Plans to root out FDLR announced as DR Congo liquidates opponents

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence on Monday briefed legislators on the security situation in the region. Parliament heard from ministers Rosemary Museminali and Marcel Gasinzi that there was currently a “four plus four” high level bilateral framework in which Rwandan officials are meeting with their Congolese counterparts to resolve the problem of the Forces for the Democratic Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)/ Interahamwe. The presence of the FDLR in eastern Congo is widely seen as a major cause of the instability in that part of the volatile country. The rag tag militia widely condemned for carrying out crimes against humanity in eastern Congo remains a stumbling bloc to the realisation of peace in the region. It was also reported that military chiefs from Rwanda and DR Congo, have drawn up a plan to disarm the FDLR. It was designed during a security meeting in Gisenyi that brought together the Chief of Defence Forces General James Kabarebe and the commander of the Congolese army, the FARDC in eastern Congo General Denis Kulume Numbi. Rwanda- France relations Museminali was also this week quoted saying that the conditional release of Rose Kabuye by a French court, does not add anything to the ongoing efforts to restore relations between France and Rwanda because she was “released on merit.” Rwanda cut diplomatic ties with France in 1996 following the indictment of nine top Rwanda military and government officials by Louis Bruiguiere. There has been an ongoing effort to restore the relations between the two countries. The relations between the two countries have not been the best since the end of the Genocide against Tutsis in 1994. French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner was recently quoted saying that he wishes the two countries to resume diplomatic relations. This could be a possible sign of what is likely to come in the future. Former BCDI CEO handed six years It was reported this week that the former Chief Executive Officer and chairman of the Bank of Commerce, Development and Industry (BCDI) Alfred Kalisa was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption and abuse of office. He had originally been sentenced to two years in prison by the Nyarugenge Higher Instance Court and he appealed to the high court. His appeal was rejected and instead he wasgiven six years in jail. He is said to have practiced insider trading when he was in charge of the bank before being dismissed by the National Bank of Rwanda. DR Congo liquidates opponents It was reported this week that security services in DR Congo summarily executed over 500 people regarded as opponents of the Kinshasa regime of Joseph Kabila. According to a Human Rights Watch report, these were killed in the areas around Kinshasa and Bas Congo where the regime has little support. The report also indicates that the focus on the conflict in the eastern part of the DR Congo is shifting the radar screens away from the atrocities of the government against its own people. Following the elections in 2006, Kabila is reported to have launched what was effectively a military campaign against his defeated rival Jean Pierre Bemba and his supporters leading to the deaths of many people. Curbing gender based violence Also in the news, Members of Parliament were reported to have called upon government and all relevant institutions to eradicate all forms of violence in the family. It has been reported that the violence was on the increase. This shows that the law makers are concerned about the issue and are willing to push it on to the policy agenda of the government for solutions to be reached. Terrorists on rampage Life in Mumbai India came to a standstill on Thursday when a group of young gunmen stormed four locations including two five star hotels and opened fire indiscriminately and set off explosives killing more than 100 people. The carnage, has served to reawaken a world that had started going slow on the issue of global terrorism. According to observers, the attack marks a major change in strategy by terrorists especially in India. The attacks drew wide condemnation from across the world. Ends