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Autor: rolf.martens@mailbox.swipnet.se (Rolf Martens) (2003-06-30 10:33:00)
NEWS ON CONGO 056: Solidaire on the situation & EU troops
[Posted: 30.06.03]
Note: On websites with information on the DR Congo and for
some contact addresses, see endnote last in this posting.
INTRO NOTE:
Since August 1998, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is
being subjected to a large-scale aggression, instigated by
the US imperialists above all, with the rulers of Rwanda and
Uganda acting as their proxies. After the Congolese rebellion
against the dictator and imperialist lackey Mobutu, which won
final victory on 17 May 1997, the new leadership under L-D Ka-
bila set itself the goal of freeing the country from foreign
exploitation and building up a truly democratic state based
on that modern form of government, committees of the peoples
power everywhere.
This was intolerable to the imperialists and caused them to
instigate that aggression, which has already cost millions of
lives and caused enormous devastation in the country. Several
so-called peace treaties and agreements on joint governing
between the lawful government in Kinshasa and various "rebel",
aggressor puppet, groups, the latest signed yesterday 29.06.
2003, have so far not caused that war to end. And the United
Nations during many years have *condoned* that aggression, in
flagrant contravention of the UN Charter.
Very much does the Congolese people need the support of the
people in all other countries.
Below is reproduced, in my translation from the French, an ar-
ticle on the present situation and on recent developments by
Tony Busselen, published in issue No. 24/2003 of the weekly
Solidaire, organ of the PTB (Parti du Travaille de Belgique)
in Belgium, on 11 June 2003. Comments in brackets [ ] are by
me.
End of intro note
European intervention in Bunia
HOW TO GET PEACE IN THE CONGO?
By Tony Busselen
The European Union this week [the second week of June 2003,
and later, Sweden, from where Im writing, has decided to par-
ticipate with a small contingent too] - RM] is sending an in-
tervention force to Bunia. 1,500 soldiers will safeguard the
airfield and protect the population in the city and in the re-
fugee camps against the terror of the militias. How should
this be assessed?
"What about the killings outside the city of Bunia (where the
intervention force has no mandate - ndlr) and what will happen
after 1 September, when the intervention force will depart?"
(Note 1: Le Phare - Congolese newspaper - 5 June) This the
president of the DR Congo, Joseph Kabila, has asked.
The European Union continues to think ["to pretend", it would
be justified to say - RM] that the conflicts in the Ituri re-
gion are essentially conflicts among Congolese and that the
situation has deteriorated because of the presence of ethnic
militias. A quick and energetic intervention, thus, might
solve the problem.
But the basic underlying cause is not mentioned: It was the
United States that started the war [in August 1998 - RM]
against the nationalist regime of Mzee Kabila [Laurent-Désiré
Kabila, later assassinated on 16.01.2001; the Congolese title
of honour "Mzee" means "sage" - RM]. This war already has
kil-
led 4 million people. Today the war continues, by means of the
Rwandan and Ugandan US lackeys.
The closest American ally in the region, the Rwandan president
Kagame, has "retaken" the UPC, the "rebel" movement of
Thomas
Lubanga. He has armed this militia heavily, and has provided
it with well-trained Rwandan officers. Kagame since six months
back is using Lubanga as a trump card for sabotaging the peace
process in the Congo, for preparing for the secession of the
rich Kivu province and for threatening his personal rival, the
Ugandan president Museveni.
Thomas Lubanga is a warlord who in April 2002 broke with the
"rebel" commander Mbusa Nyamwisi, whose "defence minister"
he
was. Nyamwisi on his part broke with Wamba dia Wamba, who had
broken with the "rebel" movement RCD-Goma, whose president he
was originally... All of those "rebel commanders" above all
are henchmen of the Rwandan and Ugandan armies.
When, in November 2002, Museveni (under strong pressure from
Kinshasa and from the international community) signalled to
his Congolese puppets Nyamwisi and Lubanga that the time had
come for peace (Note 2: The New Vision - Ugandan newspaper -
18 November 2002), Lubanga opted for an alliance with Museve-
nis rival, Kagame. On 6 January, Lubanga made an "agreement
on military, economic and political cooperation" with the pro-
Rwandan "rebels" of the RCD-Goma. (Note 3: Irin, 13 January
2003)
A report on the situation in the Ituri region, originating
from the coordination of the European NGOs on the Congo,
points out in more detail:
"The Rwandan forces, which had been absent from the Ituri re-
gion since 1998, are openly supporting the UPC. During Februa-
ry 2003, they reportedly transported some 50 men each day to
Mongbwalu with trucks from Goma. On 9 March 2003, some 10,000
troops of the RCD and the APR [Rwandan army - RM] started to
attack the Beni and Lubero areas in order to link up with the
UPC in Ituri. This attack had been prepared in Vitshumbi and
in Bwito by the men of Kigali, notably by general Alexis Kaga-
me of the Rwandan army." (Note 4: Réseaueuropéen Congo
[REC],
24 April 2003)
This new alliance constituted a direct threat against Uganda.
In fact the Rwandan and Ugandan armies had waged three wars
against each other on Congolese soil since 1999, in order to
get control of the diamond-rich city of Kisangani. The attempt
by Kagame to control the entire border region between Uganda
and the Congo since that time has amounted to a declaration of
war for Museveni. During February and April, a war between
Uganda and Rwanda in the Ituri region was expected.
On 6 March, the Ugandan troops chased Lubanga out of the city
of Bunia. Today, three months later, the Ugandan army, under
strong international pressure, finally has withdrawn from the
Congo. The pro-Rwandan militias of Lubanga are stronger than
ever. Despite all peace agreements, they have been able to
occupy Bunia and install a regime of terror there. The only
explanation for this is that Lubanga has continued to get
enormous quantities of arms and support from Rwanda.
*Does Europe really want to put an end to the genocide in the
Congo?*
The doubts of the Congolese president Kabila concerning the
European intervention in Bunia are well-founded. In return
for his green light for the European intervention, Kagame,
supported by the United States, has obtained that condition
that the UPC militia is not to be disarmed. The UPC will simp-
ly retreat during three months, to the camps and bases outside
the city of Bunia. Bit it continues to claim the right to ad-
ministrate the city and the region. It continues to threaten
the population in radio transmissions and retains control of
economically important resources, including the gold mines of
Mongbwalu.
The risk thus is great that after 1 September, the pro-Rwandan
militias return to Bunia and resume control of it. This would
be unacceptable to Uganda and would provoke a new chaos.
One in fact has to ask whether the European Union really wants
peace and stability in the Congo. It rather looks as if Bunia
is considered by the European powers to be an occasion and an
exercise for their developing, in the shadow of the United
States, an imperialist military policy of their own.
[COMMENT:
Such a joint military policy by a number of European
states, in my judgement, is not necessarily an impe-
rialist one, although of course the countries in ques-
tion are imperialist ones, participating in the large-
scale exploitation of the oppressed countries in the
world. But it above all is by teaming up with US impe-
rialism, whose enormous military forces they are con-
tributing towards supporting financially too, that the
European bourgeoisies are engaging in actual imperia-
lism. The tendency within these bourgeoisies towards a
joint military policy, independent of the USA, on the
whole has an opposite character and should be suppor-
ted by the people.
For instance, in this case of the EU intervention in
Bunia, there in my opinion is no reason to criticize
it as an attempt to gain control of Congolese resour-
ces. Its main thrust is that it in a certain way op-
poses the machinations against the Congolese people by
the US imperialists, and the criticism to be directed
against it, I hold, is that it does so far to little
and far too weakly.
- RM]
A British government official has stated, as justification for
sending an European intervention force, the following: "The
Europeans have had an obvious wish to show that we can, after
Iraq, work together on defence problems and not only on econo-
my problems." (Note 5: The Daily Telegraph, 29 May)
Solana, the European Unions spokesman on foreign affairs, has
said straightforwardly that the military intervention in Bunia
is a starting point for a European defence policy. (Note 6: Le
Soir - Belgian newspaper - 20 May) The French defence minis-
ter, Michèle Alliot-Marie, has let there be no doubt about it:
"Defence Europe, thats a means to confirm the continent as a
power." (Note 7: Le Soir, 20 May)
Verhofstadt [Belgian prime minister - RM] has utilized the si-
tuation in Bunia for reopening the debate on a Belgian milita-
ry presence in central Africa.
[COMMENT: Behind *this*, no doubt, there *are* impe-
rialist interests, with others than Belgian ones in-
volved too. - RM]
Le Soir wrote: "The perspective of a multinational force in
Ituri, led by the French and with the support of British
troops, while Belgium would have to limit itself to periphe-
ral operations, has shaken the last obstacle." (Note 8: Le
Soir, 8 June)
Europe is utilizing the 4 million Congolese deaths in order
to further its own plans for interventions of aggression.
[COMMENT: No. Basically, this criticism is not correct. - RM]
How can the Congo get out of it? Above all, it must have a
strong army which is capable of defending the countrys inde-
pendence against the Rwandan aggressors and against all fo-
reign threats and interference.
Belgian and European progressive people must denounce the
American imperialism as the main culprit responsible for the
four millions of victims of the war in the Congo. They must
support the policy of independence and of autonomous develop-
ment of the Congo, while combating all forces of neo-colonia-
list European interference in the economic and military areas.
It is up to the Congolese government to decide how to exploit
the contradictions between American hegemonism and European
imperialism while, all the time, safeguarding its independen-
ce.
[COMMENT: On this, I agree completely. - RM]
* * *
"NEWS ON CONGO" postings bring statements by the Congo National
Association in Sweden and the DR Congo Committee in Sweden and
also reproduce information and analysis from other sources.
Postings are sent to:
- some 30 Usenet newsgroups, on politics and/or on Africa
- some 5 international discussion mailing lists
- some 400 private, media or governmental e-mail addresses
[This endnote is being updated continually, in order to show
readers where at the time they can best get information. Last
update of this note: 20.04.2002.]
Some websites with information in English and/or in French on
the DR Congo:
Official site of the DR Congo:
http://www.rd-congo.com/
Site of the DR Congos Permanent Mission at the UN:
http://www.un.int/drcongo/
(With much information, i.a. continually updated news in
French and English; NB new address this year)
Kinshasa newspaper lAvenir:
http://www.groupelavenir.com
The Mai-Mai movement, fighting the aggressors in the east:
http://www.congo-mai-mai.net
Mjumbe wa Kivu, a site on the occupied Kivu province, with
i.a. a forum to which the Mai-Mai movement and also the
resistance movement les Forces Républicaines Féderalistes
have contributed: www.kivu.net
Great Lakes Press: http://pages.infinit.net/glp/index.htm
Congo 2000: www.congo2000.com
Digitalcongo.net: http://www.digitalcongo.net
Two Belgium-based sites support the struggle of the DR Congo:
www.lai-aib.org/index fr.htm and www.ptb.be/Solidaire.htm
Two other Belgium-based sites: ATMA: www.atma.net and
Congon-
line: www.congonline.com (the last only for subscribers).
An English-language website managed by Richard Alcorn, USA,
with i.a. much material from August 1998 on from us supporters
of the DR Congo in Sweden: www.crocker.com/~acacia/congo.html
(This site has no more recent material; last updated Nov 1998)
AllAfrica.com: http://allafrica.com/congo kinshasa/
(Replaces an earlier site, Africanews)
Marekinc: http://www.marekinc.com
(Managed by Ed Marek, formerly of the US Air Force. Often ap-
parently well-informed and, of late, containing considerable
criticism of the official US position on the aggression. Its
informations should be treated with great caution anyway, ex-
perience shows.)
"Rebel" aggressor puppets, a site based in South Africa:
www.congo.co.za
Three discussion sites of interest:
www.egroups.com/list/congokin opinions
(Belgium-based. E-group discussions are in French and English.
For participation, contact or <congokin
opinions-owner@egroups.com>.)
www.egroups.com/list/cdf
(Congo Defence Fund)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CONGOTRIBUNE/
(Founded 09.11.2001)
Some contact addresses:
Congo National Association
Box 5343 SE - 102 45
Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 8 - 471 96 26 (chairman)
+46 - 8 - 84 57 18 (facility)
Fax: +46 - 8 - 751 26 06
DR Congo Committee (Chairman: Bony Ndjov-a-Shamalo)
c/o Rolf Martens
Nobelvaegen 38U4
SE - 214 33 Malmoe
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 40 - 12 48 32
E-mail: congocomse@hotmail.com