Of all the signals given out regarding bringing back sanity within the Congolese borders, none could be more powerful than that emitted by DRC Senate President, Léon Kengo Wa Dondo. Kengo’s recent visit to Kigali, accompanied by some of his colleagues, and the message they carried, dispels fears that the Congolese issue was on an irrevocable tailspin. Their message was clear; only dialogue could save their country. His words echoed those by UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson, while briefing the UN Security Council after her maiden tour of the region in her new capacity; not all was lost in DRC, and dialogue carried the magical remedy to one of the world’s most dramatic humanitarian crisis. But whatever outcome of the olive branch being brandished by the two political figures, one question remains; why did it take that long to arrive at the only logical conclusion? Why does the world wait until the water has gone over the bridge before intervening? One would have thought that the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi had served as a sobering lesson, but it seems the world still has a few laps to go. It’s about time the international community gave peace a chance by supporting the Congolese to settle their differences amicably and build a stable, peaceful and thriving nation.
