What is happening in DR Congo? Why? Give an overview of what is happening in DR Congo based on the information you have accessed. Please cite your sources of information when you post your task either within the body of the text or at the end of the text.
13 comments:
DR Congo crisis
In 1994 there was an ethnic war in Ruanda between Tutsi an Hutu that ended with ethnic genocide against Tutsi. After the war Tutsi took control of the country and the Tutsi army forced Hutu rebels to move to eastern Congo. Nowadays in this region there is a majority of Hutu and a little group of Tutsi; one of them, General Nkunda, leader of the Tutsi army, started the war to protect his people, as he said. The Congolese government doesn’t think that General Nkunda is acting to protect the Tutsi population but it believes that he is backed by the Rwanda government which wants to create a buffer zone between Rwanda and Congo. We have consider that maybe there are two kinds of reason behind this war: on the one hand economic interests because Congo is rich in natural resources and in the future could be a good market to estabilish new companies; on the other hand there are ethnic and cultural reasons.
EU position
France foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner , said that the EU is ready to send humanitarian aid to Congolese civilians in eastern Congo; he also said that France gave a suggestion by the proposal to send European troops to support the United Nations peacekeepers in Congo. Mr. Kouchner and the british foreign secretary, David Miliband, went to Kinshasa to try to secure peace in this region. In an interview with BBC Radio Mark Malloch-Brown, a foreign office minister, said that “the European Union would send troops to Congo only as a last resort if the existing United Nations force needed to be reinforced and diplomatic peace efforts failed”. So, for the moment, the European Union is trying to use all the diplomatic possibilities to solve this crisis and send troops in Congo. The United Nations is the international organization more involved: in Congo there is the largest UN peacekeeping mission with 17000 troops with tanks and helicopter gunships and its primary role is protecting civilians but in the last days UN troops were unable to protect people. In fact in the last few days “mobs of civilians stoned the bases of UN forces in both Goma and Rutshuru”, furious villagers attacked UN troops while they were trying to evacuate 50 aid workers trapped in the battle zone and in Goma operations to distribute food and medicines had been suspended because the level of hostility against the UN.
African countries position
Until now the only African country that has tried to do something to resolve this problem is Uganda, which occupied parts of Eastern DRC in the 1990's. The Ugandese government has called for the implementation of the Lusaka Peace Agreement as a solution to the current crisis in the North Kivu region where a rebel siege of the town of Goma has precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe. The Lusaka Accords provided that the Kinshasa government would disarm militias opposed to neighbouring governments, a major issue in the current conflict. General Laurent Nkunda has accused the DRC government of tolerating former Rwandan army fighters (FDLR) accused of orchestrating the 1994 Rwanda genocide before decamping to Congo where they continued to attack ethnic Tutsi. The other countries seem to have no role in this crisis, Kenya has traditionally been seen as a neutral player in the various regional conflicts and Tanzania's Foreign Minister Bernard Membe has only said that it was hoped that an emergency regional summit would be held Nairobi next week to discuss the crisis.
How UN try to help?
A United Nations aid convoy has reached one of the major rebel-held towns in the far east of the DRCongo, providing urgent supplies to civilians trapped amid the fighting in the region, as United Nations officials led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continue efforts to broker a solution to the conflict. The UN aid convoy that reached Rutshuru, a town in North Kivu, carried first aid and basic medicines for local health-care centres as well as equipment to re-establish clean water supplies. The twelve-vehicle convoy is also to evaluate the needs of the displaced, as little is known about how they are surviving. Deadly fighting in recent months across North Kivu province has forced an estimated 250,000 people to flee their homes, joining hundreds of thousands of other internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the region, and the clashes have even threatened Goma, the provincial capital and home to about 700,000 people. As IDPs have returned to camps around Goma, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been provided high-energy biscuits, water and medical supplies. But UN aid convoy taking supplies behind rebel lines in the east of the DRC is not enough to need the needs of hordes of desperate refugees. Another problem is that the risk of infectious disease outbreaks, with 70 cases of cholera already recorded in camps, with the rainy season approaching.
Health situation
The health situation in congo is really hard, the most important emergency are: protection for displaced and humanitarian workers,access to safe water and food. The WHO prepared an accomodation camp near to Goma, but in this moment there are a lot of people still searching for a place to sleep and eat. Moreover there is the outbreak of some infective diseases very dangerous. There have been hundreds cholera cases and several cases of measles and thypoid fever, this problem is connected with the low vaccination rate for these disease.Italian and Norwegian governement has already sent medicine and probably in the next few days other countries will join this measure. The WHO is also involved in the maintaning of a good level health care and in support of Goma hospital with money and volunteers
What are the solutions?
Humanitarian situation is a priority. Fearing more violence, the displaced civilians are seeking shelter, food and water in what aid workers are calling a catastrophic humanitarian situation. UN organization has already mobilized all necessary humanitarian agencies to provide assistance. Meanwhile political and diplomatic strategies are followed to maintain the fragile ceasefire. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance of doing everything possible to stop the fighting and bring all parties involved into talks. The British foreign secretary David Miliband, who flew to the DR of Congo amid increasing concern about effectiveness of UN peacekeeping role in the region, declared that a deployment of EU troops was only a last option if all talks failed. The expectation for the near future is that under the agreement of last January, which has not been implemented, a ceasefire would be enforced and all armed groups in the region would be disarmed. However a definitive end of the conflict won’t be easily reached also because political or economic interests are behind the North Kivu crisis, as Human Rights Watch noticed. Nevertheless a political solution is suggested by the International Crisis Group think-tank: in the long term Congo should develop a plan with Rwanda and the UN to isolate and capture the Hutu leaders of FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda) who are responsible for the Rwandan genocide.
Group: Francesca, Bernadetta, Matteo, Federica, Claudia
Sources:
New York Times
BBC news website(http://news.bbc.co.uk)
www.un.org ; www.monuc.org
www.guardian.co.uk/world /2008 www.un.org/news http://itn.co.uk/news (radio/video)
A brief history
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Belgian Congo, is the third largest country by area in Africa. It is located in west-central Africa and it borders the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola and the Atlantic Ocean.
The first inhabitants of Congo were the ancient Pygmies who were pushed into the mountains by Bantu and Nilodic invaders but the name Congo (meaning "hunter") wss coined later by the Bakongo ethnic group who lived in the Congo River basin.
Nowadays there are hundreds of ethnic groups in Congo and there is an estimated total of 242 languages spoken in the DR Congo. Out of these, only four have the status of national languages: Kikongo (Kituba), Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili.
During the last centuries Congo had a very turbulent history. It was colonized in 1870 by King Leopold II of Belgium, it became independent since June 1960 and Patrice Lumumba was elected Prime Minister. Shortly after independence, the provinces of Katanga (one of the richest and most developed areas of the Congo, led by Moise Tshombe) and South Kasai engaged in secessionist struggles against the new leadership. With Belgian assistance Katanga's Gendarmerie was converted into an effective military force. On 14 July 1960, in response to requests by Prime Minister Lumumba, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 143. This called upon Belgium to remove its troops and provide 'military assistance' to the Congolese forces.
On 22 July, Security Council Resolution 145 affirmed that Congo should be a unitary state and strengthened the call for Belgium to withdraw its forces. On 9 August, Security Council Resolution 146 mentioned Katanga for the first time, and explicitly allowed UN forces to enter Katanga although forbidding their use to 'intervene in or influence the outcome of any internal conflict'.
Then, with CIA help, Joseph Mobutu seized power in a military coup, suspending parliament and the constitution. After that Lumumba was assassinated. In 1971 Mobutu changed the name of the country in Zaire.
Mobutu had the political and military support of Western countries, who saw him as an ally against communism in Africa. He established a one-party state, banning all other political organizations except his own. Over the next three decades, Mobutu led one of the most enduring regimes in Africa; it was also one of the most dictatorial and corrupt and Zaire's population sank further into poverty.
As the Cold War waned in the early 1990s, so did Western support for Mobutu. In light of allegations of human rights abuses and rampant corruption, Belgium, France and the United States all suspended military and financial assistance to the regime.
As the economic and political situation worsened, Laurent Kabila, in October 1996, began a military drive from eastern Zaire to depose Mobutu, helped by Rwanda. The next year Kabila became president and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nonetheless, DR Congo's troubles continued. A rift between Mr Kabila and his former allies sparked a new rebellion, backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe took Kabila's side, turning the country into a vast battleground. Some attempts and sporadic violence continued, however a fragile peace has held since the formal end of the war. But the Kinshasa government had no control over large parts of the country and tension remained high in the east.
Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#Demographics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Crisis
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0198161.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1076399.stm
Congo’s deposits
Congo is one of the world’s most resource-rich countries, with huge deposits of diamonds, gold and copper. Francois Grignon, Africa Director of the International Crisis Group, thinks that Nkunda is being funded by Rwanda businessmen so they can retain control of the mines in North Kivu. At the moment, Rwanda business interests make a fortune from the mines they illegally seized during the war. As the war began to wane, they faced losing their control to the elected Congolese government, so they have given it another bloody kick-start [“How we fuel Africa’s bloodiest war. What is rarely mentioned is great global heist of Congo’s resources”, by Johann Hari, The Independent, 30th October 2008]. At the same time a new regime led by Joseph Kabila signed dozens of valuable mining contracts with Western concerns based in the southern Katanga region. The Congolese commission revealed how government officials appeared to have given away lucrative mineral rights, without ensuring it received “just” compensation and without having sufficient control over many contracts. The ability to defend the country’s interests under international arbitration was “weak” and having given so much away, the incentive for private firms to come to the table is almost non-existent. The report was completed last year. But only weeks later, the pressure on the mining compagnie was hugely intensified when China announced a $9bn deal with the DRC. In return it will get 10 million tonnes copper and 400,000 tonnes of cobalt.
[“New fight for Congo’s riches. Scores of lucrative mining concessions handed out by President Joseph Kabila are in doubt after a report questioned thei legality. Will a programme of renegotiation finally allow a beleaguered nation to exploit its huge mineral wealth?” by Nick Mathiason, The Guardian, 30th October 2008].
The actual situation
In the last few months, rebels from the Tutsi ethnic group have been fighting the government army and, in the last few weeks, have encircled Goma, a strategic city in eastern DR Congo. These rebels are leaded by Laurent Nkunda, a Congolese renegade general. He portrays himself as the protector of ethnic Tutsi after the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and, for this reason, accuses the Congolese government of failing to protect his ethnic group from Hutu remnants militias, who fled to eastern Congo after Rwanda genocide.
DR Congo government has always accused Nkunda and his soldiers of war crimes and human rights abuses. The Human Rights Watch group has documented summery executions, torture and rape committed by soldiers under Nkunda’s command. Congolese officials, also, accuse Rwanda of backing Nkunda, in an attempt to create a buffer zone between Congo and Rwanda. On the other hand, Rwanda officials deny any involvement in Congo troubles.
Last Thursday (October 31), Nkunda declared a cease-fire and demanded direct talks with Congolese government. So the US and the UN sent own envoys to help begin negotiation. Rwanda’s President is taking part in these meetings too.
People’s conditions in DR Congo are very worrying. Tens of thousands of people have fled towards North Kivu province. They are stricken not only by the war. Congolese soldiers are notorious for turning their guns to civilians and fleeing at the first sign of a real threat. The looting, pillaging, raping and killing seem to happen every time a city switches hands. In these days of truce, many people are trying to go back home.
The situation in humanitarian camps is very difficult too. Aid workers, in fact, are threatened and in danger of losing their own lives, so they aren't able, at this moment, to get help to communities.
SOURCES: The Guardian, TimesONLINE
The UN and EU role
The main problem, at the moment, is how to help the population.
Aid agencies say the country is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. The soldiers, but also the land and the weather – the rain season has started – don't allow reaching the population (there's a UN estimation of 1.600.000 refugees) easily.
The European Union is discussing what to do, at the moment the European countries don't agree on sending their soldiers as they want to wait for UN peacekeeper soldiers results; operating at a diplomatic level is the only taken decision.
Some days ago the French and English foreign ministers were sent to DR Congo to see the real situation and to act as peacekeepers. They have said that urgent action is needed to ease the current crisis. They realized it's 'vital' to create and mantain an aid corridor towards Goma and the northern part of the country to bring food, water and medicines. After their emergency mission to the region this weekend, Mr Miliband and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner were to brief EU colleagues at informal talks in Marseilles yesterday, thinking about sending troops to bolster UN peacekeepers in Congo.
Two days ago the first aid by Monuc (UN peace mission in DR Congo) was able to arrive and the latest news refers to the fact that the UN Mission in the DR Congo has begun reinforcing its troops in North Kivu and in Goma in particular, there are 17,000 soldiers by now, the largest UN mission in the world, even if they are stretched by the scale of their mission. Under-Secretary-General of Peacekeeping, Alain LeRoy, declared that MONUC needs supplementary troops to deliver its mandate. Mr. Leroy reaffirmed the determination of the UN to make protecting civilain populations and legally established institutions a priority. He also called on all armed groups to cease fire. But some Congolese accuses the UN of doing nothing - just being "tourists" - and have attacked their offices in Goma.
Congo's President Joseph Kabila and Rwanda's president Paul Kagame have agreed to attend an emergency summit to discuss the tensions.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=81220
http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=18833
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7696139.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7704628.stm
http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=18691
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5067756.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5072262.ece
Andrea, Dario, Giancarlo, Marinella
“Eastern Congo: looks like heaven, feels like hell”. This is the meaningful title of an article [1] by Kate Thomas, a foreign news reporter for the Independent, which gets the point of the current situation in that region. A beautiful land which is home to important natural resources, plagued by war and internal conflicts that can’t seem to find peace. Instability and insecurity pervade the eastern provinces of Congo, particularly North and South Kivu, largely dominated by rebel groups such as the armed group led by Nkunda.
Origins of the conflict
This difficult and controversial situation has its roots in the past. “The unfathomably brutal civil war devastating the eastern Congo, which is now reaching yet another peak of savagery, is not really about Congo. It is the continuation of the civil war and genocide that shattered neighbouring Rwanda in the early 1990s” - Stephen Kinser (The Guardian) [2]. Rwanda genocide [3] and civil war [4] induced the exodus of Tutsi people to Congo, but when Tutsi overthrew the Hutu regime, this gave rise to a new exodus of Hutu people fearing revenge for the recent genocide, causing the Great Lakes refugee crisis of 1994 [5].
Various rebel groups started to operate across eastern Congo leading to a deadly escalation of violence. Congolese army seemed incapable to face this situation and to control territory. The presence among the refugees of many of the Genocidaires [6], who used the refugee camps as bases to launch attacks against the new Rwandan government [5], caused the invasion of eastern Congo by Rwandan Tutsi troops and the begin of the First Congo War [7]; this war set the foundation for, and was immediately followed by, the Second Congo War.
In 2003 the Second Congo War came to an end with a peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda [8]. Rwanda agreed to the withdrawal of its troops from the eastern Congo, and in exchange obtained Congo commitment to disarm Hutu militias in that region. A transitional government was then set up in Congo, with Joseph Kabila as a temporary head of state [9].
General Nkunda Rebellion
With the end of war, Nkunda joined the army of the transitional government, and in 2004 was promoted general [10]. However, he soon rejected the authority of the new government, claiming that the government was doing enough to protect Tutsi people in eastern Congo who were subjected to attacks by Hutu rebels. This claim was declared false by the UN, that stated Nkunda was following orders from Rwanda [11].
Nkunda, along with some troops, retreated to Nord Kivu forests, and there he established his headquarters. Later in 2004, Nkunda's forces occupied the city of Bukavu, where they committed many war crimes. The war escalated to the whole region, starting the Kivu Conflict [12].
From 2005 till 2008, Nkunda called many times for the overthrow of the government, and he was able to enrol many DRC diserting soldiers; the area under his control expanded greatly. There were many clashes between his soldiers and the DRC army; his forces, according to UN officials, tortured killed many civilians, taken girls as sex slaves and used children as fighters [13].
In early 2008 twenty-two Congolese armed groups and DRC signed an agreement in Goma to solve this situation but the increasing number of ceasefire violations and rampant violence episodes highlights its weakness [12].
The situation right now
Two weeks ago about four thousands of the well-trained troops of General Nkunda's rebel army marched from their mountain strongholds past the volcanoes and villages of North Kivu before stopping a few miles from Goma [14]. They have encircled this strategic city in eastern Congo, sending the region down a vortex of violence and uncertainty once again. The DRC national army fled in disarray and UN peacekeepers failed to halt their advance.
For now General Nkunda has ordered his forces not to enter Goma and on 29/10, after four days of fights, he ordered a cease-fire, which appears to be very fragile [15]. Indeed, both sides appeared to be massing troops near the cease-fire line. Government soldiers flew in from the capital Kinshasa and deployed in the jungle, and rebels were out in force on their side of the line. Milliband and Kouchner, Foreign Ministers of France and UK, said that the cease-fire needs to be bolstered. However, previous cease-fires were unravelled, but the hope this time is that with all the high-level attention now on Congo, including the United Nation Security Council, a durable political settlement might be found.
Besides it is unclear exactly why Gen. Nkunda stopped on the outskirts of Goma and decided to call a cease-fire, instead of seizing the city. However, one of the biggest concerns at this point are the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced and the aids that has been stopped because of the fights. The recent rebel offensive, exacerbated by a spate of killings, lootings and rapings by retreating Congolese soldiers, has created what aid agencies have called a “humanitarian catastrophe” [16].
At last the fighting has stopped, though, and aid officials are hopeful they can resume operations soon. As Gloria Fernandez, head of the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, stated, “Our priority is to restart the activities at many health centres in the area” [17]. The aid convoy, which has initially been scheduled to leave on Sunday, includes staff and resources from UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs and is being escorted by UN troops, and it is travelling through a narrow “humanitarian corridor” the rebels established [18].
Thousand of people who fled fighting in the eastern Congo are crossing back into rebel-held territory because they say conditions at refugee camps are intolerable [19]. However, others, fearful of fresh violence, continued to leave their homes, overwhelming aid centres. In the last weekend the European foreign ministers met both Rwandan and Congolese presidents, and they said bilateral peace agreements already in place between regional powers must be honoured; “The crisis, even if averted in the short term, will return without a new, vigorous and united political effort” [17]. The ministers also called for the strengthening of the 17.000-strong UN force in DR Congo, but appeared to rule out sending EU forces. They are trying to organize a regional summit on the situation (to be held in Nairobi), involving also the Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete who is the current African Union chief [20].
The Rwandan government has been accused to invade the eastern region of neighbouring Congo for the third time. Now the UN peacekeeping mission in the region believes it has spotted Rwandan troops in Congolese territory, suggesting the invasion has begun. Rwanda has denied any involvement in the fighting. Even if DR Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels both presidents have agreed to attend the summit.
Carlo, Linda, Anna, Giuseppe
Sources:
[1] http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/26088/2007/11/10-180756-1.htm
[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/03/congo-rwanda-genocide-violence
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Civil_War
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_refugee_crisis
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocidaires
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Congo_War
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_Government_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Nkunda
[11] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5058019.ece
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kivu_conflict
[13] http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Congo-warlord-continues-to-recruit-kids/2007/09/20/1189881644788.html
[14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Goma
[15] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5043727.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1
[16] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7698437.stm
[17] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7704628.stm
[18] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/10/30/congo.rebel/index.html
[19] http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/02/congo.conflict/index.html
[20] http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081102/wl_africa_afp/drcongounrestdiplomacyafricanunion
When someone talks about Africa situation I always think that in this area there are so many interests that at least will be very difficult to keep a state of peace in the whole continent. And I strongly believe this is the case of DR congo.In this region a lot of minerals and other resources get the attention of many governements and enterprises that use tribal differencies as a way to hide their real wills.The destiny of Africa is ruled by this moves since the colonial period, and probably this waywill go on until there will be new way to concept a country and to consider different etnies as an only country.But before they will reach a new way of being a lot of people will die or will live with no rights.
I think that the situation in Congo is quite complicated.
I know that in Congo there are more than 200 ethnic groups so it is very difficult for them to live in peace because they have strong tribal traditions.
I really don't understand why they can't reach a sort of truce or a ceasefire: i mean it's easier for me to understand the war in the Balkans or in the Caucasus region maybe because i know better these topics and i don't know much about the history of Africa.
By the way i know that behind every war or conflict there are political and, above all, economic reasons: in this case we have to consider that Congo is very rich in natural resources and not only the Congolese government but also foreign enterprises, investors and also speculators are interested in them.
I'm really sad when i see the news and these images of desperate people going away from their houses, their villages, of people with bad health problems and with no food or aid to find anything else they may need.
Someone may say that i have a colonialist point of view but i really don't understand how the Congolese governement could spend millions of dollars in buying armies and it couldn't spend anything to feed his people, to give them food and medicines: how it is possible that a government doesn't show a little bit of respect for the lives of his people, for their basic human rights?
I think that this crisis won't end as soon as we hope: until they don't manage to overcome their tribal divisions and their tribal culture, until they won't be able to take a different way, i think that in Congo, as in the other African countries, there will be wars and conflicts.
DR of Congo is amid a serious political and humanitarian situation.
High-level politicians in the world are heavely concerned about it, so that it is required to do everything possible to stop the fighting and bring all parties involved into talks.
However, I think that there isn't any insurance about a definitive forthcoming conclusion of the conflict.
This is probably because behind it there are not only ethinc reasons, but also political and economic interests; in fact, the region is rich in natural resources.
I agree with the note of the Human Rights Watch:
"the scramble for control of lucrative mines remains a driving force behind the conflict; everyone is gaining something from the North Kivu crisis, political or economic interests...Nkunda presents himself as being the protector of the Tutsis in North Kivu. He's nothing of the sort. He's not a freedom fighter; his primary goal is economic and political interests".
I really think that only political and economic interests of nations, groups and persons can explain the lack of worry for the safety of a population.
There is a marked contradiction into what general Nkunda said during an interview to radio BBC: "we have to fight for our freedom".
...How is it possible to think that the war is the solution to assure freedom and defence to a people when this means to make all sort of human rights violations against that same people and to everyone else who is involved in the conflict?
I think that the situation in Congo can be considered as an other demonstration of how economical and political interests are always put before human rights. This happens in the absolute remoteness or, and this is the worst, with the connivence and the support of other countries, including the Western ones, which always take up the cause of justice and human rights. These countries protect their public image giving understanding that their interests are only to guarantee peace and order and to go to populations' rescue, but on the other side they manage their economical interests, often hiding behind local characters like the one of Nkunda and like others in other countries.
I read some articles to try to understand something more about the real position of governments, that is in facts and not in words, and I found it in "The Independent" (30 October 2008): "Congo is the richest country in the world for gold, diamonds, coltan, cassiterie, and more. Everybody wanted a slice, so six other countries invaded. These resources were not being stolen to for use in Africa. They were seized so they could be sold on to us. The UN named the international corporations it believed were involved: Anglo-America, Standard Chartered Bank, De Beers and more than 100 other. But instead of stopping these corporations, our governments demanded that the UN stop criticising them". Are human rights put before economical interests? The answer in facts is different from the one in words.
The situation in DR Congo seems quite complicated to me even if now I know more about it thanks to the articles I read and to the other posts on the blog.
As we can see, the reasons for this war are various: there's an ethnic problem, a political problem and an economic problem; the causes of the actual war have strong connections with the past. We have to look at Congo's history, at the past conflicts and at the role of African countries, other world countries as well as foreigns companies settled there.
At the moment I still don't have a very clear image of the origin of this situation and assigning exact faults and responsibilities to exact countries, institutions and individual persons is difficult to me.
I can say a simple but probably true thing.
In the near future helping people and refugees and taking control of the whole territory are the most urgent things to do. In this sense the role of the UN peacekeeper soldiers is fundamental.
But it will be useless if different countries and diplomacies won't work for a political solution. Dangerous leaders should change their behaviour or leave their roles - I know it's a complicated thing to do ... - and a democratic government, elected by Congo's people and free to operate without too many pressures, should be in command. This seems to me the only way to have peace, to protect all the different ethnic groups in the country and to have good relations with the other African and world countries. A 'good' and strong government would be also a way to have the control of the economical policy and not to submit to the various economic interests of many foreign companies and countries in relation to Congo's resources.
I think that the situation in DR Congo is going to become more serious every day. I'm not really up-to date on this conflict because it's never been my main field of interest... I only know that nobody does anything outside its own business! Probably this sort of civil war is caused only by the ambition of general Nkunda or probably by the aspirations of the neighbour Rwanda, that is one of the poorest States of Africa and maybe has many interests in the natural resources of the Congolese territory, but now the priority is the humanitarian situation.
The United Nations have to find the way to send help and to stop this conflict.
There is also the risk of an escalation of the fight, so they should create a more substantial contingent to avoid the danger of the expansion of the conflict.
In fact in my opinion there is the possibility that Rwanda will enter the war, although I read that the Rwanda governament denies any involvement.
Historically, conflicts and wars in the core of Africa haven't been a main interest of public opinion in Western countries. However, since the so-called "de-colonisation period", too many tensions have characterized this part of the world.
The resume of fighting in Congo is the consequence of a series of wrong decisions taken by the world diplomacy such as the irrational tracing of boarders without caring about the etnic principle.
The general target of the peace-process should be not to allow the rising of new tensions within the area, respecting the basic principle of self-determination.
For sure, as the tensions cool, the main emergency to face is to improve security along the Congolese-Rwandian border by adopting a containment strategy and creating a task force which sets up negotiates among the different parts in conflict. Neverthless, the rule of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is fundamental cos it should create the conditions for repatriation of Congolese refugees from Rwanda.
Moreover, the International Criminal Court should be appointed to judicate crimes committed in the Kivus since 2003 and punish the responsibles.
Finally, it is basilar to support joint operations to create weapons-free zones and provide technical improvement and funding for the development of these regions. Furthermore, despite what happened till now, financial resources should be redistributed within the population to satisfy its basic necessity.
The actual situation of Congo it's quite critical because the conflict in this area seems to be endemic. Congo it's a really poor country but it's full of mineral resources so a lot of foreign countries and enterprises give money and arms to rebels. In this way they can take military control of an area inside the country and exploit it until a great part of the natural resources are finished (it's important to underline that the population doesn't have any benefit from the extraction of mineral resources). The instability is accentuated also by ethnical divisions and wars between various ethnical groups. To change this situation there is a need of a strong government that can maintain the control of his territory but the government should not be dictatorial but democratic (also if the concept of democracy it's not easy to use in Africa for the particular social substrate). The richness created by the mineral resources should be redistributed to people to improve their health and their living conditions with an efficient welfare system and used to create hospitals, infrastructures and manifacturies.
DR Congo crisis is one of the "world" crisis which involves a lot of different "parts".
As we can see, there are different interests as economics, politics and military ones that we cannot clearly understand. Information is limited and distortioned, and we can farly see the real reasons and behaviours of the "main actors" of this one and the rest of crisis, wars and problems that exist nowadays (and not only).
In my opinion we should concern and try to inform ourselves in the best way we can about international problems, but also we have to make reflections about how our own economy and our own "life" is influenced, and sometimes favored, by foreign conflicts which affects other countries or populations, most of all, from the "underdeveloped world".
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