Congo holds the key to its problems, no one else

The Kinyarwanda adage; Utabusya abwita ubumera ( literally meaning that when one does not bear the brunt  of, or is not directly affected by something, they think it’s a walk in the park) is turning into a disturbing pattern on the world stage.

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Kinyarwanda adage; Utabusya abwita ubumera ( literally meaning that when one does not bear the brunt  of, or is not directly affected by something, they think it’s a walk in the park) is turning into a disturbing pattern on the world stage.At the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)  that was later morphed into the  African Union(AU), the issues of the exasperating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was a prime subject.The DRC issue has occupied the world stage much too long, and by now, those who really want to see an end to the conflict and are at the helm of looking for a solution, should be expected to have understood by now the intricacy of the conflict, but alas!, that is not the case.How does Rwanda holding talks with the FDLR, remnants of the people behind the Genocide in Rwanda, on one hand, and Uganda sitting down with ADF- NALU –both operating in Congo – bear any logical key to the subject of bringing peace to the country?Congo’s issues are Congo’s, and the presence of both FDLR and ADF-NALU rebels on its territory is due to its acquiescence and lack of will to put an end to their operations. If Congo can put its house in order, the issue of Ugandan and Rwandan rebel groups, that have been allowed a long leash to do as they want, would be history by now.By exporting Congo’s problems, or seeking scapegoats, there is a glaring absence  of sincerity or lack of comprehension of the issue on the part of key players trying to end the DRC conflict. Burying the head in the sand will only make things worse.