Opinion
Diversion, deceit and the Rwanda-Congo affair. Part Three: Felix, please
The
world is being sold an entirely implausible narrative, which blames Rwanda for
Congo’s conflict, and its decades of resource hemorrhage and misdistribution.
In a lazy, flawed equation, this rhetoric points to Rwanda’s rapid development
- which persists despite chaos in the neighbouring country - as supposed
evidence of Rwanda’s greed-led involvement in the chaos in question.
It
is said that through the presence of M23 (a Congolese rebel group of which we
shall speak later), President Kagame’s forces are “robbing Congolese natural
resources”, specifically, precious Congo minerals, which are growing in value,
as the tech industry expansion across the world increasingly relies on their
sourcing.
Excuse
me while I laugh.
Supposedly,
it is not the effective
taxation system, or the transparent leadership and renowned
crackdown on corruption, or the grueling transformation of the country
into a touristic
and conference and exhibition hub, or the sizeable investments resulting
from Rwanda’s
safety, cleanliness and rapid
economic growth that have allowed us to build some good roads and
decent institutions.
This
progress couldn’t possibly be a result of the fact that while being
indisputably efficient growth agents (as proven by Rwanda’s impressive
ongoing economic transformation), Rwandan
leaders are some of the most modestly paid globally, forfeiting their salaries
in times of economic crises and having them redistributed among the
people; a testament to good governance.
Perhaps
that would make too much sense. So what cynics choose to claim instead, is that
Rwanda’s progress is the result of its digging into Congolese mines that are
neither observable by drone, nor locatable by witnesses, or traceable any other
way known to man.
Having
an ounce of faith that it is the efforts of the past 28 years that have penned
the Rwanda success story would imply that good governance works, and I suppose
many, including our critics in Congo, fare better emotionally when convinced
that no such thing exists. Whatever coping mechanism allows them to endure
repetitive cycles of poor governance, such dangerous vitriol should call for
alarm.
The
current war-mongering coming from across the lake is adding unnecessary fuel to
an internal fire that has already ravaged their home.
The
myth of Rwanda pillaging Congo bears no standing, for a variety of reasons that
I deplore having to state. Much of the current “ethnic tension” (very ugly
term; a favourite of France 24) that has been occurring in the eastern region
of Congo began before the second Congo War, which spread like wildfire across a
dozen military groups and at least 6 countries, in 1998.
Prior
to that, in 1994, when the Rwandan genocidaires were defeated, many fled like
the cowards that they always were. The killer mobs that had been shrunken by
the FPR’s victorious liberation efforts had seen exile to Congo as an opportunity
to erect new human shields against justice. The resulting death toll was in the
high thousands, and the murderers claimed to have become victims, describing
themselves as refugees in need of global (western) assistance.
In
the middle of the chaos of identity laundering, of the FPR’s efforts to
establish a legitimate foundation to “Never Again” by neutralizing the “kill
all Tutsis” rhetoric, and the simultaneous attempts by the genocidaires and
their sympathisers to regain Rwandan ground and finish the job they had
started....More mess emerged.
Those
tasked with helping stirred the pot.
The
(again, western) NGOs that had pulled ridiculous amounts of money to ascertain
the “safety” of Rwandan refugees that had, for months, been crossing the border
into Congo, did something very strange. I’m quite the conspiracist as it
pertains to western interests in Africa, perhaps because history has always
proven reality to be infinitely worse than we surmised, but here is a theory I
believe in.
Aware
that the blurring of the line between right and wrong, between innocent and
guilty, between butcher and survivor could harbor further conflict, and justify
their lengthened, astronomically overpaid stay in the Kivu region, the NGOs
present at the time purposely allowed genocidaires to rebrand themselves as
“conflict victims”; people therefore worthy of protection on Congolese soil.
I
understand that many may find this rationalization, and the similar one
surrounding the MONUSCO mission’s failure to effect an end to the conflict they
were tasked with terminating, as two far-fetched theories. But I've yet to come
across another one that justifies the ineptitude with MONUSCO, and foreign NGOs
on local grounds, have taken to delivering peace and improved welfare to the
region.
It
is reminiscent of President Tshisekidi’s own failures, in that they have all
been so consistent and featured so much blame-transferring over the years, that
they must be intentional.
Unfortunately,
there is chaotic history that the Congolese President can use to feed his
diversions. When the Second Congo War broke out, “ethnic tensions” were
exacerbated for obvious reasons.
Across
the Central and East African region are dozens of ethnicities, most of which
might have felt frustrated by, among other things, decades of poverty, having
experienced almost 20 years of the IMF’s rather evil Structural
Adjustment Programmes, which ulcerate the colonisation wound.
Those
that had facilitated the pillage had accrued immense wealth, and the wealth gap
had widened as more conflict emerged, fueling the cycle of anger and finger
(and gun) pointing. Things were looking grim, and they have not stopped since.
The
first and second segments of these series can be found here
and here.
(To
be continued..)
Source:
www.newtimes.co.rw