Masisi — Reports reaching The New Times point out that the UN peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), MONUC, has now openly taken sides in the ongoing war in the eastern part of the country.

Eye witnesses in Masisi town observed MONUC helicopters flown by members from the Indian contingent open fire on positions held by rebels from Laurent Nkunda's Congrès National pour la Defense du Peuple (CNDP).

"The attack took place in Bihambwe on Friday afternoon at around 2 p.m. Nkunda's men were advancing towards Masisi which had been abandoned by the government forces (FARDC) after heavy fighting when the helicopters were called in," said our source in Masisi.

"The helicopters were also used to ferry ammunitions from Goma to Masisi and evacuating the wounded to Goma hospital."

Reliable sources also confirm that MONUC was ready to provide military support to FARDC on Saturday but declined at the last minute arguing that they were not informed of FARDC's major offensive on CNDP positions.

In a similar development, the FARDC Commander in Rutchuru yesterday requested APCs from MONUC to attack CNDP positions along Bunagana, Jomba and Rutchuru, an indication that MONUC has been generally compromised by the DRC government and calls into question the moral authority as a UN body to advise the government to reach a politically negotiated solution to the conflict.

Observers say that MONUC is treading on a very treacherous path because it has sided with one party in the conflict and is actually fuelling the conflict other than being peace brokers.

Officials in Kigali expressed their misgivings over the alleged logistical support MONUC is said to give the DRC army, which it said was also benefitting from Rwandan FDLR-Interahamwe rebels who have joined forces with Kabila.

Reliable sources in Goma indicate that a meeting was held on Saturday in Masisi (Nyabyondo) between the Commander of FARDC's 81st Brigade (Bde), Col. Yave Yolo with the Commander of the FDLR 2nd Battalion, Lt. Col. Evariste Kanzeguhera alias SADIKI and Col. Mugabo of PARECO, another rebel movement.

It was decided that Lt. Col. Kanzeguhera would coordinate all FDLR and PARECO forces in the area and deputize Col. Yave Yolo in the ongoing offensive against CNDP. It was also agreed that all logistics will be provided by FARDC.

In a related development, yesterday FARDC's 82nd, 14th, 8th, and 81st Bdes supported by FDLR 2nd Battalion and PARECO continued attacking CNDP positions along Sake, Ngungu, Nyabyondo and Bihambwe but were forced to reach a ceasefire with CNDP after incurring heavy losses.

The same morning, on Sake-Kimoka axis, FARDC 82nd Bde commanded by Col. Jonas Padiri attacked CNDP sector II forces under Col. Innocent Kabundi and fell in an ambush erected by CNDP near Mugunga in which many FARDC soldiers were killed. One Major and a Captain who were commanding FARDC forces near Mugunga have been called to Goma where they are currently detained.

This unholy alliance, which has now drawn MONUC in its camp, has been the fear of many regional observers. While testifying before the US Senate Sub-committee on African Affairs in September 2007, Mr. Mauro De Lorenzo, a researcher from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a US think tank, indicated that an attempt to resolve the Eastern Congo crisis by force would result in greater tragedy.

De Lorenzo added that President Joseph Kabila will be in a delicate position in a case where UN-Congolese troops are defeated with grave casualties.

Nkunda's forces are well-trained and experienced, and above all they have a clear sense of purpose, because they feel they are fighting for the survival of their community, he said.

Troop contributing countries, Mr. De Lorenzo believes would demand a "withdraw or effectively retreat into a tortoise shell for the remainder" of the MONUC mandate.

The think-tank says President Kabila would also be seen as weak if he gave in to Gen. Nkunda. He might not be able to survive as leader, opening the political space to a destabilizing competition for political power, De Lorenzo said.

The think-tank, with close ties to President Bush and the Republican electorate, says Nkunda's forces have the capacity to maintain an insurgency of some type for many years, and they can do so without any support from Rwanda.

Their funds and foot soldiers are generated internally, within their community, he told Senators. Another most dangerous scenario, according to the think-tank, is a situation where Nkunda could lose to UN/government forces indicating that as long as the FDLR and extremist Mayi-Mayi militias are still active, they will likely attack Banyarwanda civilians.

Furthermore, the think-tank says the reputational damage to the United Nations (whose reputation in Congo has already been severely dented by sex scandals and illegal gold trading) would be significant if a military victory that it helped bring about, resulted in the ethnic cleansing of an entire community.

"Both defeat and victory would be fraught with danger. The human consequences, though impossible to predict, could, based on the recent experiences of the region, dwarf that of any other current crisis on the continent." he said.

The experts reminded the Senators that the FDLR has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Group by the Department of State, and was responsible for the targeted murder of Americans in Bwindi National Park in Uganda in 1998.

"They (FDLR) must not be treated as if they are just any other party to the conflict", De Lorenzo pointed out.

Mr. De Lorenzo said every effort must be made to discourage the Congolese government and UN forces from pursuing a military solution to the problem of the dissident officers in North Kivu or else the whole region ends up in chaos.

Contrary to AEI'S warning, MONUC has begun supporting FARDC in an effort to accomplish President Kabila's desired military onslaught that has so far proved to be disastrous.

He said the International Community should discourage the Congolese belligerents from pursuing a military solution as both defeat and victory would be fraught with danger as witnessed in the recent offensives.

A pragmatic international support to the DRC government to address the threat caused by the FDLR and other foreign armed negative forces in the Eastern DRC and to the region is urgently required.

The DRC government has in the past been accused of not implementing the Nairobi Communiqué, which calls for the disarming and a halt in all collaborations with FDLR.