CLOSE OBSERVERS of the Great Lakes region saw it coming; they were not duped by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda’s (FDLR) comedy of laying down their arms. It was all part of an elaborated attempt to launder the image of the blacklisted militia group. The reluctance by the robust UN peacekeeping force (MONUSCO) – and its famed drones – to go after FDLR as instructed by the Security Council should have been an early warning sign that something sinister was in the works. So what does the latest provocation by the DRC mean? A neutral observer might argue that in cases where border skirmishes occur, it is difficult to know who did what, and where. But that should not be a difficult task because a Joint Verification Task Force is in place and among the area it deploys is along the border. Will it deliver this time? Previous experiences with the task force, after similar provocative attacks, usually the work of FDLR embedded with DRC forces, leave no much room for faith. They and MONUSCO have never come out to clear the picture. This latest attack – just like in the past – is meant to suck Rwanda into the DRC mess that the UN and DRC have failed to clean, now they need a fall man for their failures. No one can be fooled; this is a well-used and tired tactic and only goes to highlight the connivance between the FDLR, DRC government and some elements in MONUSCO.
