Regional
UN system a big problem to eastern DRC crisis
The United Nations Group of
Experts (UN GoE) ‘leaked’ report on the security and humanitarian situation in
the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) describes the situation as
deteriorating, with regional tensions and intense violence.
The report documents evidence
of the DRC government providing support to sanctioned armed terror groups like
FDLR, Nyatura and other armed militia like the Wazalendo which fight alongside
the Congolese national army, FARDC, in the war against M23 rebels.
Although the report claims
that Rwanda’s armed forces, RDF, support M23 rebels, Rwanda has repeatedly
denied the allegation.
“If AFC garnered support from
a broad coalition of Congolese stakeholders, M23 could be reframed as a
Congolese problem.” This statement from the UN GoE report, clearly explains
that the UN system is still refusing to recognize that M23 has legitimate
concerns that need to be addressed by political means.
The M23 rebellion is still
being externalized at a time when hundreds of Congolese Tutsi are being killed
while thousands have lived in exile for decades.
Can the experts tell the world
why these people ran away from their homes in eastern DRC and the ways in which
they can be assisted to go back?
By ignoring to recognize the
grievances of M23, the UN system, by implication, supports Kinshasa's option of
dealing with the eastern DRC crisis through military means. Recent history
teaches us that this option has not worked in the past and there are no
indications that, this time, it is likely to succeed.
“On April 8 2024, 48 armed
groups leaders from South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri travelled to Kinshasa at
the Presidency’s request. Among the issues discussed was strengthening the
cohesion among Wazalendo groups, and clarifying that the sanctioned armed group
FDLR-FOCA were allies, despite international pressure on the DRC Government to
cease collaboration with them,” reads part of the GoE report.
Tshisekedi personally holds
meetings with FDLR-FOCA, a genocidal terror group whose founders committed the
1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and the UN system finds this normal,
and Tshisekedi cannot be held accountable.
On the conduct of Wazalendo,
and other armed groups, the UN GoE report notes that, “The Wazalendo armed
groups committed serious violations, including kidnappings for ransom,
extorsion, pillaging, unlawful imprisonment, torture, rape, murder, reprisal
killings and execution of civilians accused of collaborating with the enemy.
The Wazalendo did not target any particular ethnic group.”
It is well known that the
Wazalendo do not act alone. All these human rights violations are conducted
together with the national army, FARDC, with full support of Tshisekedi’s government. The UN
system has not sanctioned Kinshasa yet his actions are beyond sanctionable.
For the UN GoE to state that
Wazalendo did not target any ethnic group, yet numerous videos have been shared
on social media showing the Congolese Tutsi being lynched, frogged,
cannibalized and tortured, is to deny the obvious. It is being insensitive to
the human suffering and all clear evidence pointing to signs of genocide
against the Congolese Tutsi in the making. Videos of hate speech against
Congolese Tutsi by Wazalendo and government officials are proof of the
community being targeted and persecuted.
“The recognition of Wazalendo
by the Government and the general public as 'patriots' fighting for liberation
of the country gave these armed groups the excuse to act with impunity, with
state security services either unable or unwilling to arrest perpetrators,” the
UN GoE report reveals.
It is apparent that Kinshasa cannot be
expected to arrest the militia it created and sponsors. What the world should
know is that Tshisekedi legitimized lawlessness and chaos in eastern DRC, the
moment his government embraced the use of militias, armed terror groups like
FDLR and European mercenaries.
Having a sitting government
using genocidal armed groups and mercenaries is contrary to international law,
but the UN system decides to give it a blessing.
On the part of M23, the GoE
report mentions that, “M23 frequently abducted, imprisoned, tortured and
executed civilians accused of collaborating with Wazalendo armed groups and/or
FARDC, continuing the previously documented pattern of killings and kidnappings
of perceived enemies. M23 and RDF
specifically targeted localities, predominantly inhabited by Hutus, in the
localities/groupements of Bukombo, Burambo and Nyanzale in the Bwito chefferie,
and in Busanza, chefferie of Bwisha (Rutshuru) with numerous executions and
destruction of villages reported. These forms of collective punishment against
civilians are sanctionable acts and may constitute war crimes.”
By simple observation, the report, tactfully
and deliberately lessens and exonerates the gross human rights violations
committed by the DRC government and allied armed terror groups and militia, while
on the other hand finds fault with M23 and calls for sanctions against the
rebel group and Rwanda.
How does the world expect the UN to solve a crisis which was created by some powerful UN member states for post-colonial exploitative interests? There is outright lack of impartiality by the UN GoE report, which renders the UN system part of the problem rather than providing a lasting solution to the eastern DRC crisis.