Martin Tindiwensi
8 February 2009
Kigali — The Rwandan government has agreed to hand over the former head of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) General Laurent Nkunda to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was one of the resolutions of a meeting of both countries which took place Friday at Serena Kivu Sun Hotel in Gisenyi.
Nkunda was arrested last month by Rwandan authorities.
Although the actual date for handing over Nkunda was not set, Rwandan foreign Minister Rosemary Museminari told reporters that a technical team will be set up to discus modalities of the transfer.
"You all know that Nkunda is Congolese, he will have by all means to go back to his country, when and how he will be delivered to the Kinshasa authorities will be determined by the committee which will be set up soon by both parties to discuss the issue" she explained.
Asked if the DRC government will not persecute General Nkunda for his rebellious action in North Kivu region since 2004, DRC foreign affairs minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said Nkunda will not be mistreated unless if he is victimized by law," he promised.
During the two days meeting, a report of the current DRC- Rwanda military joint operation was presented to both Foreign Affairs Ministers.
"According to the report presented to us, a lot has been achieved by the joint operation, many of FDLR bases were destroyed, some of the rebels were arrested, others killed and many have already returned back to Rwanda together with their families" Museminari told reporters after the two-day closed meeting.
A joint communiqué signed at the end of the meeting welcomed the role of the UN peacekeeping force known by its French acronym MONUC.
"The meeting was briefed by the MONUC Force Commander, who was satisfied by the disciplined nature of the joint operations and carried out in total conformity with international humanitarian law. The meeting took note of the role of MONUC in supporting the humanitarian activities in North Kivu and the provision of logistical support to the joint operations," the communiqué reads.
"The two delegations agreed on voluntary and forced disarmament and repatriation of ex-FAR/Interahamwe as opposed to relocation within the DRC," it continues.
Strengthening of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) was also one of the resolutions and DRC agreed to fully participate in its activities as well as sending its representatives to the organisation whose headquarters are in Gisenyi town.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been reluctant to send its three representatives to the Secretariat of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) like the other member countries Burundi and Rwanda, neither has it submitted its annual contributions to the organization for over two years.
It was also agreed in the meeting that Embassies reopen before the end of March in both capitals in order to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
Also in attendance was the Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Amb. Liberata Mulamula.
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General Nkunda had made a wrong decision when he refused to be integrated in DRC army from the former rebels RCD. Now he is realizing that he allied himself to a wrong freind (Rwanda)that precipitated him to his end.
There is no doubt that Rwanda sent troops to the DRC to frustrate the UN peace efforts so that the war in the DRC continues enabling Rwanda to continue looting in the DRC. UN should ask Rwanda to withdraw its troops.
President Kagame should understand that DRCongo people are not stupid for him to send Rwandese troops inside DRCongo territory to loot while pretending to chase Hutus rebels. The big plot between Presidents Kabila, Kagame and Museveni to destroy DRCongo has come to end. They must think of different options, territories and tactics to achieve their goals; from now they should feel the gradually loss of power within their own environment and change direction. Jesus Christ has allowed change and its coming certainly,amen!
The situation in Congo is made difficult by the fact that DRC is big and its young government does not have full control of the territory At DRC border, there is Rwanda current regime largely dominated by a the minority-led RPF army and that is trying to suppress any uprising of the majority. FDRL is the only armed struggle that the majority is able to set up. I very much doubt if Kigali is willing to negotiate as for the moment RPF is in its strong position: FDLR is lebelled with 1994 genocide and Kabila seems desperate to make a deal with anyone in order to stay on power. A situation that RPF leaders want to take advantage of to get rid of FDLR rather than negotiate. Negotiations within Rwanda would dig up many old skeletons and RPF and FDLR share responsibilties of atrocities committed and suffering Rwandese and congolese people have gone through from 1990 till now.
I
Dear Faatima,
I think your article is misleading and very dishonnest. Or maybe, you just can't catch the subtle facts about the crisis in the region. You use a very 'expert/specialist' kind of tone in your article and those people have been of no use in trying to solve this crisis. They actually have been dangerous sometimes with their naive and/or dishonnest and/or partial opinions.
You really think it's possible to take the people who commited the crimes to a court in times of war? How naive or dishonnest of you. Justice is not possible in times of war. And the first step to peace is political will, compromise and sacrifice. That is what the Rwandan and Congolese governments are trying to do. You really think that the Rwandan government and the FDLR holds the keys to peace in the DRC? So, the Congolese don't have their own problems between themselves according to you? The Hemas and Lendus? The Banyamulenges and the Banandes? The Mais-Mais? The Baregas? All those people don't have
You seem to believe that the FDLR is widely supported in Rwanda by the Hutus. That is so not true. The Hutus in Rwanda might not like Kagame but most of them have come to admit that he is the man who saved Rwanda from the cycle of systematic Tutsi/Hutu revenge.
In your article, the FDLR sounds like a honorable opposition but if you have watched Lisa Jackson's documentary, The Greatest Silence, you will see how they are the worst things that has ever happened to the women in Kivu. They have raped and spred Aids in the whole region and you make them sound like an ordinary opposition.
It is true that Rwanda has an agenda. Nkunda was becoming a serious problem for Rwanda's interests. But isn't it fair that Kagame is looking after the interests of his country? You might say that he is opportunistic or realistic or pragmatic but the fact is he is looking after the interests of his country. And that is what other African leaders should do ... as legally as possible.
Instead of criticizing and giving marks, you should praise Kabila for the big political risk he took to authorize the Rwandan army in his country and Kagame for arresting a man who has the support of many Rwandan high ranking military.
Now that DRC and Rwanda have tried to find a solution to Kivu security crisis without involving some pretentious observers, it is going to be another subject on which, you, the so called experts and specialists, are going to be criticizing us.
Mister R
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