U.N. Congo Report Offers New View on Genocide
U.N. Congo Report Offers New View on Genocide
By HOWARD W. FRENCH
New York Times
Published: August 27, 2010
Quote:
A forthcoming United Nations report on 10 years of extraordinary violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo bluntly challenges the conventional history of events there after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, charging that invading troops from Rwanda and their rebel allies killed tens of thousands of members of the Hutu ethnic group, including many civilians.
Killings in Congo and Rwanda have led to long inquiries.
The 545-page report on 600 of the country’s most serious reported atrocities raises the question of whether Rwanda could be found guilty of genocide against Hutu during the war in neighboring Congo, but says international courts would need to rule on individual cases.
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While Rwanda and Congolese rebel forces have always claimed that they attacked Hutu militias who were sheltered among civilians, the United Nations report documents deliberate reprisal attacks on civilians.
The report says that the apparently systematic nature of the massacres “suggests that the numerous deaths cannot be attributed to the hazards of war or seen as equating to collateral damage.” It continues, “The majority of the victims were children, women, elderly people and the sick, who were often undernourished and posed no threat to the attacking forces.”
The existence of the United Nations document, titled Democratic Republic of Congo, 1993-2003, was first reported by the French daily newspaper Le Monde. But participants in the drafting of the report have described its progress and difficulties over a period of seven months to The New York Times, which obtained the most recent version of the report.
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The release of the report appears to have been delayed in part over fears of the reaction of the Rwandan government, which has long enjoyed strong diplomatic support from the United States and Britain. There is concern in the United Nations that Rwanda might end its participation in peacekeeping operations in retaliation for the report.
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airpower in Zaire/DR Congo 1980 - 2001
There hasn't been much activity on the Air Combat Information Group website lately (a great resource on some of the lesser-known modern air wars)... but a few days ago, this update popped up:
Quote:
Zaire/DR Congo 1980 - 2001
The last 15 years of the civil war in Congo have seen quite some use of air power as well - frequently at an unexpectedly (and largely unknown) high level. Considering the size of the country and the number of involved fractions, as well as the complexity of this conflict however, this is not surprising. This exclusive report was prepared on the basis of years of intensive research, which enabled the authors to privde very in-depth information about composition and operations of involved air forces, but also about the general conduct of this war.
To my non-expert eyes, well worth a read for those interested in the conflict.
Location of Mapping Report on Scribd.com
Probably anyone who's interested has already seen that the UN Mapping Report has been leaked on Scribd.com, but just in case:-
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38549929/U...ed-Aug-27-2010
Cheers
'Dancing in the glory of monsters'
A US observer directed my attention to this book, the full title is: ''Dancing in the glory of monsters: The collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa' by Jason K. Stearns, which was reviewed in the Washington Post:http://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...BQE_story.html
This thread has a strong Rwandan theme and so I enjoyed this military feat:
Quote:
Stearns describes the Kitona airlift of 1998, a daring raid that, had it been carried out by Americans, would be the subject of movies. Instead of advancing on foot again, the Rwandans commandeered a Boeing 707 and sent a tiny force leapfrogging across the country, hoping to take the capital, Kinshasa, by surprise. They had a secret deal that the Congolese garrison at a nearby airstrip would switch sides and welcome them, but they were not sure it would be honored. As they approached, the pilot fretted that they would be shot down. The top Rwandan officer on board told him not to worry and radioed to a man he said was the commander on the ground. A surprisingly clear voice reassured the pilot that it was safe to land. He did not realize that he was talking to a Rwandan officer lounging in the back of the plane. The Rwandans captured the airstrip, flew in reinforcements, seized a dam and cut off the power supply to Kinshasa....
Link to Amazon.com for reviews plus:http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Glory-...4940958&sr=1-1