DRC: Tit-for-Tat in a Proxy War

categories: Rwandan Genocide, War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity

Published December 16, 2008 @ 04:23PM PT

A UN-commissioned report by a panel of independent investigators found evidence of what many have suspected for quite some time: The government of Rwanda support to DRC rebel leader Laurant Nkunda and his militias, and the government of the DRC has "collaborated extensively" with the FDLR:

"The report by a panel of five U.N. experts who monitor Security Council sanctions against armed groups in eastern Congo provided the first evidence that the two governments have violated U.N. bans on military and financial support for armed proxies in eastern Congo."

Many members of the FDLR are responsible for Rwanda's 1994 genocide, and have sought to satisfy their cravings for ethnic cleansing against the population of their unwitting host country, and generally brutalized most others nearby. Hence the rise of Laurent Nkunda, and Rwanda's affinity for him.

Naturally, all sides deny the UN report: The FDLR calls the accusations "unfair, unfounded, and untrue," while the government of Rwanda accused the UN of "malicious" intent.

It seems unclear, at this point, how the report will impact the ongoing, multiplicitous conflict in the eastern DRC, or the fledgling peace process. Perhaps each side will dig in their heels even more, perhaps it can be used cleverly as diplomatic leverage to push for resolution...who knows? At the very least, Amnesty International is right in calling for a more robust arms embargo...and if it could actually be enforced, that would be just super.

For tracking on the situation on the ground in the DRC, follow Michael's Humanitarian Relief blog.

[Photo: FDLR militias.]

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Comments (3)

stop this genocide first:
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Posted by pat sarver on 12/16/2008 @ 10:15PM PT
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i'm sorry.the embed didn't work.
here is the url:
http://www.youtube.com/v/us_y9GP_-DA&hl=en&fs=1

Posted by pat sarver on 12/16/2008 @ 10:16PM PT
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My heart goes out to the people of Darfur, Rowanda and every nation that is experiencing this horrible tragedy...including our own United States of America. Everyday thousands of babies are being murdered, and many elderly people are being given drugs legally to end their lives whether by their choice or that of another. Whether it's genocide, infanticide or euthanasia, they all result in the same outcome: death. If some people can choose to kill the innocent, why can't other people choose to kill the guilty... like the people on death row or those who are in prison for life? And if we fight to save one, shall we not fight to save the others?

Posted by Joyce Stewart on 01/22/2009 @ 05:23AM PT
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Michelle became involved in the anti-genocide cause at a young age, and has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns, ever since.