIENT STATES of the US have been tasked by regional governments in the Great Lakes region to form a force of 4,000 troops to fight the M23 rebel group in DR Congo.
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/09/taking-us-to-be-fools-four-african.html
“Where’s the evidence for their claims? Some of those so-called experts came here and did not interview anyone,” Kulayigye said. “Where’s their authentic facts to back those claims? Those accusations are absolute rubbish, hogwash.” (http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15149&a=59669)
Felix Kulayigye, Uganda’s military spokesperson,
rubbished the report.
“Where’s the evidence for their claims? Some of those so-called experts came here and did not interview anyone,” Kulayigye said. “Where’s their authentic facts to back those claims? Those accusations are absolute rubbish, hogwash.” (http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15149&a=59669)
Uganda angered by UN report on
Congo
Publish Date: Oct 17, 2012
The Government has reacted with disdain to a UN Security Council's Group of Experts report that has accused Uganda and Rwanda of arming M23 rebels fighting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government.
In a rebuttal, Uganda now points to a ploy by Western countries with vested interests in DRC of peddling a stance that would derail the regional efforts chaired by President Yoweri Museveni to end the conflict.
Museveni, as the current chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), has chaired four summits in a row since July aimed at defusing the resurgence of conflict in the DRC. The latest summit at Speke Resort Munyonyo approved the deployment of a Neutral International Force (NIF) to patrol disputed areas.
Uganda Gov’t response on the ‘false allegations’ by the UN Group of experts that Uganda supports M23 Movement
Government Uganda not backing M23 rebels
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government+Uganda+not+backing+M23+rebels/-/688334/1535850/-/bcp5t9/-/index.html
By RISDEL KASASIRA
Posted Thursday, October 18 2012 at 01:00
KAMPALAThe government yesterday denied claims that Uganda is supporting M23 rebels, who have been fighting the DR Congo regime since April. The Foreign Affairs minister, Mr Okello Oryem, told a press conference he called in response to the leaked UN report claiming that Uganda and Rwanda are supporting rebels against the Kinshasa government.
Mr Oryem denied that Kampala was backing the M23 rebels, and instead accused the authors of the document of trying to cause rift between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. “I would like to state that Uganda is not supporting M23. That report by the so-called UN experts is rubbish and will not deter our efforts to pacify the eastern region of DR Congo. We know there are people who are benefiting from Congo, and they do not want to see a stable eastern Congo,” he said.
Earlier, the UPDF spokesperson, Col Felix Kulayigye, had described the United Nations leaked report that accuses Uganda and Rwanda of supporting the rebel group as “childish and unbecoming”.
The report by the UN Security Council’s Group of Experts might undermine efforts by President Museveni, who was been trying to mediate between Kinshasa government and M23.
Col Kulayigye claimed the report was based on rumours and challenged the UN experts to bring evidence of UPDF support to M23. “We knew they came to Uganda looking for rumours and one of them came to my office and said he was paying a courtesy call to me. They have been looking for something to link Uganda to that conflict but they have failed. It would be stupid for Uganda to support M23 when we were seconded as a mediator between the warring parties,” he said.
The rebellion in eastern Congo started early this year, when the fighters who had been absorbed into the Congolese army mutinied and started fighting Kinshasa government.
President Museveni, who is the chairman of International Conference for Great Lakes region (ICGLR), has chaired three heads of state summits in Kampala since June to help mediate between Kinshasa government and M23 to peacefully end the conflict that has displaced thousands of people in the troubled in North Kivu. There are reports that trucks with UPDF registration numbers have been driving from Rwanda to DR Congo but it’s not clear whether these were Ugandan trucks.
Second allegation
This is second time allegations are coming up that Uganda supports the rebels after a UN owned Radio Okapi and local leaders in eastern DR Congo alleged in July that UPDF soldiers had entered DR Congo to reinforce the rebel group.
Col Kulayigye said the government will issue a statement today in response to the allegations made by the UN experts. Chiefs of Defence Forces from ICGR will next week meet in the town of Goma, eastern DR Congo, to discuss the conflict in the region. This meeting will be followed by defence ministers’ meeting to be chaired by Dr Crispus Kiyonga.
Rwanda and Uganda supplying Congo rebels with weapons, says UN
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/rwanda/9613870/Rwanda-and-Uganda-supplying-Congo-rebels-with-weapons-says-UN.html
Two of the biggest recipients of British aid in Africa have broken a United Nations arms embargo by supplying rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo with weapons and ammunition, a Security Council investigation found last night.
6:00AM BST 17 Oct 2012
The "M23" movement, led by an indicted war criminal, has started a new round of bloodshed in eastern Congo, forcing about 470,000 people to flee their homes since March.
Andrew Mitchell, the former International Development Secretary, delayed a payment of £16 million of British money to Rwanda when these allegations first surfaced in July. On his last day in office before moving to become Chief Whip last month, Mr Mitchell released this sum into Rwandan government coffers, with half the money tied to health and education.
At the time, the Congolese government accused Mr Mitchell of sending a "disastrous signal" to Rwanda, while Human Rights Watch also voiced its concern. The fact that the UN's experts have issued a final report confirming their earlier charges against Rwanda will reopen the debate about the wisdom of Mr Mitchell's decision. He remains under political pressure because of the row over his behaviour towards a Downing Street police officer.
"The Government of Rwanda continues to violate the arms embargo through direct military support to M23 rebels," reads the 44-page report, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters news agency. This help comes in the form of "recruitment" along with the "provision of arms and ammunition, intelligence, and political advice".
The UN also accuses Uganda of helping the guerrillas, saying that officials in its government have "provided support to M23 in the form of direct troop reinforcements" along with "weapons deliveries, technical assistance, joint planning, political advice and facilitation of external relations".
When M23 captured several towns in eastern Congo earlier this year, the armies of Uganda and Rwanda "jointly supported" this operation, said the report.
So far, Britain has not reduced its aid to Uganda because of these allegations. A Ugandan military spokesman described the claims as "absolute rubbish, hogwash". President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has officially denied the accusations, previously saying that "not one bullet" had passed from his country to Congo's rebels.
Mr Kagame is a long-standing British ally who addressed the Conservative party conference in 2007. Britain is Rwanda's biggest bilateral aid donor – and Mr Kagame was close to Mr Mitchell and the previous Labour Government.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda is also viewed as a friend of Britain. Of the £101.5 million of British aid that his country is set to receive this year, £22.5 million will go straight into Ugandan government coffers, reserved for health, education and administration.
No big aid donor has taken any action against Uganda yet. But all the rich countries which help Rwanda opted to reduce their aid after the UN's interim report accused Mr Kagame of helping Congo's rebels in July. Because of Mr Mitchell's decision,
Britain is the only donor country to have restored its funding.
Pressure grows on UK to halt Rwanda aid after damning UN reports
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/pressure-grows-on-uk-to-halt-rwanda-aid-after-damning-un-reports-8215759.html
Defence chief commands rebels guilty of huge
human rights abuses, says dossier
Nairobi
Thursday 18 October 2012
Pressure was mounting on Britain
yesterday to withdraw its backing for the government in Rwanda after a UN report said the
country was running an armed rebellion guilty of massive human rights abuses in
neighbouring DR Congo.The M23 rebels, who use child soldiers and have attacked UN peacekeepers in Eastern Congo, are being directly commanded by Rwanda's Defence Minister, according to a confidential report to the UN Security Council.
The latest evidence from the UN experts, obtained by the news agency Reuters, comes after the UK reinstated aid to Rwanda, claiming that the government there had taken "constructive" steps to halt the conflict over the border in the DRC.
The latest revelations include accusations that another British aid recipient, Uganda, is also backing the Congolese rebels with arms and recruits. Between them Rwanda and Uganda are receiving some £175m in UK aid this year.
Rwanda's President, Paul Kagame, has angrily denied accusations of his involvement with M23 and denounced the UN panel as "so-called experts". The Ugandan government echoed those denials yesterday calling the new 44-page report "hogwash" and demanding to see the evidence.
Prior to his departure as Britain's International Development minister last month, Andrew Mitchell praised Rwanda's efforts and said an earlier decision to freeze a £16m tranche of aid had been reconsidered. The government in Kigali depends for half its budget on foreign aid, much of it from the US, UK and the Netherlands.
"The government of Rwanda has continued to demonstrate its strong commitment to reducing poverty and improving its financial management," Mr Mitchell, who is now Chief Whip, said in early September as he restored aid to the country.
Despite the furious response from the governments in Kigali and Kampala the UN panel of experts have compiled two reports – one of more than 130 pages released in June and the latest one, given to the Security Council last month. The dossiers show that Rwanda, with support from Uganda has been commanding an effective buffer state in Eastern Congo, supporting an ethnic Tutsi rebel army, the M23, which controls much of the mineral and agricultural wealth in the area.
Donors, such as Britain, have been reluctant to withdraw aid from Rwanda where the government has been widely praised for the efficiency with which its deployed development cash inside its own borders. The economy in Rwanda has been growing strongly and the central African nation has shot to the top of comparative indices for ease of doing business and anti-corruption efforts.
However, the legacy of the 1994 genocide has continued to lurk across the border in Rwanda's huge and chaotic neighbour.
Rwandan minister is leader of Congo rebels, UN says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/17/rwanda-minister-leader-congo-rebels-kabarebe
- David Smith, Africa correspondent
- The Guardian, Thursday 18 October 2012
James Kabarebe addresses soldiers pulling out of the eastern
Democratic Repubic of Congo in September 2002. Photograph: Reuters
Leaked report names General James Kabarebe as de
facto commander of militia accused of rape and other atrocities
Pressure on Britain to halt aid to Rwanda is increasing after one
of the closest allies of the president, Paul Kagame, was named as
the de facto leader of a violent uprising in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.In a leaked report, UN experts identified General James Kabarebe, the Rwandan defence minister, as effectively directing a Congolese rebel militia accused of killings, rapes and other atrocities.
The experts gave their most explicit and damning account yet of Rwanda's military support for the insurgents in mineral-rich eastern Congo. They also accused Uganda of involvement, stating that both countries had sent troops to help rebels in a deadly attack on UN peacekeepers.
The fresh revelations prompted calls for the UK, Rwanda's biggest bilateral donor, to reconsider its increasingly controversial support for Kagame.
"Britain must recognise that the money it is giving to the government is being used to kill people and cause destruction in a neighbouring country," said Boniface Twagirimana, interim vice-president of the Rwandan opposition United Democratic Forces party. "It is for the British government to dictate conditions so the money supports the Rwandan people. Stop aid for the destruction of human rights."
The full report by the UN security council's group of experts is due to be made public on or around 20 November. A 44-page extract seen by Reuters this week claims Rwandan backing for the M23 militia goes as high as Kabarebe, who is said to have grown up with Kagame and been at his side in the military campaign that ended the 1994 genocide.
The report says Bosco Ntaganda, a former Congolese general nicknamed the Terminator, who is wanted by the international criminal court, controls the rebellion on the ground while Sultani Makenga is in charge of operations and co-ordination with allied armed groups.
Both Ntaganda and Makenga "receive direct military orders from RDF [Rwanda Defence Force] chief of defence staff General Charles Kayonga, who in turn acts on instructions from minister of defence general James Kabarebe," it continues.
Kabarebe has previously been implicated by Human Rights Watch, which interviewed a Congolese party leader who claimed Kabarebe instructed him to support the M23. The politician said that when he refused, Kaberebe told him to "shut up," warning: "A lightning bolt will strike you". A few days later, the politician was ousted by his party in Congo, Human Rights Watch said.
In an interview in August, Kabarebe, who for years has faced accusations of plundering Congo's mineral resources, denied that the Rwandan army supported the M23. "Everyone knows that Rwanda does not have a single soldier amongst the M23 and does not give it any support," he told the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.
The UN report says neighbouring Uganda is also assisting the M23 in its six-month fight against Congolese government troops in North Kivu province.
"Both Rwanda and Uganda have been supporting M23," it states. "While Rwandan officials co-ordinated the creation of the rebel movement, as well as its major military operations, Uganda's more subtle support to M23 allowed the rebel group's political branch to operate from within Kampala and boost its external relations."
David Cameron told MPs on Wednesday he had raised concerns about Rwanda's support for the M23 directly with Kagame. But the prime minister added: "I continue to believe that investing in Rwanda's success, as one of those countries in Africa that is showing that the cycle of poverty can be broken and that conditions for its people can be improved, is something we are right to do."
Ivan Lewis, the shadow international development secretary, called on Britain to suspend its annual £37m direct aid budget to Rwanda. Andrew Mitchell restored £16m in aid last month, on his last day as international development secretary, after progress at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. He had suspended the aid in July after visiting the Kivus region of the DRC.
Lewis said: "The latest UN allegations of Rwanda's continued support for militia activity in Eastern DRC raise further questions about Andrew Mitchell's seemingly arbitrary decision to reinstate aid to Rwanda on his last day in office. It is now essential that Justine Greening [Mitchell's successor] responds to these latest allegations by suspending budget support to Rwanda with immediate effect." Awkwardly for the UN, Rwanda, with the African Union's backing, looks certain to be elected as a non-permanent member of the security council on Thursday It continues: "Rwandan officials exercise overall command and strategic planning for M23. Rwanda continues to violate the arms embargo through direct military support to M23 rebels, facilitation of recruitment [and] encouragement and facilitation of FARDC [Congolese army] desertions as well as the provision of arms and ammunition, intelligence, and political advice.
"UPDF [Ugandan army] commanders sent troops and weapons to reinforce specific M23 operations and assisted in M23's recruitment and weapons procurement efforts in Uganda."
The uprising started in April, when a militia that had been absorbed into the Congolese army mutinied and went on the rampage. Since then, nearly 500,000 people have been displaced by fighting between M23 and the army.
The experts say units of the Ugandan and Rwandan armies "jointly supported M23 in a series of attacks in July 2012 to take over the major towns in Rutshuru Territory, and the [Congolese army] base of Rumangabo".
During these attacks, the rebels killed a UN peacekeeper and fired on a UN peacekeeping base at Kiwanja.
"According to several M23 soldiers, RDF troops provided the rebels with heavy weapons such as 12.7mm machine guns, 60mm, 91mm and 120mm mortars, as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft launchers ahead of the attack," the report says. "RDF special forces in Rutshuru also aided the rebels and fired 13 rounds on a FARDC combat helicopter during the takeover of Kiwanja."
It adds that the Rwandans have stepped up recruitment for the M23, which has around 1,250 soldiers. The Rwandan army has targeted Rwandan demobilised soldiers and civilians and Congolese refugees to recruit for the M23, while the M23 itself has stepped up its use and recruitment of child soldiers.
Since May, the experts say, M23 has recruited some 250 children and killed dozens who tried to escape.
"Furthermore, certain M23 commanders have ordered the extrajudicial executions of dozens of recruits and prisoners of war," the report says.
"M23 uses boys on the frontlines as cover for advancing units, often after a week of training. Others act as porters, intelligence operatives and bodyguards. The rebels use young girls as cooks and as commanders' wives."
The group of experts said multiple intelligence sources corroborated its research. "Various South African Development Community (SADC), European, Ugandan, and Burundian intelligence agents also confirmed the group's findings concerning Rwandan violations of the [arms] embargo," the report says.
On Wednesday, Congo demanded targeted sanctions against the Rwandan and Ugandan officials involved. A government spokesman, Lambert Mende, told Reuters: "It's more important than ever, as now we have proof that the drama in North Kivu is being manipulated by criminals who hold positions of power.
"We've taken note of this report, which confirms what we already know about Rwanda and contains new information about Uganda … We're in contact with our neighbours in Uganda over these very serious allegations."
But Ugandan military spokesman Felix Kulayigye rejected the report. "Where's the evidence for their claims?" he demanded. "Some of those so-called experts came here and did not interview anyone. "Where are their authentic facts to back those claims? Those accusations are absolute rubbish – hogwash."
Rwanda has also gone on the offensive.
Louise Mushikiwabo, its foreign affairs minister, posted tweets condemning "the disgraceful leak" and accusing the group of experts' coordinator, Steve Hege, of In an interview with the Guardian earlier this month, Mushikiwabo insisted: "This report, we would never take seriously. It's done unprofessionally; the methodology is flawed; it's full of facts that are not facts. At best, this report is disputable, which is why we regret that countries would take it seriously or even take some decisions based on this."
The minister confirmed that Britain has been raising the Congo issue in phone calls and meetings. "It's not awkward because friends talk freely but yes, M23 and the whole instability in the eastern Congo has been the topic over the last many months … This is a complex issue that is made even more complex by some of the misunderstandings and superficial analysis of the situation."
bias.
"Every UN member-state should find cause for concern that these expert panels feel entitled to treat sovereign states in such an appalling fashion. Who are these unelected, unaccountable individuals to abuse the authority granted to them by the UN to pursue political vendettas and deny even basic procedural fairness to a country like Rwanda, a member of the United Nations for half a century?" Mushikiwabo said.
In Rwanda, meanwhile, Mike Hammond, the new head of the department for international development in the country, held his first meeting with Kagame.
"Obviously the question of the group of experts' report that came out this week was raised," he told journalists. "We talked about the impact on development funding and we looked at the steps that we all wanted to take to keep Rwanda's development progess going."
Asked about the leaked UN report, Hammond replied: "Since I only saw it this morning I can't really answer that. It's one of the factors that you take into account when you're looking at a development relationship with any country.
"So yes: we will read it, we will take it into account, and we will talk to the Rwandans about it."
Government of Rwanda's Crocodile tears
UN Experts in political campaign against Rwanda
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15149&a=59669
October 18, 2012
Rwanda’s Foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, yesterday, expressed disappointment that the UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has continued to engage in a determined political campaign to tarnish Rwanda.
In the latest development, the Group of Experts, this week, leaked another report to the media with allegations that Rwanda and Uganda are supporting the M23, a military rebellion in the neighbouring DRC.
Uganda
is heading regional efforts involving 11 countries to seek a solution to the
crisis.
Felix Kulayigye, Uganda’s
military spokesperson, rubbished the report.
“Where’s the evidence for their claims? Some of those so-called experts came
here and did not interview anyone,” Kulayigye said. “Where’s their authentic
facts to back those claims? Those accusations are absolute rubbish, hogwash.”
Minister Mushikiwabo pointed out that “the leak of the final report of the
Group of Experts confirms what Rwanda has maintained ever since Hege’s
incendiary anti-Rwanda writings came to our attention: he is pursuing a
political agenda that has nothing to do with getting at the true causes of
conflict in the eastern DRC.”
Mushikiwabo observed that any effort to engage constructively with Hege has
been twisted out of context and used against Rwanda.
“Rwanda
will not allow itself to be dragged any deeper into this farce by responding to
the Group’s far-fetched but fact-free assertions.”
Minister Mushikiwabo added that Rwanda
is focused on engaging with other countries of the region, including the DRC,
to bring about a lasting solution to the crisis – a peace process that has
already led to a two- month cease-fire.
“We are fully committed to the ongoing ICGLR process – the problems in DRC
didn’t emerge overnight and can’t be fixed overnight, but there is a strong
belief that a regional solution is not only the best way forward – it is the
only way forward.”
The credibility of the Experts received a further dent after it emerged that
they asked to visit Rwanda
for input on its final report, the day after it had been submitted to the
Security Council.
Olivier Nduhungirehe, the First Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the
UN, said that the actions of the experts was beyond disdain.
“This really is the final insult by Steven Hege and his colleagues. The
Group of Experts issues its final report to the Sanctions Committee on Friday
October 12, while offering to hear what Rwanda has to say about it on
Saturday October 13,” Nduhungirehe said.
A DC-based law firm, Akin Gump, agrees with Rwanda’s
assessment that the UN Group of Experts has abused its powers in the course of
pinning blame on Kigali
for the DRC conflict.
Among other shortcomings, the law firm found that the Group of Experts were
guilty of “[a] lack of transparency, the reliance on questionable sources and
the complete lack of analysis of witness bias, motivation, or contradictory
evidence.”
In an exclusive interview published in the Metro-US, yesterday, Foreign
Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo said that the expert panel has been “hijacked” by
the political agenda of its coordinator, Steven Hege, who has a long history of
opposition to the Rwandan government.
Using the Ugandan
State media to express Rwanda’s
crocodile tears
UN pursuing political agenda – Rwanda
Publish Date: Oct 18, 2012
By Vision Reporter
Rwanda’s foreign minister on Thursday expressed disappointment that the UN Group of Experts on the DRC continued to engage in a determined political campaign to indict Rwanda.
Rwanda’s foreign minister on Thursday expressed disappointment that the UN Group of Experts on the DRC continued to engage in a determined political campaign to indict Rwanda.
“The leak of the final report of the Group of Experts confirms what Rwanda has maintained ever since Hege's incendiary anti-Rwanda writings came to our attention: he is pursuing a political agenda that has nothing to do with getting at the true causes of conflict in the eastern DRC,” Louise Mushikiwabo said.
Mushikiwabo pointed out that any effort to engage constructively with Hege has been twisted out of context and used against Rwanda.
“Rwanda will not allow itself to be dragged any deeper into this farce by responding to the Group’s far-fetched but fact-free assertions.” said Minster Louise Mushikiwabo.
"Every UN member-state should find cause for concern that these expert panels feel entitled to treat sovereign states in such an appalling fashion. Who are these unelected, unaccountable individuals to abuse the authority granted to them by the UN to pursue political vendettas and deny even basic procedural fairness to a country like Rwanda, a member of the United Nations for half a century?" Mushikiwabo said.
A DC-based law firm, Akin Gump, agrees with Rwanda's assessment that the UN Group of Experts has abused its powers in the course of pinning blame on Kigali for the DRC conflict. Among other shortcomings, the law firm found that the Group of Experts were guilty of "[a] lack of transparency, the reliance on questionable sources and the complete lack of analysis of witness bias, motivation, or contradictory evidence."
Mushikiwabo pointed out that Rwanda was focused on engaging with other countries of the region, including the DRC, to bring about a lasting solution to the crisis - a peace process that has already led to a two- month cease-fire.
“We are fully committed to the ongoing ICGLR process -- the problems in DRC didn’t emerge overnight and can’t be fixed overnight, but there is a strong belief that a regional solution is not only the best way forward -- it is the only way forward.”
