International Development Committee - UK Aid to RwandaWritten evidence submitted by Congolese Diaspora Forum (CDF) UK
Dr Mukwege and Mr David Hague, MP, statement
By this time, we would like just to remind you the latest negative development of the Congo War: the attempt of assassination of Dr Mukwege, the only witness and assistance to the millions Congolese raped women. His interviews and especially his request of dealing deeply with any peace solution need to be taken in account. In his statement, our Foreign Office Secretary, William Hague, has condemned this attempt and asked for any light from the Congolese government. We believe to the weakness or the complicity of the Congolese regime and it is an illusion to expect any light from that side. Some famous affairs known internationally are strong evidences to avoid dreaming for having any cooperation or collaboration from them.
Fears from Congolese to give evidence: British running for Rwanda!
Another very important point to take in account is that, most of Congolese believe strongly that the British and American establishments has many ties with Rwanda; they even send every times their young and volunteer in Rwanda making positive contribution that they seem to become blind for any opinion opposite to what they believe or know about Rwanda. We know that it is not easy for Congolese to reverse this situation. And, opposite to Rwandese regime that seems to develop a very strong international lobbying relationship, the Congolese side seems very weak and unprofessional. The fact that the decision for Andrew Mitchell to resume Rwandese assistance the day after the Congo Foreign Office minister visited London is a strong message that the Congolese diplomacy is not working.
There is another fear from Congolese thinking that any contribution will be leaked to the Rwandese side and, as most of times, as explained below, they have strong impact and involvement in Congo matters, it is not impossible for some Congolese to feel uncomfortable to give any evidence, fear for the security of their relatives back home. The last story of the Rwandese refugee in London to be warning by the MI5 that she should be assassinated by people sent from Kigali is also another clear evidence of that fear.
Congolese opinion abroad and back home believes strongly that what happened in East of the Congo, the war and everything else is the involvement of the British and Americans in their search and will of exploiting the Congo natural resources, using their allies on the region: the Rwandese. As a Congolese proverb says: “A chick, even very big, could never fill a pot. If a chick fills a pot; it means that a big chicken is below”. Only any positive involvement of the British could stop this opinion.
When we commemorated the centenary of the Royal Albert Hall rally by the Congo Reform Association, the invited lady and chair of the raped women project at Bukavu came only with one message from the Congolese voiceless: “Please, is it possible to make this request to the British Prime Minister and his government: could they take their telephone and speak to President Obama asking him also to take his telephone and to tell to president Paul Kagame only one message: leave the Congo! Stop killing in Congo!”
Now, one of us who just came back from the region came with another message: “Please, is it possible for us to know how many people they need to be died, so that we could offer them those people to kill and then we could live in peace, farming peacefully and schooling our children? Please, what is the number of the women they want to be rapped so that we could agree for them to rap them straight and then they could leave us living in peace? We know the truth that they are exploiting minerals for their mobile phones and computers, what do we need to do for them to exploit and buy fairly those minerals, by installing their headquarters at Kinshasa, instead of been the witness of aeroplanes taking minerals to Rwanda?”
Another incredible truth is why Congolese populations need to suffer and to be killed for what they have not been involved: the Rwandese genocide! And shy the international community who forced Congolese to open their doors to their neighbours, seems weak to stop for Congolese for be killing for nothing?
Only British could work for peace in the region like in Sierra Leone
Our motto by making this contribution is not to add any other evidence for the reason you will read below, but is an appeal for Their Right Honourable Members of Parliament to take this opportunity to look beyond the now problem of the M23: the need of a real innovative peace approach for the end of the Congo wars. As Latin proverb said: “Causa sublata, tollitur effectus”, when the cause if removed, the effect will cease. And the cause of everything that happen in Congo is the war.
We are very proud to live here and we are very proud of our parliament involvement in Congo question. We believe also strongly that the solution for the peace in Congo could come only from British side. Not only because British have not any colonial ties with the Congo, but they are the only who could have an innovative approach and because the now Rwanda regime have strong links with British establishment. British could then influence positively any peace solution for the Congo.
The example of the British involvement in peace process in Sierra Leone could be taken in account. The Congolese population are requested the same British involvement as any other has not bring peace.
History of the positive British involvement in Congo question
In the project we run “Bamonimambo (The Witnesses): Congo and Wales Roots and Routes” and in the book published “Rediscovering Congo and Wales Common heritage” we learned the lessons of the positive involvement of British to end the King Leopold II atrocities in Congo, atrocities reported for example by Joseph Conrad in his novel “Heart of the Darkness”. It was a British journalist, Morel, who created the Congo Reform Association and who started reporting about the King atrocities in Congo. It was then that British parliament commissioned a special Consul for the Congo, Roger Casement, who published his report and that the “Congo Question” was backed by the British parliament with specific recommendations to end the bloody inhuman Congo rubber business. It was also that association that organised on 19th November 1909 the big rally and meeting in London Royal Albert Hall and it was then that the King stopped the atrocities and sold Congo to Belgium before died. History lesson could be learned.
The illusion of the now Congolese and Rwandese regimes to work for peace
One needs to learn about the Congo war, as it started by the Rwandese regime in power then at Kigali who wanted to avoid themselves to be attacked from the Congo borders by the Interamwe, living in Congolese refugee camps. When they successfully destroyed those camps, they created the so called AFDL rebellions and, as the then Mobutu regime was also corrupted and weak, they started pushing the war till the withdrawal of Mobutu on May 1997. Since then, any Congolese government even army have strong link with Rwandese regime and army. They all were trained by Rwandese and even when new rebellions were created, they all were backed by Rwanda.
It is not possible for any Congolese after government or regime to stay away from that shadow. They are all beholden to the Rwanda.
The first consequence of this situation is that the Congolese voice will never been listened and Congolese regime will have every times an inferiority complex when dealing with the Rwandese; the now regime if the fruit of the Rwandese involvement in Congo. And also, when for any reason, Congolese side want to build any peace process, they would like to prove to the Rwandese that they are also strong and independents; so the ongoing war between then.
The reality is that any militia, force, war solution could not solve the Congo and Rwandese problem. Only peace makers, peace approaches, peace talks and peace innovative strategies could bring peace in that region and between Congolese and Rwandese. There is nothing wrong between poor Rwandese population and the Congolese side. They were dealing and networking and exchanging and trading and marring since century. They were helping each others during calamities and assisting each others with their cows and goats crossing one border to another. The now antagonism is only created by War Lords who are taking the advantage of exploiting fraudulently the Congo. They are businessmen and they have nothing to do with Rwandese and Congolese poor population interests. Congolese understand it and Rwandese also.
The ongoing war would become very dangerous in the future as sons and daughters born from that rapped situation are now becoming teenagers. The frustration of that situation could create an incredible situation that no one could be able to control in the future. If peace solution is not been found for the Congo war now, we could probably became guilty tomorrow if it uprising, as the international community now about the Rwandese genocide.
The myth of the ICC warrants fears: Charles Taylor example
Rwandese and Congolese regimes are using the high bid when anyone call for the warrants against Bosco Ntangana and any other war lord of the East of Congo. The implementation of those warrants will have a strong impact in the end of the war in Congo; everyone would then understand that they are not on the top of the international laws, as they are giving the impression now. And, nothing will happen in the region of Bosco Ntangana or whoever is arrested. Who believed that Charles Taylor could be arrested without any uprising of the Liberia? And it happened. The peace process is conditioned also by the strong message to the warlords of the regions.
British parliament and government could call for the arrest of those needed by the ICC. Those people have blood on their hands and stories in the regions are full of their involvement in the massacres and massive killing.
Different war alibis used by Rwanda
One needs also to have a look on different war alibis using by the Rwanda. It started by the “genocidaires” to purchase; and then they supported any Congolese rebels groups for the purpose that the Congolese Tutsi of South Kivu, known as the Banyamulenge, need special support. But, when the Banyamulenge understood straight that they were using for other purposes than their security, as they live with their fellow other Congolese since century, Rwandese used another alibi: the protection of the rwandophones of the Nord-Kivu. They then created and supported the CNDP with Laurent Nkunda. And, when it became clear that everyone started understanding the business, they moved now to create the M23 for the reason of the respect of the agreement between Kinshasa and the CNDP. Or, they are the one who took the advantage of any agreement as most of them became high profile in the army and they also never like to integrate fully the then army. In fact, it was known that they were not Congolese, but Rwandese till when the Kinshasa government, surprisingly, tasted that Rwandese were still in east of Congo.
About this presence of Rwandese in East of the Congo, one needs only to remember what President Kabila said in a famous interview: “C’est un secret de polichinelle” (Open secret). Unless if he misused those phrases… if not, there is not any other evidence that his own statement.
The lack of good will from Congolese side: using sometimes of the Interamwe
But, there is also another concern, a very dangerous one in need to be taking in account: the lack of good will from the Congolese regimes. It is known now, with many evidence that, not only they used or continue to use the Interamwe services when they wants to give an impression that they are also strongest than the Rwandese side; but they also use services of Rwandese based in Congo when needed. An interview carried with a Congolese refugee and former President Laurent Desire Kabila’s body guard, showed that when Kabila father started his war against the Rwandese, he got supports from the former FDLR Interamwe based in East of Congo and those based in some Congo neighbour countries; but also when Joseph Kabila got the last after election war against Jean-Pierre Bemba at Kinshasa, he received a full supports from the CNDP and Laurent Nkunda and Bosco Ntangana soldiers brought to Kinshasa night times. And, they then tired the alliance that Joseph Kabila regime would not let then end on the ICC hands. This could explain why it is not possible for Congolese to arrest neither Nkunda nor Ntangana.
Facts recording by the latest reports: nothing more
We know that the now International Development Committee is in search of facts and evidences about the Rwandese involvement and supports to M23 rebel group. We are really very surprising that, on top of the now full documented reports available, if the government and the parliament want another report or other evidences; that means there is not any will for them to act positively or differently.
We understood also that, amongst those who wrote those reports, there are many British, especially those who spent times and years in East of the Congo.
If the commission and the parliament need more evidence, why not taking in account the fact that other European Union countries have not resume their assistance; and even by the international solidarity, the fact for the British side to resume their assistance, without taking in account the position of the other allies could put them in a very weak situation. And, the most suspicious is also that the decision has been taken the last day of Mr Mitchell to be in charge of the DFiD! And, as reported by the Medias, everyone knows now that the then Secretary of State has strong personal relationship with Rwanda where it is said that he got some volunteer involvement!
Recommendations
To maintain pressure on the Rwandese regime by avoid resuming the assistance, by solidarity to the International Community and to the other European Union partners who diced also to cut their assistance to Rwanda.
To influence the Rwandese regime to enforce the ICC warrants for the ones needs to be arrested and to be sent to the Hague.
To organise, as soon as possible, in London, the Central African Peace Conference with specific talks from the most innovative approaches and avoiding the usual ongoing recommendations and with specific decisions to be implemented after.
To question about the Rwanda-AFDL support agreements and also to state the wars bills to be paid by Congolese governments to its allies (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi).
To agree a cease fire between Rwanda and Congo and, officially and for the last time, to organise an open return of the last Rwandese soldiers from the Congo.
To adopt a resolution for the MONUSCO soldiers to be placed on the border between Rwanda and Congo to avoid any using of the alibi of invading Rwanda from the Congo.
To list the mining companies and business exploiting the Congo from Rwanda side or the one who have their headquarters in Rwanda for the transparency of their business in Congo.
To force Congolese government to adopt good governance policies and transparency and to be able to organise, for the next elections, the free and fair ones and to secure foreign business and to deal fairly with its neighbours.
To label the M23 as a terrorist group and to issue warrants for anyone involved with.
To avoid mixing the Rwandese genocide with the Congo war as Congolese were not involved in any way to the evil genocide and they only opened their door to their neighbours in search of sanctuary.
In any Congo conference or matters, to start by giving voice to Congolese Diasporas; to identify them and even to train some of them to be ready for any positive involvement in any peace activity or actions on the ground.
November 2012