Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa (2006-2017)
Moderator's Note
On the 8th December 2011 this thread's title was changed from 'Congo-Rwandan War: the Ever Ready Rabbit', to Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa, which recognises that matters Congo (DRC) are the focus. Several smaller threads were merged into it too.
BBC, 14 Jul 06: DR Congo Backs "Guns for Bikes"
Quote:
A scheme under which gunmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo are given bicycles in exchange for their weapons is being extended due to its success.
Ngoy Mulunda, a pastor in the south-eastern Katanga region, says he has been given some 6,500 weapons in the past year, which he has destroyed...
ICG Reports on DR Congo
Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa (new title)
Quote:
The head of the U.N. mission in Congo said on Saturday he was concerned about growing human rights abuses by the security forces, just days after the worst political violence since landmark elections last year. At least 87 people were killed in the opposition-controlled western province of Bas-Congo according to Interior Minister General Denis Kalume.
But, human rights violations remain widespread, particularly in the country's militia-ridden east. Car hijacks and civilians killings are reported in the east of the province under insurgent control. One local health worker and another villager were killed this weekend by alleged FDLR hutu fighters and the health centre was looted. This violence outbreak is caused by the vacuum left after the 9th brigade was redeployed to the south from Katale to Kilimanyoka on the north axis.
The town of Ikela and its neighbourhood have been cleaned by police reinforced by armed forces. The insurgency started by a certain Nkoy Azoki alias Libanais has been defeated and the insurgents have fled to Opala for safety after two weeks of fight.
Troops have gathered in triangle comprised between Ngungu, Katoyi and Kibabi in Masisi territory (some 40 km West of Goma) and are supposed to plan a resistance to what they call a betrayal by President . They are mainly made of Mai Mai and Hutu warriors led by Major Bigembe and Colonel Mugabo. A new insurgency is imminent, a new way to win posts and money.
Carl, our alumni has been sending these to Stan and me. The Mai Mai go back to the early 60s; they were as I recall the first in the "modern" Congo to come up with the bullets into water business. Mai in Arabic means water and I believe that is true in Swahili as well' And of course the "Hutu warriors" are my old "friends". War in its various forms has been a constant for the Congo since 1994.
Best
Tom
Ala Zäirois (err, Congolese)
Quote:
Drugs, cannabis and alcohol are the main cause of unrest in Ksai Occidental. Lots of civilians and soldiers have been arrested in Kananga and the ops are to be extended to the whole province in order to dismantle the supply chains and eventually destroy cannabis plantations. Cannabis yields more cash than maize, so farmers prefer it regardless the devastating effect on the youth. The same phenomenon is observed in Bukavu. In Goma, locally distilled whisky is sold everywhere and it has a negative effect on motorcyclists and cause traffic accidents at any time.
Thanks for the post Carl !
Even as early as 85 cannabis was the preferred crop. It however then had little effect on the locals, it was just business and the Peace Corps and other Groupies would buy whatever was available.
Sad, it appears to have replaced a Simba lager. Worse yet, the Zäirois back then rarely (intentionally) did something to harm younger children. As many as four generations in one household, but the kids were safe (relatively speaking).
On a final note, I don't recall any of the locals driving without causing traffic accidents, and can only imagine doing said on distilled whisky.
Congo 7 Feb Sitrep from Carl
Quote:
The new 60 member government, of which 9 are women has urgent tasks. One of its first tasks will be to tackle unrest causes by making security priority number one. Army, police and justice should be given relevant means for deep reformation otherwise all the other actions will be groundless. The government has new faces in it, but no one from rebel groups namely RCD and MLC.
Disarmament of foreign negative forces is a Monuc mandate. The Lords Resistance Army fighters are based in northern DRC (Congo) with a certain Vincent Otti who has decided to resume hostilities from southern Sudan where Joseph Kony (Lords Resistance Army warlord) is still hiding.
The reason for this change is that negotiations are stuck and Kenya has rejected a proposal to host them. Uganda might find it a good reason to cross the boarder into DRC (Congo) and hunt them down. Another group is an ADF/NALU coalition hiding at the foot of Rwenzori mount. The worst of negative armed group is that of Hutu (Rwandan) fighters scattered in the east from South Kivu to North Kivu, their sanctuary stretches at the edge of the Congo jungle. They often mix with Mai Mai tribal warriors ; the Alpha and Bravo mixed brigades are mandated to fight them.
Heavy shelling were reported yesterday morning in the area of Nyamilima-Ishasha to stop an attack of FDLR (Hutu hardliners) and Mai Mai coalition, the 8th military region did not confirm the fights. There is fear of reprisals among the locals who're alleged to cooperate with those negative forces.
Colonel Delemba of Baleine brigade was killed yesterday night when his residence was attacked by tribal warriors faithful to his rival, Colonel Lafontaine. Baleine brigade troops gathered in Bingi town (south west of Butembo) waiting for integration. Civilians have fled to neighbouring towns.
"Army, police and justice should be given relevant means for deep reformation" means they need to be paid. Who gets paid and who does not is the real issue.
The LRA has been a growing threat in the past 2 decades or so; it is very much an armed cult that the Ugandan government and its supporters finally started to take on while my the guy who replaced me in Rwanda, Rick Orth, later served as DATT.
Best
Tom
The Latest from the Congo
Carl has been sending these and I have not posted them all.
Salient issues in the past few weeks included:
The DRC insituted a crackdown against private militias under the control of a favorite of both Stan and me, Mssr. Bemba. Bemba once started a minor shooting war over cellular phones while Stan and I watched. This crack down precipitated a fracas as described below. The author is not a native English speaker and the prose is a bit rough. Nevertheless is does convey life in the Congo. Gombe is the central part of Kinshasa where Stan and I lived and worked. Ndolo is the airport in the center of Kinshasa where the small carriers generally base from.
Quote:
Hi Carl,
Very happy to hear about you. Shootings started on thursday 22 at around 10:30, we thought as usual the situation could be controlled after few hours. so we did not move from the office, we continued working. Good enough we had asked the pilots living at Lilas to move before 9:00, and it was done. hootings continued the whole day long and as you can see our area, we were surrounded by the soldiers from the camp, and those from Haut commandement street ( the street of wimbi dira) and it was difficult to go out. so we remained in the office till late and we finally decided to leave despite shootings. God helped, we reached our homes safely. Bemba's guys resisted the whole thursday and as the army used heavy machine guns the whole night, they were weakened and left Gombe for the city. Many people were supporting them on their way, they could only drink beer wherever they found it, and their target was the national police and the regular army oldiers and even the private security guards committed to the president Kabila. Down the city, the regular police could not face them, they all run away leaving behind their uniforms, boots, and even guns. They left the
communes and the containers empty. so Bemba's guys went up to Ndolo airport which was very open because all the soldiers living there run away. They went to our hungar as they thought some soldiers might have hidden their in. But there was only two of our guards, They started shooting inside the hangar, at least 15 bullets, they destroy the wall and one door. God is good, our guards were not hurt, not even the planes. So they asked them to open the gate and they did. they asked if Kabila's soldiers were inside and they also asked about their tribes; good for them because the two were from equateur (Bemba's province) and they said to them, we can not kill you bcs
you are our brothers and they left. I suppose that if they were from the East of the country, it could be another story.
We think that it is not the end because those guys left and we don't know exactly were they are for the moment. It seems some have crossed the river to Brazzaville, some are still in Kinshasa. After all something may happen. but the regular army is determined to finish with them.
Quote:
OCHA/DRC
Humanitarian SitRep : Kinshasa
22-27 March 2007
1. Context
On 22 March, 2007, fighting erupted between Government forces and the DPP (armed
elements loyal to former VP Bemba) in the Gombe area of Kinshasa. Tensions had been on
the rise in recent weeks as a result of Bemba’s defiance of a Government order for the DPP
to disarm and present for “brassage”.
Clashes were intense in the city centre (Gombe), with heavy weaponry being used on both
sides including heavy shelling and continuous gunfire. The fighting gradually progressed
towards other neighbourhoods including Barumbu, Kinshasa, Lingwala, Limete and Lakamu.
By 24th March, Government forces had regained control of the city, and DPP elements were
surrendering to MONUC at various locations around the city. However, the axis Ndolo –
Beach area remains unstable.
2. Current Situation
As of 27 March, evaluation and assistance activities of various humanitarian organisations
continue throughout the city. To date, the available facts and figures are as follows:
- Official casualty figures have yet to be released by the Government. Humanitarian
actors providing assistance in the different medical facilities report the following
estimates: 36 deaths registered in 4 hospitals in the city; 172 others registered at the
municipal morgue; 12 other bodies were found yesterday at Kinsuka. A further 147
individuals are registered at these same hospitals with combat-related injuries.
- 200 DPP elements have surrendered to MONUC. By agreement with the
Government, MONUC is providing safe haven to 100 of these elements and 260
women and children family members.
- Although damages are still being assessed, no major destruction affected health
centres, water facilities, power plants, educational structures or other essential public
service infrastructure.
3. Protection concerns
Humanitarian organizations are monitoring a number of protection-related issues and
situations including:
- families and dependents of captured/surrendered DPPs,
- treatment by authorities of arrested street-children,
- suspected risk of sexual violence and human rights abuses, and
- the alleged exactions and arbitrary executions taking place in the city and in
retaliation of DPP supporters
4. Humanitarian Evaluations and Assistance
Given the nature of the armed confrontations, the main concern in terms of emergency
needs were those regarding the capacity of health facilities and appropriate medical
treatment for the wounded. The following is a list of activities that have taken place to date,
under the general coordination of the Ministry of Health:
- Caritas:
o Evaluation of all hospitals in Gombe as well as the Morgue
o Distribution of 300 litres of formol, antibiotics, disinfectants,
o Distribution of food rations for 1000 individuals,
o Caritas is planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,
to make a further distribution of medical kits, surgical equipment and further
food rations.
o Finally, they expect to deliver 250 coffins and 2 sheets per injured
- WHO:
o Distribution of 3 tonnes of essential drugs and surgical materials
o Distribution of 400 rolls of plaster and 100 sheets
- ICRC and MSF:
o Both organizations divided themselves the hospitals in the city in order to
evaluate casualties and provide assistance
o Assistance included surgical support, provision of surgical equipment,
medicines, antibiotic, plastic bags, etc
- UNICEF: UNICEF has been evaluating the situation of street-children and that of the
minor dependents of DPP elements currently sheltered by MONUC.
5. Issues to Watch
- DPP arms have reportedly fallen into the hands of street children (shegué), raising
concerns about the presence of uncontrolled arms in the city;
- There are fears of reprisals by governmental forces against alleged DPP supporters
and sympathisers.
- There is a high potential for exacerbation of ethnic tensions (lingalophones vs.
swahiliphones)
Since the end of this fighting Bemba was held up in the South African Embassy. He was escorted from the embassy and is now in exile in Portugal.
But the good news is that Belgian Foreign Minister has called for a reform of the DRC's armed forces so that further incidents will be avoided.
And if you believe that last part, I have water front property in Gombe I want to sell you. :cool:
Tom
