Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa (2006-2017)

[Tom Odom]

Michael,

I will have to go with Stan after writing 2 books on the Congo and talking with key leaders who served on the ground. The key difference between Congloese troops and Rwandan troops (meaning those in the RPA I knew) is a true sense of national identity. It simply does not exist in the Congo because the Congo remains a a region of tribal alliances and not a state. I have used military diaries from Europen advisors (military and mercenary) who say essentially the same thing.

I take your poiint on comparison of NATO units who can count on a salary and something to eat. Indeed it is a comparison I have used. The difference is the NATO unit would try to do something to fix the situation as an enity of the state. The Congolese have a well established tradition of fixing it through larceny, extortion, or mutiny.

I had this debate with my replacement in Zaire in 1994 into 1996. She continued to talk about the DSP as elite and by extension the contract portion of the DSP used to "secure" the camps in eastern Zaire. The DSP was well paid and certainly well fed by Zairian standards; the RPA brushed them aside on the march into Kinshasa.

The bottom line is that it is more about identity and purpose than it is about money.

Tom

[Michael F]

Tom & Stan,

Indeed, Congo is a region of tribal alliance....but still there is a strong sense of nationalism. None of the current rebell movements, (except Nkunda maybe) seems to call for secession (a traumatic consequence of the Shaba events ?). They all appeal to Congolese nationalism. one of Kabila's main weakenesses is to be considered as a Foreigner by many (he is supposed to have a Rwandan father by some). All candidates in the Presidential elections were staunchely nationalists.

About the Zairian armed forces (FAZ, Gaci and DSP in logical order), these were mostly used as a security force inside the country. These were ment more to police the country/regime than they were actually defending it against external agressions. In that respect, they were "elite". Officers were recruited in function of their loyalty, not their military capacity. Like the Presidential guard today (see events in Kinshasa of March 2007), they were really good in scaring the population but unable to fight decently despite well paid.

In conclusion, FAZ, Gaci, DSP, current Presidential guard were/are paramilitary police forces more than military.
Purpose was not defense against foreign invasions, Identity was not to defend the nation but the regime and still is.

An other element of Congolese/Zairian approach to the use of military is the very "18th Century old" idea that number is more important than quality. As shown by the latest events in the Kivu (FARDC versus Nkunda) where 3.000 insurgents are just outmanouvring, 20.000 FARDC.

Once again, i consider the congolese soldier as potentially (physically, mentally) a good one but the military structure (be it FAZ, Gaci, or FARDeC)and political conception of the military (Mobutu or Kabila) is ruining those qualities (in addition to corruption and neglect).

For Congo to have a professional and decent army, it would need to address those issues which will take a new generation of politicians (The new MOD is a proto-Maoists who want the FARDC to have agricultural brigades....).

[Tom Odom]

Tom & Stan,

Indeed, Congo is a region of tribal alliance....but still there is a strong sense of nationalism. None of the current rebell movements, (except Nkunda maybe) seems to call for secession (a traumatic consequence of the Shaba events ?)

They don't call for secession because they don't need to secede from something they are not part of. those who want to be part of it want it to be their own pie, not piece of the pie, but all of the pie. Nationalism and the Congo is a paper tiger, one crafted by Westerners seeking to make something of the region to turn a profit and members of the region seeking the same. Go back and read some of the material from the early days (1960s) when the "country" was described as Spanish Moss--roots in the air and none in the ground. The US, Belgium, France, and to a lesser degree the UK has poured money into the Congo basin and built nothing more spotty framework for a state, not a state.

About the Zairian armed forces (FAZ, Gaci and DSP in logical order), these were mostly used as a security force inside the country. These were ment more to police the country/regime than they were actually defending it against external agressions. In that respect, they were "elite". Officers were recruited in function of their loyalty, not their military capacity. Like the Presidential guard today (see events in Kinshasa of March 2007), they were really good in scaring the population but unable to fight decently despite well paid.

Sure and they remain the same. I have talked with US advisors who accompanied the FAZ on the great march into Angola. The FAZ splt when the first artillery shells impacted. As for elite, that moniker has been used since the 60s; it has never meant a damn thing other than a sense of privelege.

In conclusion, FAZ, Gaci, DSP, current Presidential guard were/are paramilitary police forces more than military. Purpose was not defense against foreign invasions, Identity was not to defend the nation but the regime and still is.

Depends on era. In the 1970s the threat was against Shaba. Others wanted to see Brazza as a threat but that was silly at best. All of that aside, we still built an army with an armor brigade, a parachute brigade, a large air force, and a brown water navy--none of which was really capable of fighting an armed opponent despite whatever threat might be out there. The truth is they were incapable of defending or attacking an armed opponent because they have nothing invested in doing so beyond what is in it for them.

An other element of Congolese/Zairian approach to the use of military is the very "18th Century old" idea that number is more important than quality. As shown by the latest events in the Kivu (FARDC versus Nkunda) where 3.000 insurgents are just outmanouvring, 20.000 FARDC.

Unless someone goes out and lines those 20,000 soldiers up at one time and counts them, I would never believe there are actually 20,000 there. Even if there are, they will not be there when it comes time to fight. The use of numbers is a time honored way to inflate payrolls.

Once again, I consider the congolese soldier as potentially (physically, mentally) a good one but the military structure (be it FAZ, Gaci, or FARDeC)and political conception of the military (Mobutu or Kabila) is ruining those qualities (in addition to corruption and neglect).

As an individual, yes. But armies are not built solely on capable individuals, they are built on societies and their values. Indeed you can build a capable army on lesser material if you have the societal will to do so.

For Congo to have a professional and decent army, it would need to address those issues which will take a new generation of politicians (The new MOD is a proto-Maoists who want the FARDC to have agricultural brigades....).

I cannot tell you how many times I have read or heard that statement--or the years those repetitive calls encompass. Nothing has changed.

Best

tom

[Stan]

Tom & Stan,

Indeed, Congo is a region of tribal alliance....but still there is a strong sense of nationalism. None of the current rebell movements, (except Nkunda maybe) seems to call for secession (a traumatic consequence of the Shaba events ?). They all appeal to Congolese nationalism. one of Kabila's main weakenesses is to be considered as a Foreigner by many (he is supposed to have a Rwandan father by some). All candidates in the Presidential elections were staunchely nationalists.

Michael, while I admire your optimism and hope for the Congolese population, I don't share your view. As a US Military Senior Instructor and later in various DOD roles for more than a decade, I cannot wrap my hands around a clear picture of success and development in that country without severe discipline (not that the Belg accomplished that, but they came fairly close). It may actually take several generations to clear a path. I'm not just talking about the common foot soldier, but the population in general. It was just business as usual, and in order to succeed, I played along successfully (I think... Tom can chime in on that one).

About the Zairian armed forces (FAZ, Gaci and DSP in logical order), these were mostly used as a security force inside the country. These were ment more to police the country/regime than they were actually defending it against external agressions. In that respect, they were "elite". Officers were recruited in function of their loyalty, not their military capacity. Like the Presidential guard today (see events in Kinshasa of March 2007), they were really good in scaring the population but unable to fight decently despite well paid.

In conclusion, FAZ, Gaci, DSP, current Presidential guard were/are paramilitary police forces more than military.
Purpose was not defense against foreign invasions, Identity was not to defend the nation but the regime and still is.

I concur. But, keep in mind that the vast majority indeed conducted daily business in the same manner. It was the common boots on the ground (not the DSP) that pillaged, raped and plundered without the benefit of gorilla training and tactics. It was the common foot soldier that threw hand grenades at the US embassy and into the Marché. And, it it was the common boots on the ground that destroyed the very infrastructure that barely bonded Zaire together.

An other element of Congolese/Zairian approach to the use of military is the very "18th Century old" idea that number is more important than quality. As shown by the latest events in the Kivu (FARDC versus Nkunda) where 3.000 insurgents are just outmanouvring, 20.000 FARDC.

There's no secret there. Fighting and maneuvering in the Zairian bush is an Art and hiding the movements of 20,000 would have been magic (were there really 20K ?). The tactics involved came from years of watching the Zairians in action, and I dare say, to their very detriment. It will happen again, once the gold runs out and there's precious little to trade but gunfire.

Once again, i consider the congolese soldier as potentially (physically, mentally) a good one but the military structure (be it FAZ, Gaci, or FARDeC)and political conception of the military (Mobutu or Kabila) is ruining those qualities (in addition to corruption and neglect).

For Congo to have a professional and decent army, it would need to address those issues which will take a new generation of politicians (The new MOD is a proto-Maoists who want the FARDC to have agricultural brigades....).

I never had doubts about their physical abilities, but mental and moral issues with the FAZ made me want to relive my childhood in DC.

I assume you have time on the ground there, and also assume you've seen some good in those folks. I once did the very same (up and until I had an M16 in my face).

Regards, Stan

[carl]

Tom & Stan,

Indeed, Congo is a region of tribal alliance....but still there is a strong sense of nationalism. None of the current rebell movements, (except Nkunda maybe) seems to call for secession (a traumatic consequence of the Shaba events ?). They all appeal to Congolese nationalism. one of Kabila's main weakenesses is to be considered as a Foreigner by many (he is supposed to have a Rwandan father by some). All candidates in the Presidential elections were staunchely nationalists.

To the extent I am qualified to make a judgement based upon my short time in Congo, I must agree with Micheal F in this respect. I don't know if I would call it a strong sense of nationalism, but there was a perceptible, and stated sense of nationalism. It seemed to me the people I came in contact with (a very limited sampling for sure) always had a sense of "my country". This was true in all the sections of the country I visited except maybe the Lubumbashi area.

[Michael F]

They don't call for secession because they don't need to secede from something they are not part of. those who want to be part of it want it to be their own pie, not piece of the pie, but all of the pie. Nationalism and the Congo is a paper tiger, one crafted by Westerners seeking to make something of the region to turn a profit and members of the region seeking the same. Go back and read some of the material from the early days (1960s) when the "country" was described as Spanish Moss--roots in the air and none in the ground. The US, Belgium, France, and to a lesser degree the UK has poured money into the Congo basin and built nothing more spotty framework for a state, not a state.

This could be said of most African countries. Borders were drown according to economical and imperialistic interests. Look at Angola (Nekongo are to be found in DRC, Brazza, Gabon, Angola, Chokwe in DRC, Angola, Zambia,....), or Nigeria, Cameroun,..... At that time, there was only a few homogeneous nations in Africa (Northern Africa mainly). All those countries could so be described as Moss--roots in the air and none in the ground. Most of them have developed into nations...through nationalism, a certain elite created a common sense among the population of a territory. Be it Lumumba in DRC (still consider a martyr by ALL congolese), Sankara, Houphouet or Mandela most recently (creating a new "south African nationalism...the Rainbow nation).

African nationalisms might be new (1960's) but already have their national or continental icons/martyrs.

In DRC, both the population and the political elites are nationalists for differents (opposed) reasons:

Population: The state might have been a colonial creation but the nation appeared after (to the opposite of what happened in Europe). It has its defining icons (Lumumba), its symbols (the congo river uniting al streams of the country), its common history (struggle against colonialism, against secessionism,against foreign invasions).

Elites: Its because its elites are tribal, self-interested, and that they want the BIG PIE, that they tend to use a "nationalist" discours to gain access to the BIG NATIONAL PIE. It's often described as "Better be one of the Princes in an Empire than King in a tiny province".
They don't need the state to be efficient, they need it to embezzle its ressources. Nationalism for them is to maintain a structure that feeds them.

Elites and population are so nationalists according to me but for the population its a synonym of "peace, unity,...." (a dream) for the elites its a cow to milk but its their cow.

Unless someone goes out and lines those 20,000 soldiers up at one time and counts them, I would never believe there are actually 20,000 there. Even if there are, they will not be there when it comes time to fight. The use of numbers is a time honored way to inflate payrolls.

Actually, it was done. (article in French: http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_af...48rapprtiordr0). The total FARDC forces are approximately 100.000. About 1/4 of these are in Eastern DRC (Kivus), it makes something like 25.000. These (biometric) census were made by a EU mission and confirmed by an other census made by a Belgian/South African team. Indeed, when it comes to fight, these indulge easily in desertion.

Best
V/R

Michael

[Michael F]

Stan, indeed i'm an optimist and you were right to assume i had some time there (not close to your long experience). Eventough i had a very similar experience (it was an AK not a M16), i still think there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you don't try to move forward, you collapse.

[Tom Odom]

Stan, indeed i'm an optimist and you were right to assume i had some time there (not close to your long experience). Eventough i had a very similar experience (it was an AK not a M16), i still think there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you don't try to move forward, you collapse.

Michael,

Actually when I read yiour last answer I see you as a realist with rose colored glasses. The issue I have is that your optimism seemks to color what you see as the Congo's potential. The Congo has not moved forward in 50 years. To the contrary, it has regressed in a sort of one step forward, 3 steps backward dance which accelerated as Mobutu withdrew. As for Lumumba being a martyr, that maybe fashionable now. Mobutu was once more en vogue. The DRC has a sister in the Caribbean called Haiti. It too has had series of martyrs.

Yoy are correct that much of this applies to most African countries. The difference is that none have had the sustained Western government development effort that the DRC enjoyed over the past 50 years with perhaps Nigeria in its commercial/oil sector.

Collapse is the Congo's currency. Just how long in and what capacity were you in the DRC?

Tom

[Michael F]

Michael,

Actually when I read yiour last answer I see you as a realist with rose colored glasses. The issue I have is that your optimism seemks to color what you see as the Congo's potential. The Congo has not moved forward in 50 years. To the contrary, it has regressed in a sort of one step forward, 3 steps backward dance which accelerated as Mobutu withdrew. As for Lumumba being a martyr, that maybe fashionable now. Mobutu was once more en vogue. The DRC has a sister in the Caribbean called Haiti. It too has had series of martyrs.

Yoy are correct that much of this applies to most African countries. The difference is that none have had the sustained Western government development effort that the DRC enjoyed over the past 50 years with perhaps Nigeria in its commercial/oil sector.

Collapse is the Congo's currency. Just how long in and what capacity were you in the DRC?

Tom

Tom,

I like your description of my idealism (surely come from my young age).
First, about progresses made in DRC, i would like to quote President Mobutu himself "Zaire was on the edge of an abyss....then we made a great step forward"

Joke aside, i really do think this country has potential. Like Angola, it survived a long civil war, it has a lot of ressources that already attracts a lot of investors.... Like Angola, its elite are ethnic, corrupt and like Angola, it could reemerge as one of the fastest growing economy in the world (despite the corruption).

About your last question, i will not enter into any such detail on a forum . I'm really sorry. My avatar should answer most of your questions (nationality, work place and branch of the military).

[Stan]

Tom,

About your last question, i will not enter into any such detail on a forum . I'm really sorry. My avatar should answer most of your questions (nationality, work place and branch of the military).

I'll take a quick stab at this assuming you don't mind too much, Michael.

Former French Naval Infantry
Married to an English woman
and
A hopeless romantic in the Queens Air Force

How'd I do ?

Regards, Stan

[Michael F]

Congo rebel 'to expand rebellion' (copyright BBC)

General Nkunda called for "liberation" of all Congolese
Renegade Congolese General Laurent Nkunda has told the BBC he is now fighting to "liberate" the whole of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Until now, he had always claimed to be protecting his Tutsi people against Rwandan Hutu armed groups in the east.

Gen Nkunda said he was walking out of a January peace deal. Recent fighting between his troops and the army has led more than 100,000 people to flee.

DR Congo Defence Minister Chikez Diemu said his statement was "irresponsible".

Fighting talk

General Nkunda says he wants to expand his theatre of operations for his CNDP forces from eastern DR Congo to the whole country.

I am calling on the people of Congo to stand up for their liberty, for their freedom

Rebel leader Laurent Nkunda


Profile: Rogue general

"We are going to liberate the people of Congo," General Nkunda told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

"Our army is well trained; well disciplined," he said.

The BBC's Africa analyst Joseph Winter says this is a definite change of tone from a man who has always portrayed himself as a defender of his Tutsi people.

"I am calling on the people of Congo to stand up for their liberty, for their freedom," he said.

He says they are under threat from some of those who carried out the genocide of their fellow Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda 14 years ago.

Such fighting talk will not go down well hundreds of kilometres away in the capital, Kinshasa, where President Joseph Kabila was largely elected on his promise to bring peace to the county after many years of war, says Joseph Winter.

There are some 17,000 United Nations peacekeepers in DR Congo, who will no doubt do their best to prevent the conflict from spreading any further.

The UN helped broker a peace deal in January in the east, which held, more or less, for seven months.

[Stan]

Congo rebel 'to expand rebellion' (copyright BBC)

General Nkunda called for "liberation" of all Congolese
Renegade Congolese General Laurent Nkunda has told the BBC he is now fighting to "liberate" the whole of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hey Michael,
I wonder, has the "August 2008 Border Closing" come into effect ? The DRC was keen to note their actions would otherwise preclude Nkunda's forces from obtaining munitions, in spite of the fact their soldiers were at peace exchanging precious metal.

On the other hand, looks like MONUC is back in action

United Nations attack helicopters firing rockets went into action in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today after rebels attempting to advance against the Government opened fire on UN reconnaissance planes.

The UN action was the latest in a series of strikes against the rebel Ituri Patriotic Resistance Front (FRPI) in Ituri province, and comes less than two weeks after peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) sent in combat helicopters against another rebel group in North Kivu province, to the south.

[Michael F]

Hey Michael,
I wonder, has the "August 2008 Border Closing" come into effect ? The DRC was keen to note their actions would otherwise preclude Nkunda's forces from obtaining munitions, in spite of the fact their soldiers were at peace exchanging precious metal.

On the other hand, looks like MONUC is back in action

Stan,

Tom and you surely know it better than i do, but the DRC-Rwanda-Uganda border area is actually geograpically an easy to cross border. A few well trained guys may cross between those countries with light equipment and ammo without being noticed. I would so consider the closure of the border as a mere diplomatic than effective move.

MONUC is in a difficult/paradoxal situation... For various reasons:
* It tries to enforce a disengagement plan but no faction (be it CNDP or FARDeC) applies it. Should they use force to enforce it, they would have to both target CNDP and/or FARDC forces (as both and especially the FARDeC do not respect it).
If it's not really problematic to target CNDP forces, targeting FARDeC forces would just trigger a massive popular reaction against MONUC around the whole country.

* MONUC by mandate should support the DRC government to reestablish its authority on its national territory....even using indirect military support (transport, logistic). It actually puts them in a tricky situation to mediate between Nkunda and the FARDC. For Nkunda, they are supporting its ennemies. For the FARDeC, MONUC should do more to support them militarily.

[Michael F]

[QUOTE=Michael F;58017]Stan,

Hey Stan, you were spot on

Found on the UN in DRC website today (translated from French):

In a statement sent Saturday to the Kinshasa based ambassadors of the five members of the Security Council of the United Nations, the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs accused the government of Rwanda to support the CNDP of Laurent Nkunda strengthening its positions in the Congolese border Bunagana, Kimbumba.


The Congolese government has in this communication, called the United States, France, China, Britain and Russia, the five permanent members of the Security Council to play their full role in preventing and peacekeeping. Kinshasa calls on these nations to ensure compliance especially in earlier resolutions taken by the Security Council, in regard to the consequences that could result in bellicose statements on peace and security in the subregion.

About the support of Rwanda in CNDP the Congolese border, the DRC government considers this a violation of all the ongoing peace process and calls upon the Security Council to put pressure on Kigali to ensure peace in the region. In addition, the Congolese government supported the request by the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the UN in DRC to the Security Council for additional reinforcements MONUC needs to impose peace.

Meanwhile, ambassadors of the five countries unanimously condemned the statements of Laurent Nkunda they call a retreat from the Amani program and the release of Nairobi. They demand a cease-fire and advocate the peaceful resolution of the conflict

[Stan]

I think we're actually on historic deal number 5 or 6 now
Wasn't this amnesty supposedly provided to no longer have a reason to fight?

Rebels fighting government troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured a major army camp in the east of the country, UN peacekeepers say.

The rebels have also taken control of the headquarters of Virunga national park

Maybe better to offer Nkunda a job training Congolese troops.

[Tom Odom]

That's OK

An end is in sight. Javier Bardem (Oscar Winner for No Country for Old Men) and John Prendergast (special advisor on Africa to the 2nd Clinton term) will stop it.

Commentary: Stop the 'vampires' in the Congo

Editor's Note: Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem produced a documentary, "Invisibles," on suffering in the Congo and four other regions of the world. John Prendergast is co-chair of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and other crimes against humanity. Prendergast was director of African affairs at the National Security Council and special adviser at the Department of State during the second Clinton term. He has written eight books on Africa.

Javier Bardem produced a film on suffering in Congo and four other regions of the world.

(CNN) -- Over the past decade, waves of violence have continuously crashed over eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in the world's deadliest war.

A study by the International Rescue Committee says the war has led to the deaths of 5.4 million people.

Of course the war started while Prendergast "advised" the White House and also while then Pres Clinton traveled to Africa including the stop in Kigali where he apologized for ignoring the genocide, then ignored the Congo War.

Great...

Tom

[Stan]

Hey Tom,
I loved the link and story

What's with this BTW ?

The perpetrators and orchestrators of this violence do so primarily in a mad scramble for one of the richest non-petroleum natural resource bases in the world.

... Vampires take many forms in Congo. They are the militia leaders who control the mines, and who use mass rape as a means of intimidating local populations and driving people away from areas they want to control.

Sorry, but going from computer and cell phone parts to lawless rape in one sentence has me a bit confused. Since when did one conclude that rape in the Congo was intended to drive people away? It would seem Nkunda should be moving his forces south where the bounty is, instead of protecting Tutsi tribes along the Goma border.

Hmmm, wonder if Javier got rid of his laptop and cellular

Then there are innocent consumers like us -- completely unaware that our purchases of cell phones, computers and other products are helping fuel a shockingly deadly war halfway around the world, not comprehending that our standard of living is in some ways based on the suffering of others.

[slapout9]

Interesting PDF from Air University on Genocide...Tom this looks like your area of expertise.



http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/aupress/...fer/Peifer.pdf

[Tom Odom]

Why?

Because they aren't doing enough to protect the people in the mobs

Mobs attack U.N. installations in Congo

(CNN) -- A United Nations mission in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was "under attack" on Monday, a U.N. spokesman told CNN.

U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo.

A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone.

He said the attack had resulted in several deaths, but that could not be confirmed.

All I can say is the pictures of the area take me back

Wish we had had the UN BMPs though...


Stan,

I am sure that they will make fewer cell phone calls as a result of the greater awareness. And the frogs will soon open a flight school for slow learners

Tom

PS

That is frogs as in little amphibs that hop a lot

[Stan]

All I can say is the pictures of the area take me back

Wish we had had the UN BMPs though...


Stan,

I am sure that they will make fewer cell phone calls as a result of the greater awareness. And the frogs will soon open a flight school for slow learners

Tom

PS

That is frogs as in little amphibs that hop a lot

OMG, take me back to Chicago !

Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported.

Sound familiar Tom

Slap, thanks for the link. A bit of a long read. Skipped past to Rwanda for now. Tons to digest.