22 Jun 2007: UN Mission Urges Political Solution In East Congo

22 June: UN Mission Urges Political Solution In East Congo, Reuters

 

U.N. Security Council ambassadors called on Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday to work with neighbouring Rwanda to find a political solution to violence in its eastern border region. Fighting between Tutsi-dominated Congolese army brigades and Rwandan Hutu rebels has led to targeted killing of civilians, rape, and the displacement of more than 120,000 people in Congo`s troubled eastern Kivu provinces since January.

 

"It seems to us that the problems in the east must be solved in depth, and, in this respect, the relationship with Rwanda is essential," France`s ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, told reporters at the end of a visit to Congo. "The solution cannot be solely military … We think, in order to solve these problems so that the civilian population isn`t victim of the situation in the Kivus, a global strategy using political actions and diplomatic actions is needed."

 

Commentary

 

At last the international community has realised that all is not well in the east of the DRC. “In Kivu the situation is very worrying. This is an issue of great concern for the president himself. It’s his major concern at the moment, as well as ours,” said France’s UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, referring to the eastern province. Although the UN Security Council recognise the problem of FDLR and the “Mixed” Brigades of Nkunda, however, this is not the full picture. Because of the operations of Mixed Brigades, local people are living in fear not only of the Mixed Brigades but also of undisciplined troops of the government forces (FARDC). In a further complication, the Mai Mai militia of Commander Jackson is also mobilising to take on Nkunda’s Mixed Brigades. There is a real threat that we could soon have a four-way conflict between FDLR, FARDC Nkunda’s Mixed Brigades and Jackson’s Mai Mai. The question is how this volatile situation is to be mitigated and eventually solved.

 

"We believe a global strategy is needed for Kivu and we are ready to help the Congolese authorities. There must be a strategy, which involves political and diplomatic dimensions. We are ready to help the president do this," De la Sabliere said. The question is, what does such a global strategy entail? UN Security Council ambassadors have stated that the solution to the problem in the Eastern DRC is a political one and that all external role players need to pressure those directly involved to become part of the ongoing peace process. The key, however, is still the completion of three DDR processes: the completion of the demobilisation process of the militia in Orientale province, the demobilisation of the non-integrated FARDC combatants (including the Mixed Brigades) and the repatriation of the FDLR to Rwanda.

 

This process cannot be completed, however, without providing sufficient security guarantees, to put pressure on the recalcitrants but also to protect the population. We know that MONUC’S Eastern Division was very successful in the past. Following the inauguration of the new government, however, there was an unfortunate lack of aggression in the implementation of the mandate with regard to the protection of the population. That the UN has not appointed a new Divisional Commander since General Cammeart left in February 2007 is singularly disturbing. 

 

MONUC has stepped up its operations in effort to stabilise the situation to such an extent that the Government of DRC and all role players can start to address the key destabilising issues in the Eastern DRC. During a media briefing on 21 June, MONUC military spokesperson Major Gabriel de Brosses said that the situation in North Kivu remains precarious but under control, with the MONUC Indian contingent conducting a total of 609 patrols to increase security. In South Kivu, the second joint operation between MONUC forces and the FARDC was carried out in the Nindja forest, in order to seek out and pursue FDLR and Rasta forces.

 

“The MONUC Pakistani Brigade in South Kivu activated an MOB at Nabishaka to increase their capacity to control the Walungu-Chindbu zone. Another MOB was activated in the Nyamerhege zone by a South African company of blue helmets,” De Brosses explained.

 

For a strategic plan to be developed, the conflict in the Eastern DRC will have to be addressed on the strategic-operational level. On the strategic level mechanisms such as the Tri-Party plus One structure (DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi) and the Great Lakes Initiative security committee could be used to address the foreign military combatants still in DRC, including the FDLR.  On the tactical level, Nkunda and the Mixed Brigades as well as the FDLR are problems that must be addressed. The approach should be two-phased, addressing Nkunda first and then FDLR. Nkunda can be taken on by a joint FARDC/MONUC military operation as well as political initiative. As for military action, Nkunda must be isolated and contained, all external support must be cut off, simultaneously the government must make a decision on whether to arrest Nkunda or incorporate him into the FARDC. Dealing with FDLR will need action on both the tactical level, militarily, and on the strategic level, requiring a political opening in Rwanda. If these two issues are not addressed soon, the Kivus could soon again revert to full-scale war.

Henri Boshoff, Military Analyst, African Security and Analysis Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)