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

[Tom Odom]

Thanks Stan, I got it. At this rate, I'm going to have a "Thomas P. Odom" shelf for books and articles.

Is it physically impossible for the DRC (not to mention some others in the region) to raise fighting forces that actually can and will fight (and win) aginst competent/semi-competent opponents, or is this pretty much a Tutsi monopoly in those parts?

I would have to say it is "culturally impossible" in the Congo--or so that has proven to be the case in the past 50 years. I say that because as soon as anyone emerges in the Congolese culture as a potential leader the forces of corruption set in; the closest thing to an exception to this rule were two officers in the FAZ. One was Leonard Mulembe and he was an excellent LTC in the 1960s Simba troubles, a fact reported on by DV Rattan and Mike Hoyt. The other Major and later GEN Mahale whose unit jumped at Kolwezi at Mobutu's orders; Mahele did not jump but did link up with the survivors of the abortive airborne op. Mahele later became FAZ Cheif of Staff only to be cashiered after the 1991 pillage when he went out on the street and started shooting FAZ soldiers. He was out of favor when I was there; i used to feed his aide de camp every Saturady morning. Mahele was not perfect; Stan can fill in more about him. But Mahele was shot out of hand in 1997 when he told Nzimbi and the other surviving favorites of Mobutu that they should surrender rather than risk slaughter in defending Kinshasa. Of course, they did NOT defend Kinshasa.

On the Tutsi angle, it really depends on which area or country you are talking. The Tutsi Burundian Army was/is as corrupt and cruel as was the Ex-FAR when it controlled Rwanda. My Rwandan contacts in the RPA were all Ugandan-raised English speaking Tutsi with a Hutu. To a man they did not trust the Burundian military and they did not like the Rwandan Tutsi who had been in Burundi in the RPA. They considered them corrupt and unreliable. They had greater problems with them retaliating against the Hutu Rwandans. Sharyar Khan as SRSG of UNAMIR 2 wrote a great book on his experiences and he comments on this as well.

As for the "Ugandan" Rwandan Tutsis who made up the core of the RPA, remember some of them had marched from Tanzania to help overthrow Amin. Then they had joined Museveni in the bush to defeat Obote. I have not been around the RPA in 11 years now but 10 years ago I would have put an RPA brigade against any other similar unit on the continent and many others elsewhere. The trick was in their leadership and discipline.

Best

Tom

[ancien]

good point. Regarding the culture in DRC. There are over 200 tribes. Even if a person is highy edjucated, he still has to conduct according tribal rules. This is the result of the mobutu regime. The hiearchy of tribes. If a person got apointed as a manager for a state owned company (example GECAMINES). Then he came financily responsible for his tribe. Corruption is eventualy flowring. The same for the FAZ, mobutu was a paranoid person. If a military leader created succes, he started to get afraid for a coup etat. He alsow stationed soldiers out of the rigeon of there tribe, so they started to misbehave to the people where they where stationed.

grtz

[Norfolk]

Thanks Tom. I'd read a little about the origins of the RPA within the Ugandan Army and the roles of Musevemi and Kagame. I've never been very clear on Tanzania, although I seem to recall that Kagame spent a little time there as well - I may be confused or mistaken about that though.

I have to admit from what I've been able to read so far about the formation, training, and operations of the RPF/RPA, to about equals parts admiration and shock.

ancien:

You were in the Para-Commandos, n'est pas? Did you ever encounter COL Luc Marchal?

[Stan]

good point. Regarding the culture in DRC. There are over 200 tribes. Even if a person is highy edjucated, he still has to conduct according tribal rules. This is the result of the mobutu regime. The hiearchy of tribes. If a person got apointed as a manager for a state owned company (example GECAMINES). Then he came financily responsible for his tribe. Corruption is eventualy flowring. The same for the FAZ, mobutu was a paranoid person. If a military leader created succes, he started to get afraid for a coup etat. He alsow stationed soldiers out of the rigeon of there tribe, so they started to misbehave to the people where they where stationed.

grtz

Hello Ancien !
While I fully agree with you regarding Zairian tribes and rituals, I'd like to point out that Gecamines was little more than Mobutu's little cash cow.

Gecamines was pumping more than 400 thousand metric tons of copper prior to the uprisings, and with that, life was good for any of the employees in Katanga. While most of the world saw Zairian soldiers rioting, looting, etc., the Embassy saw things in a better light as influence over the copper market being directly affected by continued violence. Zaire was perhaps the 4th largest exporter and most felt President Mobutu actually (for the first or second time) really understood what he was doing.

15 years later, I remain very sceptical about that...not sure exactly why

[ancien]

Thanks Tom. I'd read a little about the origins of the RPA within the Ugandan Army and the roles of Musevemi and Kagame. I've never been very clear on Tanzania, although I seem to recall that Kagame spent a little time there as well - I may be confused or mistaken about that though.

I have to admit from what I've been able to read so far about the formation, training, and operations of the RPF/RPA, to about equals parts admiration and shock.

ancien:

You were in the Para-Commandos, n'est pas? Did you ever encounter COL Luc Marchal?

I now col. Marchal, but not in person. He wrote a book on his rwanda ordeal, but change his vieuws 180°. He got cortmarchalled for the rwandahistory, somthing he did not diserve regarding my modest opinion.

grtz

[ancien]

hello Stan,
The problem is that the mining resources always have been the broblem. Everybody want a piece of that. During the cold war mobutu played everybody. After the cold war it was a different story. Even politicians who where involved whith mobutu had to pick sides. Gecamines was a western compagny. When mobutu started the Zairisation in the '70 it went bad.
The state of zaire was hollow, not even the name state whordy.

grtz

[Norfolk]

I now col. Marchal, but not in person. He wrote a book on his rwanda ordeal, but change his vieuws 180°. He got cortmarchalled for the rwandahistory, somthing he did not diserve regarding my modest opinion.

grtz

Yeah, just a shame.

[Stan]

Yup, there you go. They beat feet in proud Congo fashion.

Hey Tom, although more or less just a rehash from yesterday's news, this MONUC article says it all

GOMA, DRCongo, 12 Decembre 2007 - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army was in retreat in the face of rebel counter-attacks...
...as witnesses described roads packed with fleeing troops.

Residents of Nord-Kivu province, near the eastern border with Rwanda, described columns of terrified civilians and disorganised troops heading south from rebel forces...

Defence Minister Diemu Chikez said however the retreat was an effort to "regroup"

"The insurgents launched a surprise attack. We pulled back and they retook Mushake and Karuba...

The army is reorganising...

Residents of the war-ravaged region said the retreat looked disorganised.

"We don’t understand what’s happening. Soldiers of the 14th Brigade (which captured Mushake last week) were fleeing towards Sake, Bweremana and Minova. It was a total rout," said Sake resident David Maheshe.

[Tom Odom]

Well they always made our job easier when it came to predicting what they would do:

Unarmed civilians as opposition: attack, rape, steal, kill

Armed opposition: remove mirror shades, look real mean, put shades back on, then run

Hey Tom, although more or less just a rehash from yesterday's news, this MONUC article says it all

[Stan]

A round up from MONUC

At its weekly press conference of 12 December 2007, MONUC announced that more than 4,500 blue helmets have been deployed in North Kivu province, to ensure the defence of the towns of Goma and Sake. Furthermore, blue helmets will maintain their presence in Mushake to protect displaced populations in Kilolirwe, Kitchanga and Kanyabayonga.

"There are some firings since this morning between the (army) and Nkunda's troops led by Colonel Makenga in Gungu heights," near the key town of Goma, said Major Prem Tiwari, the UN mission's military spokesman in Nord-Kivu province.

Since this week, Nkunda's fighters have taken back all the positions they held three months ago, when fighting started with the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in the Democratic Republic Congo's powder region of Nord-Kivu.

NYTimes: After Clashes, Fear of War on Congo’s Edge

A major confrontation between the Congolese Army and a renegade general is plunging the country back toward war, threatening to undermine the fledgling democratic state and set off a new regional conflict on a scale not seen here in years.

...General Nkunda's advance here was just barely staved off by United Nations peacekeepers, who swept in late Tuesday to occupy the town as the Congolese Army fled.

After years of being overlooked in favor of crises in Darfur, Somalia and elsewhere, Congo has again sprung to the top of American and European agendas on Africa. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met last week with leaders of the region, with a considerable focus on Congo, and another high-level meeting of diplomats is set for this weekend.

The recent fighting has unleashed a catastrophe of a proportion that is outsize even for Congo, where some researchers say four million people have died, mainly of disease and hunger, since the civil war began in 1996.

[Rex Brynen]

This may have been posted somewhere before, but in case it hasn't been: Soldier of Africa, the blog of Major Werner Klokow of the 6th (air assault) battalion, SANDF, recently currently deployed with his company in DRC as part of MONUC. (As you'll see from the earlier entries, he previously served with the AU force in Darfur).

Not a great deal of detail (so far), but its rare to see a blog from this mission (or any other African PKO).

[Stan]

Thanks, Rex !
He's got some interesting entries and great photos. In a couple of weeks, he'll no doubt have better details and posts on the DRC. Worth keeping an eye on.

Regards, Stan

This may have been posted somewhere before, but in case it hasn't been: Soldier of Africa, the blog of Major Werner Klokow of the 6th (air assault) battalion, SANDF, recently currently deployed with his company in DRC as part of MONUC. (As you'll see from the earlier entries, he previously served with the AU force in Darfur).

Not a great deal of detail (so far), but its rare to see a blog from this mission (or any other African PKO).

[Stan]

The East African reports Nkunda still using child soldiers in Kivu

Insurgents loyal to dissident Gen Laurent Nkunda are still recruiting children into their ranks.

The main perpetrators of human- rights abuses are no longer armed groups [non-government forces], but mainly agents of the state, whose mandate is to ensure the protection of the Congolese population...

“Forced recruitment [of children] takes place outside schools; in the village of Burungu, tudents returned to their homes were rounded up, causing many to flee into the bush,” said Kemal Saiki, Monuc’s spokesman.

In some cases, demobilised, underage former fighters are being re-recruited, according to the spokesman, who cited the case of 20 children who had rejoined Gen Nkunda’s ranks in the North Kivu village of Kirambu.

More at the link...

[Stan]

The Rwandan News Agency reports...DR Congo dissident Gen. Laurent Nkunda has dismissed accusations by the UN Mission in the country (MONUC) that he has been forcefully recruiting children into his forces.

We are scandalized by the denigrations and other untrue charges against the CNDP (Nkunda's party) on behalf of the MONUC which argued the recruitment of 200 students from the secondary school of Tongo

General Nkunda forces are also alleging that government forces - the FARDC - have been arbitrarily arresting 'innocent Congolese civilians because of their membership of an ethnic group' - in apparent reference to Tutsi civilians.

Nine people of Tutsi ethnic group were arrested months ago in Bunagana and transferred to the Makala Prison on December 9, 2007 without being judged nor heard, Nkunda alleges.

According to him, the organization has information suggesting that more than 31 people arrested at Kibumba in North-Kivu and are illegally jailed in prisons and dungeons in Kinshasa. We will forward to you the names of the prisoners the coming days, the statement to RNA said.

More at the link...

[Stan]

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Hundreds of officials descended on this eastern outpost Thursday to begin preparations for upcoming peace talks even as fighting continued in the tangled forests of eastern Congo.

Missing from the gathering was the warlord Laurent Nkunda, whose rebellion is at the heart of the spiraling conflict.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, his second-in-command said Nkunda had not yet been invited to the peace conference, which is scheduled to begin in Goma on Jan. 6.

"If we receive the invitation, we will be there — no trouble. We are here for peace and not for war," said Bwambale Kakolele, the rebel leader's military commander.

But he said the government was continuing to attack Nkunda's positions as officials rolled into this provincial capital to discuss peace.

"Even this morning these people ... have attacked our troops in Rugari," Kakolele said. "We do not understand."

Nkunda must have missed something thinking 'prep for peace talks' translates into a ceasefire

GOMA, Congo (Reuters) - Congo's authorities have postponed until January 6 a peace conference aimed at ending conflict in the east...

...officials said the conference in the North Kivu provincial capital Goma would now begin in earnest on January 6 to allow more time for preparation and for invitations to be sent to participants, including rebel Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda.

President Joseph Kabila is under pressure from the United Nations and the United States to find a political solution to end years of fighting in the Kivus involving government troops, Tutsi insurgents, Rwandan Hutu rebels and Mai Mai militia.

[Stan]

Goma - Monuc Supporting the FARDC for Peace Conference Security

...DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) battalions were transported by helicopter in the past week to North-Kivu to ensure the security of the Goma peace conference, envisaged for 6 January. The mission also supplied isolated FARDC units, and those wounded were evacuated to Goma.
One Nkunda colonel surrendered at Kitchanga mobile operational base with his wife, who has the rank of major, and all were sent to brassage on 26 December.

Sensitising and monitoring efforts continue to target the residual armed groups, whose 25 members have already been identified in Kwandroma.

...South Kivu, in order to improve the security of the population and to aid humanitarian support for those displaced, joint FARDC-MONUC patrols were intensified, and meetings are regularly held with the local authorities.

In parallel, the negotiations are very advanced to transport the Mayi-Mayi of the Zaboloni faction to brassage.

More at the link

[Stan]

Most rape victims say their attackers were armed groups of rebels or government soldiers.

GOMA, Congo, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Intense fighting between government and militia forces in eastern Congo has led to a surge in rape by fighters from all sides, women and doctors say.

Renewed hostilities between the army and troops loyal to renegade Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda have stoked a volatile crucible of violence in Congo's North Kivu province, where traditional Mai Mai fighters and Rwandan Hutu militia also roam.

Sexual violence has escalated as hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee the safety of their homes -- around 400,000 people since August, when Nkunda quit a peace deal, bringing North Kivu's displaced population to 800,000.

Congo's government has called a peace summit for Sunday, but there is little optimism the chronic fighting will end soon.

[Penta]

Most rape victims say their attackers were armed groups of rebels or government soldiers.

Stan, Tom, someone...explain this to me.

In virtually every society I've heard of, rape is regarded as among the worst of crimes.

Yet, in Africa, it seems to be almost a regular feature of the landscape, passively accepted by the populace.

...WTF?

[Stan]

Stan, Tom, someone...explain this to me.

In virtually every society I've heard of, rape is regarded as among the worst of crimes.

Yet, in Africa, it seems to be almost a regular feature of the landscape, passively accepted by the populace.

...WTF?

Hey Penta !
Jeez, even after a decade there, I don’t know where to start

Tom certainly has his own versions and opinions, and a wealth of experience behind those. Anyway, here’s mine:

I can’t completely blame this on their culture; although I remain convinced it must be culturally derived. It wasn’t long ago I had the same unbelievable thoughts as I witnessed violence and rape in the city (in peace time) and wondered should this sort of behavior remain unchecked (wait, it gets better).

Fact is rape in (then) Zaire “locally speaking”, was not considered a horrific act as we in the West consider it - Zairian males (soldiers, civilians and especially government officials) never gave it another thought. Many western countries (stationed there) counted on/and supported the Zairian government, and that too often meant turning a blind eye to such instances of crimes against humanity. The Mobutu regime permitted us to keep tabs on the Angolans, Congolese, Cubans and Russians less than 2 kilometers across the river, and rarely a word was spoken about our ‘activities’ in country.

Honestly, nothing has changed other than our ‘attention’ in that part of Africa.

But let’s not blame the whole enchilada on the locals just yet. I had the pleasure of witnessing one of the most pathetic events in the early 90s when a Chicago Democrat visited (those are always marked with either success or total failure, but still very significant when funding support at the DC level comes into play). You can read about IT here.

The potential victim addressed our country team the following day and was subsequently advised something to the tune of “jungle rules apply” and to leave the situation be if you care about the poor here.

In closing, nothing has changed there, other than our attention span when dealing diplomatically with difficult situations. Now that we could care less, each and every act becomes a noteworthy crime.

Damn…glad I’m retired

Regards, Stan

[ancien]

In there culture they have different vieuwes about sexuality. Even Mobutu maked it a sport to try to concor the harts of the wifes of his ministers.
So, its like Stan say, nobody cared.
When it comes to sexual violance during wartime, the story change a bit, because the tribal bondary is gone and the increasing of that type of violance.
At this time it has the effect that it destabilies intyre communities, so there is a international reaction concerning sexual violance.
So from one day of not caring they go to the next day concidering it a war crime.

grtz