Blog Entries 1 to 10 of 17
As the M23 crisis has unfolded in the eastern Congo, the US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has emerged as a holdout within American foreign policy, a sort of minority report to the prevailing criticism of Rwanda and the M23.
The first indication of this emerged in June, when Rice delayed the publication of UN Group of Experts' interim report, insisting that Rwanda be given a chance to see the report first and respond. While these UN investigations are supposed to give the accused the opportunity to respond and explain--the Group says it was refused meetings by the Rwandan government, which Kigali denies--they rarely allow them to see the entire report before publication. In any case, the Group finally did brief a Rwandan delegation in New York in June in New York ...
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Goma has fallen to rebels. Who are they, and what does it mean for peace prospects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
What is the state of the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo?
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GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo -- Residents settled into an uneasy calm today "under our new masters," a day after mutineers from the Congolese army, now leaders of the M23 military wing, forced government troops, or FARDC, out of the city and took control of the lucrative border crossing between Congo and Rwanda. While over a thousand people flocked to Goma stadium to hear from the M23 leaders about their plans, Congolese President Joseph Kabila, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni held emergency meetings in the Ugandan capital aimed at stemming the widening crisis.
"The journey to liberate Congo has started now," M23 spokesman Vianney Kazarama told the crowd gathered at the rally. "We're going to move on to Bukavu and then to Kinshasa. Are you ready to ...
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UN and western governments signed up to false accord, leaving the people of DRC at the mercy of their tormentors
When the provincial capital of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fell to rebel forces yesterday, the rapidity of the rebel advance was shocking, but the fait accompli failure of both Congo's armed forces and the country's United Nations mission was not.
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I intended to post this last night. As it stands events have overtaken this news items
The New York Times reports
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GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo -- The city awoke to artillery and mortar fire today as rebels with the March 23 Movement, or M23, pushed into the outskirts of town, taking control of North Kivu province's main airport, a strategic point, around 11:30 this morning. Main streets in town were deserted, and local radio stations stopped broadcasting and only played music. Residents who had not fled as the rebels approached mostly sought refuge inside their homes. Along some side streets, women offered drinking water to the rows of government troops who trudged through on patrol, and young men helped soldiers carry their heavy weapons. Elsewhere, however, reports emerged of soldiers taking advantage of the chaos, looting shops and robbing people along the road.
In advance of today's attack, a ...
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The M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo took control of the provincial capital, trade port and NGO hub of Goma this morning. According to the Associated Press, "Explosions and machine-gun fire rocked the lakeside city as the M23 rebels pushed forward on two fronts: toward the city center and along the road that leads to Bukavu, another provincial capital which lies to the south. Civilians ran down sidewalks looking for cover and children shouted in alarm. A man clutched a thermos as he ran."
Reports indicate that the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) have provided little support during the advances by the M23 rebels. "MONUSCO is keeping its defensive positions. They do not have the mandate to fight the ...
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As the M23 engages in urban warfare in Goma (the latest news is that they have taken the town) one wonders what their strategy could be. While unfolding of the M23 rebellion has involved a lot of shooting from the hip--from all sides, including Kigali, the M23, and Kinshasa--one would imagine that by now, a strategy would have coalesced. So what is it?
In the past, I have speculated that it will be difficult for the M23 to conquer and hold territory, mostly due to their lack of manpower, which started off at around 400-700 and is probably around 1,500-2,500 now. They have been able to rely on Rwandan (and, to a lesser degree, Ugandan) firepower for operations close to the border (in particular Bunagana and Rutshuru, allegedly also this recent offensive), the farther into the interior they ...
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M23 sort of set out what they intend but in English at any rate it all gets a bit to much.
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