Désiré Kamanzi, head of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), an ex- rebel group-turned political party in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resigned recently. Kamanzi succeeded Gen. Laurent Nkunda at the helm of the then politico-military group in January. Barely 11 months after denouncing rebellion and becoming a political party, Kamanzi resigned early this week saying the main cause of his decision was “frustration” as government was dragging its feet in implementing earlier peace agreements. “The fundamental reasons are, notably, the slowness in implementation of the agreements we have signed with the government since January,” Kamanzi announced. The frustrated former CNDP chief said that after signing the peace agreements, “we requested that there be holding of a regular national monitoring committee, but this was in vain.” According to Kamanzi, the sessions have only been held once in Kinshasa and twice in Goma, and only at the request of the international facilitators. “Personally I realized that it was becoming a very big frustration on my part.” Key among Kamanzi’s demands is the returning home of Congolese refugees in neighbouring countries as well as the former CNDP political cadres whom he says are not well integrated into the national politics. Kamanzi also says former CNDP troops, especially the high ranking officers are not well integrated in the national army – Forces Armes de la Republique Democratique du Congo (FARDC). In January, CNDP soldiers started voluntarily integrating into the FARDC, a development that then considerably contributed to the return to normalcy in the country’s east. Ends
