Robert Mukombozi
29 August 2007
Kigali — THE Congolese Government yesterday bowed to pressure from Rwanda and announced it would resume its hitherto suspended military offensive against Rwandan rebels in the eastern part of the country.
Congolese Army Chief Deodone Kayembe said they would resume military action against all negative forces on DRC soil in September, after dealing with the current humanitarian crisis in the east. Congo announced recently it was suspending operations against rebels to give way to negotiations and avoid further ethnic tension in the Kivu Region where much of the force has been mounted.
"We have lost many innocent people and others are still wandering around. These people suffering are innocent and therefore it would make no sense to continue military action while thousands of civilians are dying and becoming homeless," Lt. Gen. Kayembe told the media at a two-day tripartite plus meeting of the Great Lakes military chiefs in Kigali, Rwanda.
The army chiefs endorsed the establishment of a Joint Planning Cell to assist in the evaluation and coordination of military intelligence information in collaboration with the DRC-based Tripartite Fusion Cell (TFC).
Lt. Gen. Kayembe said the situation in eastern Congo was becoming more complex due to the existence of mixed brigades in both north and Southern Kivu region. In an effort to restore peace and stability in the region, the military companies, mixed with armed Forces of DRC and integrated soldiers from the camp of the renegade Congolese army commander, Gen. Laurent Nkunda, were faceda with difference in interests.
But the army chief assured sister countries that they are forging a quick solution to the problem. Although the negative forces are not an organised grouping that can be dealt with at once, Lt. Gen. Kayembe said the DRC has committed its resources and defence forces to deal with them in a more sophisticated military campaign. Other tripartite plus member states that include Uganda and Burundi welcomed DRC's new commitment. However, Rwanda was more concerned with the pace at which Kinshasa is pursuing the rebels.
"We are not happy with the rate at which DRC is flushing out rebels fighting us from their side," said Rwanda Defence Forces Spokesperson Jill Rutaremara. Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Charles Murigande, insisted on Monday that more pressure is needed to flush out FDLR and ex-FAR/Interahamwe insurgents because they undermine peace and security both in Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region.
Present at the Kigali meeting were Ugandan Chief of Defence Forces Aronda Nyakairima, Rwandan CGS James Kabareebe, Burundian CGS Godfrey Niyombare and Monuc Liason Officer in Kigali Joe Felli.
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