International community ought to take action now

The recent revelation by the head of the murderous Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel outfit Ignace Murwanashyaka that they have been enjoying support in terms of logistics (arms and munitions), from the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo once again serves to indict the international community for complicity, in as far as the simmering instability in the Great Lakes region is concerned. This, coming at a time of renewed conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, should be a wake up call to the community of nations to take action against these insurgents. Their mission is clear to all concerned. Ignace Murwanashyaka heads an organisation whose membership comprises elements that stand accused of having participated in the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. It should be clear to all people interested in the geopolitics of the region that the negative ideology and criminal activities of this organisation, has served to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is well known that this militia outfit headed by Murwanashyaka is still bent on exterminating sections of the Kinyarwanda speaking Congolese people. This is a mission that was defeated in Rwanda in 1994. Now more than ever before, international actors as represented by states and international bodies have a duty to rein in those who continue to give succour to the FDLR. The fact that Murwanashyaka gave interesting information from where he and his cohorts have received support from, should provide useful information to those whose responsibility it is to bring to book such negative elements. This ought to be so because it is a well known fact that people who support criminality must be made to answer for their misdeeds. In the international system, sanctions are used as an instrument to curtail state and non-state actors from engaging in illegal activities like extending support to blacklisted organisations or interests. Since it is now apparent that these elements known to harbour intentions of Genocide have been receiving support from known quarters, then action has to be taken against those individuals or the systems they work in. Besides taking action against the FDLR and it supporters, there is need to investigate and find out how a personality like Murwanashyaka is allowed airtime on international airwaves when he has been blacklisted for his illegal activities. Would for example BBC accord such airtime to a leader of a pro-Nazi organisation? These are valid questions that ought to be answered by people who continue to allow people known for harbouring Genocide intentions in Africa to propagate their negative ideology. The international community kept a deaf ear and sought to bury its head in the sand as Genocide was being planned in the early 1990s and even when it was being executed in 1994. By not taking action now against elements known to have participated in the horrific Genocide, who still continue to advance their intentions openly, global actors are once again failing the people of Rwanda in particular and Africa in general. By taking action now, more so global actors like the United Nations will have more respect and legitimacy in the eyes of people who have historically been ignored by the same institutions. Appearing on the BBC gahuza miryango programme shows that Murwansyhaka is a free man. This is so despite a travel ban having been slapped on the man and his cohorts. This clearly shows that these elements continue to enjoy overt and covert support from strong interests in the developed world. Again it is a betrayal of the African people and more still a continuation of the historical injustices that most of the developed world has always subjected our lot to. However, many people in Africa will by now have realised that the geopolitical interests of most of the developed countries of the world will mostly not have a higher place for the issues that face the continent or countries within Africa. This is a manifestation of the imbalances that obtain in the international arena. Although taking the lead in addressing such issues may have little bearing on the interests of the bigger powers that some of these pro-Genocide elements find sanctuary, it would be a moral obligation to all of humanity to help in addressing these pertinent issues. The same zeal that was used and is still used to address issues of anti Semitism should be equally the same zeal used to deal with Genocide-oriented groups in Africa like the FDLR. frank2kagabo@yahoo.com