mchambawima1
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 16, 2014
- 2,487
- 738
By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusives
UNITED NATIONS, January 11, more here -- After the January 2 expiration of the deadline for the FDLR militia to disarm or be "neutralized" by the UN's Force Intervention Brigade under the command of Herve Ladsous, a UN operation began in Eastern Congo... against the FNL rebels of Burundi.
Reference was made to a summit set up in Luanda, Angola, to speak more about the deadline, perhaps to extend it. Except that now, Angola itself has canceled this summit. As Google-translated:
"Canceled Luanda Summit on the disarmament of the FDLR: The joint summit ICGLR / SADC is canceled on the disarmament of the FDLR, negative forces operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, initially scheduled for January 19 in Luanda. The cancellation of the meeting was announced at a press conference Friday, 09/01, in Luanda, by the minister of Foreign Affairs, Georges Chikoti, which informed that the command of the operation, will now be assumed by the United Nations, and takes a compulsive character. According to the head of the Angolan diplomacy, the Rwandan Democratic Liberation Forces, FDLR, did not comply with the moratorium of six months, given by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, to disarm voluntarily."
So now what? As Inner City Press exclusively reported on January 9, MONUSCO's Martin Kobler has been proffered for the UN's top humanitarian job; Ladsous still refuses to answer Press questions; some Force Intervention Brigades, consonant with Ladsous, resist acting on the FDLR.
On January 9, Inner City Pres staked-out the meeting of the DR Congo Sanctions committee, speaking afterward to the chair and a half dozen members. That the FDLR put forward non-combatants with non-functional weapons for disarmament seems to be recognized. So now what?
Meanwhile the new DR Congo sanctions Group of Experts report, obtained by Inner City Press, has paragraphs on the lack of substance in FDLR disarmament to date, continued recruitment and collaboration with the Congolese Army.
Inner City Press previously exclusively published the full text of Group of Experts report and may do so in this instance. For now, given the deadline, consider these paragraphs, quoted in full:
"51. According to DDRRR data available to the Group at the Walungu camp,
many of the combatants were over 40 years old, among whom were a blind man and a man with only one arm. In August 2014, two former FDLR combatants from South Kivu told the Group they thought FDLR commanders had sent older and non-essential combatants for disarmament in order to prolong the disarmament process; a MONUSCO staff also expressed this view to the Group. In addition, during the Group's visit to Walungu, FDLR combatants told the Group they were part of the 'Leopard Battalion;' however, battalion structures no longer exist within FDLR."
This is relevant to consider when much is being made of FDLR disarmament to date. So is this, about new recruitment:
"72. According to former FDLR child soldiers and combatants, FDLR has also continued to recruit combatants during 2014, including children (paras. 123-124). A former FDLR combatant based in Lemera, South Kivu, told the Group that in February, FDLR forcibly recruited about 25 people, including children, in the villages of Kitopo and Miki, where there are many Rwandan refugees."
And this, on collaboration:
71. In its mid-term report, the Group recounted continuing collaboration at the local level between FARDC and FDLR (S/2014/428 para 54-55). Three former FDLR combatants, including a former FDLR radio operator based at the FDLR headquarters who was receiving messages from FDLR units, told the Group that FDLR often obtained ammunition from FARDC elements.
72. According to former FDLR child soldiers and combatants, FDLR has also continued to recruit combatants during 2014, including children (paras. 123-124). A former FDLR combatant based in Lemera, South Kivu, told the Group that in February, FDLR forcibly recruited about 25 people, including children, in the villages of Kitopo and Miki, where there are many Rwandan refugees.
After a closed door meeting of the UN Security Council on January 5, a Secretariat representative -- not Ladsous who refuses all Press questions, video here, but another -- said operations have begun.
But those inside the meeting pointed out it is called "shaping" the operations, targeting another group altogether. Deadline? What deadline?
On January 2, Inner City Press asked the UN for SG Ban Ki-moon's or his USG for Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous' comment or action.
A press release in French from the envoys was the response, now sent to some by the UN in English, here:
"International Envoys for the Great Lakes Region call for decisive actions against the FDLR
"Nairobi, 02 January 2015 – Today, 2 January 2015, marks the expiration of the six month grace period granted by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for the full and unconditional surrender and demobilization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The Team of International Envoys, comprised of UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Said Djinnit, UN Special Representative and Head of MONUSCO Martin Kobler, AU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Boubacar Diarra, EU Senior Coordinator for the Great Lakes Koen Vervaeke, US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and the DRC Russell D. Feingold and Belgium Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Frank de Coninck, note with concern that the FDLR has not met this deadline. Instead, the FDLR has used this six-month grace period to continue to commit human rights abuses against innocent people in Eastern DRC, recruit combatants, and champion its illegitimate political agenda. Ending the threat of the FDLR is not just a DRC responsibility; it is a regional and international responsibility. We all have a deep commitment to ensuring accountability for those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
By failing to fully comply with the decisions of the ICGLR, SADC, and the United Nations Security Council, the FDLR has left the region and the international community with no other option than to pursue the military option against those within the armed group that are unwilling to voluntarily disarm. The Envoys recalled the Communique issued by the 1 December meeting of the Guarantors of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) for the DRC and the region in which they "stressed the binding and non-negotiable character of the 2 January 2015 deadline". Indeed, there is no justification for further delaying the neutralization of a group that is responsible for a long history of heinous crimes.
The Envoys hereby call upon the DRC Government and MONUSCO, including its Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), to take all necessary measures to disarm the FDLR, in line with Security Council resolutions 2098 (2013) and 2147 (2014). The Envoys commend the troop contributing countries (TCCs) of MONUSCO, particularly those of the FIB, for their commitment to peace and security and for their many sacrifices in their efforts to protect civilians and neutralize other armed groups in eastern DRC. The Envoys note that the international community's expectations for the FIB are enshrined in MONUSCO's mandate. MONUSCO and its FIB must now engage in counter-FDLR operations, as directed by its leadership and in support of the DRC government, in fulfillment of their mandate to neutralize all armed groups.
The Envoys emphasize again to FDLR combatants and their dependants that, at any point, they can choose a peaceful path by entering into the existing DDR/RR program, which continues to successfully repatriate former FDLR to Rwanda. Over the years, several thousand ex-FDLR combatants have safely and successfully returned to Rwanda. The Envoys remain fully supportive of the DDR/RR process for FDLR ex-combatants, while encouraging the countries in the region to work together to ensure that those FDLR leaders responsible for serious human rights abuses are held accountable.
"The Envoys also encourage the signatory countries of the PSCF to fulfill all their commitments, including respecting each other's sovereignty as well as the commitment to "neither harbor nor provide protection of any kind to persons accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, or crimes of aggression, or persons falling under the United Nations sanctions regime". The Envoys further stress the importance for a comprehensive approach in addressing the root causes of conflict and instability, and encourage efforts of the regional leaders aimed at promoting confidence, understanding and cooperation between the countries of the region."
The UN has still not answered Inner City Press' question about the DR Congo government's crackdown on the Panzi Hospital.
Back on December 7, after more attacks in Beni in Eastern Congo, UN envoy Martin Kobler called for joint UN and Congolese Army actions against the perpetrators.
Not addressed are allegations that the Congolese Army FARDC has colluded with these and some other rebels, including the FDLR.
Questions have only grown as to why the UN's Force Intervention Brigade was deployed only against the M23, and not the ADF or FDLR.
Put atop UN Peacekeeping is Herve Ladsous, who argued for the escape of FDLR genocidaires into East Congo as France's Deputy Permanent Representative in 1994. Ladsous has refused to answer Press questions about this - videos here - and now about covering up rapes in Darfur, here.
Earlier in the week amid continued slaughter in Eastern Congo, with the government having thrown UN rights expert Scott Campbell out of the country, on December 2 there was an "urgent" press release by the Team of Special Envoys.
