UN has lied about FDLR before and continues to do the same

Editor, Refer to Joseph Rwagatare’s article, “Deceit, moral posturing explain UN inaction against FDLR” (The New Times, February 13). Have we forgotten that Monusco chief Martin Kobler—perhaps in a moment of inattention—referred to the FDLR as his organizations clients? Why would anyone expect them to go after the group they see as their clients? Do we remember too how the FDLR and their fellow defeated génocidaires of the ex-FAR, Interahamwe and their murderous associates ended up in eastern DR Congo–with the keen diplomatic support of the current supreme head of UN forces, Hervé Ladsous, at the time Frances Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, and tasked by his government with extricating the defeated génocidaires safely out of the fast closing in forces of the Rwanda Patriotic Army. Nobody else but the UN could fail to see the blatant conflict of interest in having as overall in charge of the fight against the FDLR the very person responsible for their implantation in eastern DR Congo and as immediate head of the operation on the ground a man who considers this band of génocidaires as his clients! Do we remember that this entire charade began with the UN claiming they could not go after the FDLR before (DR Congo President Joseph) Kabila gave them permission to do so. Then they claimed they were already in joint operations with the FARDC against the FDLR. Then, they claimed, they were only at the point of jointly planning operations; then, they were demanding the withdrawal of two FARDC commanders from the anti-FDLR operations, failure of which they would not provide any support to those operations. But we all know this entire charade is so much hot air; there are no anti-FDLR operations from anyone, be it the FARDC, Monusco or Monusco-FIB. Not only are there none now, there have been none before, and none are planned. All we shall continue to see are press declarations and Twitter salvoes from Mr. Kobler and Monusco about how they are doing a great job going after negative armed groups and protecting civilians. And if anyone believes any of that, they will believe anything. But, make no mistake about it, come the time for doing so, Monusco and their FIB supplement will get their mandate waved through with no debate or any attempt to hold them accountable for failing to deliver on their supposed mandate. What a farcical world we live in! Mwene Kalinda ************************** I think we are faced with a moral equivalency phenomenon in DR Congo. On the one hand, you have a criminal in Gen. Mandevu with his friends who are accused of human rights violation and, on the other, you have a Monusco that has been supervising all sorts of criminal activities against defenceless civilians in Eastern DR Congo, including rape of women by a genocidal force from Rwanda. What has indeed become of the FIB? This is really shameful. Will the UNSC sit once again and make another empty resolution – just rhetoric? I sincerely did not know there was such moral deficiency amongst UNSC. What in the world is Monusco doing in DR Congo for over 20 years armed to the teeth even with drones? Even the FIB has followed the unspeakable example of both the mainstream Monusco and FARDC; why cant they pack their bags and go home already? Karemera

Opinions

UN has lied about FDLR before and continues to do the same