Push for disarmament of FDLR in the UN Security Council

Part I In the article that appeared in “The Huffington Post” written by Fabienne Hara, Vice President for Multilateral Affairs, International Crisis Group on October 14, 2010 entliled “Congo Crimes Should Be on the Agenda of the UN Security Council.” The author does not only overestimate her knowledge of the Great Lakes Region (GLR) but her assessments are misplaced, her motives ill intentioned. Her article gives an unnecessary pessimistic and oblique view of the security situation in the GLR. As a result, she comes out with very absurd and dangerous recommendation loudly pronounced in the title of her article. Fabienne Hara takes the contents of the DRC mapping report as the gospel truth and only jumps at calling for the international community to provide justice. Hara does not take into consideration that the report is flawed and lacks concrete evidence. The author does not even question the methodology the researchers used to come to their conclusion. According to Ms. Fabienne Hara, “The UN’s mapping report is not only an opportunity to re-examine the historical record of mass violence in DRC -- the scale and nature of which was often overlooked in the wake of the genocide in neighboring Rwanda -- but is also a chance to correct the terms of the deceptive and fragile peace some leaders wish to proclaim in the resource-rich Great Lakes region of Africa”. Referring to the peace in the GLR as deceptive and fragile is rather far fetched, misleading and an insult to the leaders and people of the two countries. While it is true the GLR has had a troubled past, it would be unfortunate not to recognize the achievements the region has made in terms of not only ending the conflicts, but also building peace. The FDLR have held Rwandan people as captives for more than 16 years, the Congolese and Rwandan soldiers decided to launch a joint operation ( Umoja Wetu) in January 2009 against the FDLR and Interahamwe militias who are the root cause of 16 years of festering conflict in eastern DR Congo. The relationship between Rwanda and DRC has been improving very fast, since that operation, the FDLR operation capability was reduced and some refugees were freed. A report by ICG of 10th June 2010 contradicts Fabienne Hara position: “The decisions taken by Presidents Kabila and Kagame to bring their two countries closer together represented a political shift that raised new hopes for regional stabilisation. The restoration of diplomatic relations, the relaunch of the Communauté économique des pays des Grands Lacs (CEPGL – Great Lakes Countries Economic Community), and the concrete implementation of the commitments made in the Nairobi Communiqué of 9 November 2007 - an agreement over a joint strategy for dismantling armed groups - laid the formal foundations for a new bilateral relationship”. Despite Hara’s attempt to give a pessimistic view of the situation in the GLR, reality on the ground proves otherwise. The region has come from a long way to where we are today and the situation is much better and is expected to be even better. From Lusaka to Pretoria, to Goma and Kigali; from Umoja Wetu to Kimia I to Kimia II; were mechanisms aimed not only at ending conflict and wars but to create improved human understanding through dialogue, international and regional cooperation, economic and cultural cooperation for a stable and peaceful region and the fruits are evident on the ground. Several diplomatic contacts have been taking place; On 06 August 2009, President Paul Kagame paid a historic visit across the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where he held discussions with his counterpart Joseph Kabila regarding the security in the region as well as economic cooperation between the two countries . The two nations pledged to work together to foster economic cooperation especially trade, infrastructure as well as plans to explore methane gas in Lake Kivu jointly. On 1st July 2010, President Kagame participated in the celebrations to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)). Before departing Kinshasa, President Kagame and President Kabila held private talks where they discussed bilateral and regional issues, including strengthening of cooperation in various economic sectors. President Kabila attended the inauguration ceremony for President Kagame on 06th September 2010 in Kigali and the next day the two presidents held bilateral talks. There are other bilateral meetings between the two leaders that took place in the recent past. The Defence Ministers have been meeting and latest meeting took place in Kinshasa on 17th October 2010. The DRC Defence Minister Charles Mwando Nsimba, and his Rwandan counterpart, James Kabarebe, issued a joint statement that hailed the progress made in the neutralization and the gradual eradication of armed groups in the region. They also agreed to hold a meeting soon, bringing together the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and of the Rwandan Defence Forces, as part of the move to strengthen collaboration between the two neighbours. The defence ministers’ meeting followed those held on 20 June in Rubavu, Rwanda, and on 26 June in Goma, eastern DRC, as a result of the decisions of the Presidents of both countries to establish peace and security between the two nations. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries have been meeting to discuss issues on security and economic collaboration. The two Heads of State of DRC and Rwanda agreed, in their last meeting in August 2009, that a joint permanent commission be revived. On the economic front, the two countries agreed on joint ventures in several areas, including tapping methane gas and extension of fibre optic cable to Eastern DRC. A famous scholar and activist for peace in the world, Johan Galtung is right when he says that peace should not be seen in a simplistic view where the mere absence of war (negative peace) may be construed as peace as opposed to positive which refers to improved human understanding through communication, peace education, international and regional cooperation, dispute resolution, arbitration, conflict management and many other initiatives. Since 2002, we have had a peaceful and steady democratization process in the region, starting with Rwanda’s general election in 2003, parliamentary elections in 2008 and presidential elections in 2010 and now heading for senatorial elections in 2011; Burundi’s elections in 2005 and 2010; DRC’s elections in 2006 and more coming in 2011. Burundi and Rwanda have since joined the EAC and the latter has also joined the Commonwealth. CEPEGL has been revived and is thriving and all this is contributing to real and positive peace as opposed to Fabiene Hara’s deceptive and fragile peace.]