Nkunda objects to MONUC participation in DRC peace talks

Nkunda objects to MONUC participation in DRC peace talks

BY GEORGE KAGAME
Eastern Congo


General Laurent Nkunda has refused the inclusion of the United Nations' peace keeping forces-MONUC in negotiation talks to stop the war between the National Congress for the Defense of the people, CNDP and the government of the DR Congo that are due to be mediated by Olusegun Obasanjo, Ban Ki Moon's special envoy in Eastern Congo.

Speaking to journalists in Jomba Catholic mission in the part of Eastern Congo under the control of the CNDP Sunday evening after the first meeting between Obasanjo and the CNDP's General Laurent Nkund. The CNDP leader said he does not trust MONUC to be objective if they participated in the talks that began on the weekend with Obasanjo meeting Joseph Kabila and his Angolan counterpart Dos Santos before flying to meet Nkunda in Jomba 60 km from Goma. "We are supporting Obasanjo because he has been sent by the international community. We believe in him, Obasanjo has experience as a president of Nigeria. We welcome Obasanjo because he is a chance to both of us for peace. But we do not have faith in MONUC. They have sided with government forces to shoot at us, we cannot negotiate with them."

Obasanjo was last week appointed the United Nations' Special Representative to the DR Congo after the recent outbreak of war between the CNDP and the DR Congo government forces last month. After recent fighting, after a bout of several battles-were they increased their hold in Eastern Congo capturing large swathes of land from which settlers had been displaced by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, FDLR-declared a ceasefire but reports say that government and FDLR forces continue to attack CNDP points ad villages where they suspect Congolese ethnic Tutsi to be living. The ceasefire has allowed for diplomatic efforts to be increased to find a peaceful solution to what looks like an eternal crisis in Eastern Congo. Last weekend, DRC foreign affairs minister Alexis Tambwe Muamba was in Kigali and stated that his government was now going to flush out the FDLR from their territory. He also promised to restore diplomatic relations with Rwanda after a decade of silence between the two neighbours.

Nkunda said after the meeting with Obasanjo that the CNDP forces have not put any condition to being integrated into the DRC government forces and that he was not rebelling Kabila's government to get a government position. "My demand is to have solutions to the problems in my country not getting government jobs." Nkunda further stated that he welcomed any means to achieve peace in Eastern Congo, "we do not want to continue fighting because wars are very expensive in men and materials. We are forced to go to war. Today we have a chance to stop the war by talking peace. We hope Kabila is serious with his promises to Obasanjo."

Several of Nkunda's senior aides however expressed skepticism about Kabila's commitment to peace efforts in the region. "We have been here before but Kabila fakes the international community and sends his forces along with the FDLR to attack our people, destroy and rape our women. We shall wait and see what Obasanjo promises, Kabila told him (Obasanjo) that he would talk to us, we wait."

The CNDP forces also reiterated their commitment to hold the ceasefire they declared several days back on their advance towards to Goma, however, before the departure of Obasanjo on Sunday after his talks with Nkunda. There were reports that there was a battle outbreak between government along with FDLR forces against the CNDP near Kanyabayonga, an important communication town after Goma. In this town, government forces on their retreat looted and raped scores after the CNDP had advanced within several kilometres, MONUC and government troops are reported to be fighting on the same aside here.

Obasanjo described the talks with Nkunda as 'extremely good' and added that he (Obasanjo) "now knows Nkunda's concerns. I can put across Nkunda's demands." He added that the renegade soldier has legitimate demands, "his concerns, which everybody wants is the welfare of Congolese people especially the minority in the population.But achieving peace is like dancing Tango, there needs to be a partner. Bot parties needs equal participation in this process."
Dr. Gertrude Mulamula the Executive Director of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region attended the Nkunda Obasanjo talks.

Eastern DR Congo continues to live under a state of insecurity after the end of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. It has been established that the masterminds of the Rwandan Genocide fled to this largely jungle region where government control is weak. The the genocidaires have since joined up with the DRC government forces and multiplied in numbers and added o the complex political situation in this agriculturally rich land. The genocide, otherwise known as negative forces have embarked on a sustained campaign to attack Congolese ethnic Tutsi tribesmen. The Tutsi are threatened for their perceived support of the Rwanda's current ruling party-the Rwanda Patriotic Front.

This state of affairs has led to the evolvement of the FDLR and the Interahamwe to form a myriad bandit groups that have ensured insecurity for the Tutsi in the region. in their defense, the Tutsi have supported the development of a renegade soldier General Nkunda to start a military and political machinery to defend the Tutsi known as the CNDP.