Good
Morning, Mr. Obama.
Can I talk to you for a minute? We're just a couple of kids who would like to be kids. The problem is that we live in the Congo, one of the most minerally rich countries in the world. You see, you Americans, Europeans, and Chinese are hungry for our natural resources and we don't have a government that is capable of protecting us from your corporation's efforts to get thos e resources. As they arm and back various groups, we die. We die by the millions. Almost 10 million of our parents, brothers, sisters, and friends have died from violence associated with outsiders quest for access to resources since 1995. We only want peace. We only want to know what it would be like to laugh and play. We only want to know what it would be like to be held and loved by our parents. We ask that you, please, use what ever powers that you have to ask your government and associated business interests to stop supplying weapons. Stop fomenting war. Stop pursuing unfair trade advantages on Africa's resources.Thanx. Dr. Jamil Bey
Can I talk to you for a minute? We're just a couple of kids who would like to be kids. The problem is that we live in the Congo, one of the most minerally rich countries in the world. You see, you Americans, Europeans, and Chinese are hungry for our natural resources and we don't have a government that is capable of protecting us from your corporation's efforts to get thos e resources. As they arm and back various groups, we die. We die by the millions. Almost 10 million of our parents, brothers, sisters, and friends have died from violence associated with outsiders quest for access to resources since 1995. We only want peace. We only want to know what it would be like to laugh and play. We only want to know what it would be like to be held and loved by our parents. We ask that you, please, use what ever powers that you have to ask your government and associated business interests to stop supplying weapons. Stop fomenting war. Stop pursuing unfair trade advantages on Africa's resources.Thanx. Dr. Jamil Bey
FIRST READ:
Britain withdraws aid from UGANDA, But why is it still playing cat and mouse games with RWANDA: Is Greening Imitating Andrew Mitchell’s double standards on Rwanda
Chaos by Design: When aggressors become mediators: When wolves pretend to be sheep: The US supports Museveni Congo mediation: M23 rebels capture Goma as the UN looks on: Kabila and Kagame fly to Kampala for talks
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/11/chaos-by-design-when-aggressors-become.html
UN+UN peace keeping in Congo =American New World Order: UN security council condemns Goma takeover by M23 rebels: Rebels accused of gross human rights violations: DR soldiers surrender to M23 rebels
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2012/11/unun-peace-keeping-in-congo-american.html
Bishop Jean Marie Runiga, Becomes a spokes person for the M23: Using Confusion, misinformation and disinformation to Hide the Central role of USA, her allies and client states in the Conflict in the ‘Democratic’ republic of Congo(DRC)
Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga the spokes person of M23 rebels admits visiting Kampala but says they will not leave Goma
UK stops £21m aid payment to Rwanda
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20553872
The UK
has suspended aid to Rwanda
amid concerns about its role in the conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo.
An aid payment of £16m was paid to Rwanda in September despite questions over the country's alleged support for the M23 militia in DR Congo.
Her predecessor, Andrew Mitchell, controversially authorised the payment on his last day in the job.
Ms Greening said the money, which was due to be paid next month, would not be released because President Paul Kagame's government had breached agreements.
She pointed to fresh evidence presented by UN experts earlier this month about Rwanda's role in the conflict, describing it as "credible and compelling".
"We are committed to finding lasting solutions to the conflict in this region and will work with the governments of Rwanda and DRC to secure a peaceful resolution to the situation in eastern DRC," she said.
She said the government would give a further £18m for immediate humanitarian needs in the DR Congo.
Mr Mitchell, who had previously frozen aid to the country, had cited progress at international talks as the reason for reinstating the payment.
Half of the aid package was paid as "general budget support" and half directly to the education and agriculture sectors.
Analysis
Britain is increasing its aid to Congo by £18m to help them.
Although these moves will annoy the Rwandan government and please the authorities in Congo, they are unlikely to change the fundamentals of the war.
Rwanda backs one set of rebels because the weak Congolese government allows another armed group, which is opposed to the government in Rwanda, to operate from Congolese soil.
Adjusting British aid flows is unlikely to change that situation anytime soon.
In a report, the international development select
committee said it "did not understand" how he had concluded the state
was no longer backing the M23.
"Mr Mitchell has assured us that he carried out extensive consultations within the UK government and with the government of Rwanda before making his decision. The new secretary of state agreed that the decision-making process had been robust," the report said.
Downing Street denied this had been a mistake, saying the government "stands by the decision".
Mr Mitchell said it was made by the government, not just his department.
"It was the right decision when we made it in September just as today the Secretary of State has made the right decision because of the change in the DRC," he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.
President Kagame has been praised for improving the economic and social conditions in the east African country since he came to power at the end of the 1994 genocide, in which some 800,000 people died.
But a UN report claims Rwanda's defence minister is effectively commanding the rebellion group in the east of the DR Congo (DRC). The BBC has uncovered evidence that Rwandan support for the rebels may be more widespread than previously believed.
'Harm Rwanda'
Rwanda's
Foreign Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, claimed the decision had been made on the
basis of "false, politically-motivated allegations" in the UN report.Shadow international development secretary Ivan Lewis welcomed the "belated" decision to suspend aid, and accused Mr Mitchell of a "serious misjudgement".
He said: "It is now important that aid continues to reach the poorest and most vulnerable in Rwanda and the DRC.
"We never accused Andrew Mitchell of being a rogue minister. However, recent developments have demonstrated his decision to unilaterally reinstate budget support to the government of Rwanda was a serious misjudgement."
Pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance said it was "appalling" that any taxpayers' money had gone "directly to a government involved in a proxy war".
Campaign manager Robert Oxley added: "This announcement leaves a huge question mark over why Dfid, and specifically Andrew Mitchell, reinstated the aid programme to the Rwandan government which was fanning the flames of conflict in DRC."
Kinshasa: How Rwandan Defense Forces Conquered Goma and M23 Claimed Victory
http://www.inyenyerinews.org/democracy-freedoms/kinshasa-how-rwandan-defense-forces-conquered-goma-and-m23-claimed-victory/
November 29, 2012On Tuesday November 20, 2012, Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) invaded Goma on two axes. After a few hours of fight, the Congolese army, known as FARDC, fled and the Rwandan backed rebels, known as M23, entered the abandoned city from the outskirts to the North and claimed victory. The seizure of Goma by Rwandan Defense Forces highlighted, once again, the fact that without Rwandan President General Paul Kagame’s Support, M23 rebel group would be inexistent.
AfroAmerica Network sources within Rwandan Defense Forces have given us detailed accounts on how Goma was conquered and who played what role and what happened and is happening behind the scenes.
An Invasion Carefully Planned in Kigali, Rwanda
On Monday Nov 19/2012, FARDC allegedly shelled the border town of Gisenyi, on the Rwandan territory. The shelling was widely condemned by Rwandan military leaders who issued veiled threats to retaliate. According to AfroAmerica Network sources, immediately after the alleged shelling, General Paul Kagame summoned his top military leaders and announced that the excuse to seize North Kivu Capital City of Goma has been found. He then gave an order to immediately deploy around 4,000 RDF troops that would march on Goma.
The invasion started on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 on two axes: one group of Rwandan troops went after the Goma airfield engaging the FARDC soldiers that guarded the airport and the Radio/TV station; the second group attacked the Goma City center.
FARDC troops, expecting the attacks to come from M23 rebels to the North of Goma were surprised when they were attacked from Lake Kivu on the South and South East. They fled westward to the town of Sake, abandoning weapons and injured FARDC soldiers.
After the bulk of invasion had been successfully completed by the RDF troops and the Rwandan Defense Forces captured Goma, the so-called M23 rebels showed up and made speeches to the population. To hide the presence of thousands of Rwandan troops, official leaders of M23 rebels declared that 2,000 FARDC troops had surrendered, with, curiously, less than 100 AK 47.
Rwandan Defense Forces invasion and RDF Command
M23 rebels are an offshoot of the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF). They receive all the technical support, supplies, communications, arms, ammunitions, etc… from Rwanda military and government. Their de facto commander is Rwandan Defense Minister, General James Kabarebe. The overall field commander of the military operations to invade the Democratic Republic of the Congo is General Emmanuel Ruvusha, known for his bloody repression in Kisangani in 2000 when the RDF troops battled the Uganda forces (UPDF). He has also been accused by several human rights organizations for the role he played in the extermination of Rwanda refugees in DRC in 1996-97.
General Paul Kagame Faces High Casualties and Low Morale among Rwandan Defense Forces
Just before the latest operations, the M23 rebels were being stationed at Runyoni training camp at the Rwanda-DRC border. This location was carefully selected since it allowed the traning exercices to take place away from suspecting eyes and to evade the intelligence gathering by the United Nations Mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO. The site also is conveniently located, to maintain the rebel supply routes from Rwanda unhindered.
Initially the RDF troops crossed to Runyoni and mingled with M23 rebels to invade Kibumba. FARDC and MONUSCO, using helicopters and tanks bombed them and killed a large number of the Rwandan Defense Forces troops. The FARDC and MONUSCO also resisted and used heavy weapons during the initial hours of the invasion of Goma, increasing the casualties among Rwandan Defense Forces.
The number of dead Rwandan soldiers seen by AfroAmerica Network sources in Kanombe, Kigali, Gisenyi, and Mukamira military camps is around 100, just for the Goma invasion alone.
According to other sources who are following very closely what is going on on the ground, it appears that the morale of RDF soldiers is very low. Some of the commanders are even openly questioning the usefulness of the military operations.
This has extremely worried Pres. Kagame and his inner circle. Although General Paul Kagame has recently increased the salary of the Republican Guard, his security forces, other troops are poorly, if not, paid. He is worried that he may not have any way to support these troops once they return to Rwanda. In addition, General Paul Kagame was very furious after William Hague, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State, joined other members in the International Community to lend credibility to the latest report by the UN Experts on DRC that accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels. The UK government has been one of the staunch supporters of the Rwandan regime since 1994. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is the personal adviser to General Paul Kagame.
General Paul Kagame Bowing to International Pressure?
Following the wide condemnation from both regional powers and the International Community, General Paul Kagame has ordered a partial withdrawal of the RDF contingent form Eastern DRC while maintaining a sizable number of troops led by RDF Brigadier General John Gatama.
General Paul Kagame appears to bow to the pressure from the International Community but remains determined to maintain his hold on Eastern DRC. AfroAmerica Network correspondents, other sources and eyewitness accounts corroborate what AfroAmerica Network has all along reported: the Rwandan government and the military, especially Rwandan President General Paul Kagame and his inner circle, are the main sponsor of the M23 rebel group. The Rwandan military officials recruit, train, and ultimately deploy them. Without General Paul Kagame’s support, the M23 would not exist, and less, claim any military successes.
Therefore, how the crisis in the Eastern DRC will be negotiated and the crisis resolved without addressing the issue of General Paul Kagame’s support to such destabilizing forces remains a puzzle.
Source: AfroAmerica Network
Rwandan Government Crocodile tears
Govt disappointed by Britain aid freeze
The decision, announced by British International Development Secretary, Justine Greening, was premised on the report which accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels opposed to the government in Kinshasa.
“Leveraging aid and development funds to punish or reward the perceived conduct of recipients, or to placate domestic critics, is contrary to the partnership philosophy that has helped make the collaboration between Rwanda and the UK among the most successful of its kind,” Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo said yesterday.
Rwanda is widely credited for its efficient use of development aid and UK is its single largest bilateral donor. The biggest portion of British aid is channeled through the government’s general budget.
Greening announced that she was withholding the next tranche of aid totaling to 21 million UK Pounds (about Rwf21 billion), which was due for disbursement in December.
Yesterday, Kigali insisted it had no links with the M23 rebel movement, which started in April, after soldiers from a previous rebellion mutinied accusing the DRC government of breaking the terms of a 2009 peace deal that had integrated them into the army.
“False, politically-motivated allegations against Rwanda serve the purposes of those who would rather ignore their responsibilities and not face up to the complex governance and security challenges that have afflicted the DRC over many decades,” Mushikiwabo, who is also the Government Spokesperson said.
“Repetition of false accusations does not make them factual”.
The controversial UN report, which was officially published last week, was compiled by a group led by Steve Hege, a man Rwanda accuses of hostility towards the government, partly due to his previous writings in which he made the case for the Congo-based Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militias.
FDLR is an internationally blacklisted terrorist group largely blamed for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and which is also accused of gross human rights abuses in the Congo.
In one of his articles, Hege portrayed the FDLR as the victims, suggesting that international opinion would ultimately “sour” on Kigali.
“This action harms Rwanda and does nothing to help the DRC,” Mushikiwabo said of the British government’s decision to freeze aid.
The decision came just as a regional peace process showed signs of breakthrough after the M23 rebels announced they had started to withdraw from the strategic eastern part of Sake and Goma, in return for direct negotiations with Kinshasa.
The arrangement was reached last week at a summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
Minister Mushikiwabo reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to supporting the ICGLR peace blueprint.
“The bottom line for Rwanda is stability in Eastern DRC and in the region – this is what is important for us. We will continue the work started with member states in our region and hope that the international community will support this process and contribute constructively.”
Earlier this week, FDLR crossed from the Congo and attacked two Rwandan villages before the Rwandan Defence Forces repulsed them and drove them back to the Congo, killing six rebels and capturing two in the process. At least one civilian was killed and three reportedly abducted by the attackers, who are believed to have been about 120 and heavily armed.
Rwanda has accused Kinshasa of backing the FDLR militias and integrating some of them in the army.
Some international personalities have criticized decisions by some countries to withdraw or delay aid to Rwanda in the wake of the UN experts allegations.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a statement that his African Governance Initiative will continue its work in Rwanda. “The proper thing is to sort out that issue (Congo crisis) through the ICGLR and the international community, and to continue to support the progress of Rwanda in the lives of the people,” the statement released by the Blair Office reads in part.
A recent survey commissioned by the British Government showed that Rwanda was one of the most effective users of aid in the world, it stated.
A British researcher and lecturer in comparative and international politics at SOAS, University of London, Dr Phil Clark, raised questions about the methodology used in gathering testimonies that informed conclusion that Rwanda was backing the M23 rebels.
“In the case of the June 2012 (draft) report, apparent methodological and substantive problems suggest that international donors should have treated the GoE’s (Group of Experts’) analysis with much greater caution,” Dr Clark said.
He warns the donor community against taking policy decisions on the basis of the group’s allegations, which have strongly been refuted by Kigali and Kampala.
Furthermore, a key dimension of the June 2012 GoE report is the reliance on testimony by unidentified Congolese military commanders and intelligence officials, whose impartiality on the issues at hand must be seriously questioned, he said.
“The report states incorrectly that Rwanda trained some M23 fighters at the Kanombe army barracks in the Rwandan capital, Kigali – a key claim in showing the extent of Rwandan involvement in the M23 rebellion – when those barracks comprise only a military hospital and a cemetery.
It would be impossible for such training to take place in those barracks and even a cursory check of the premises would have convinced the GoE of this,” Dr Clark observed.
