Enough Project Policy Alerts provide a reaction and set of recommnendations to a significant development designed for policymakers, advocates, and other influential people participating in the policy making process.
After months of deliberations in Kampala, Uganda, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 rebel group are moving closer toward a deal that would provide amnesty and reintegration for all rebels, no matter the abuses they committed. Under the command of Sultani Makenga, the M23 is implicated by the United Nations in committing serious human-rights violations, including killing, maiming, sexual violence, abduction, and forced displacement.
While Kinshasa has offered M23 commanders amnesty and reintegration into the national army only on a case-by-case basis, the rebel group-which still has forces on the ground that have threatened to recapture the North Kivu capital city of Goma-is pushing for full amnesty and reintegration for all its members.
Reintegrating senior-level rebel leaders into Congo's army that have orchestrated the mass recruitment of child soldiers and massacres would do little to break the cycle of impunity that feeds Congo's astronomical levels of violence. Rank-and-file troops should be reintegrated, but unless the worst perpetrators of human-rights violations are brought to justice, there will be no lasting peace in eastern Congo. Furthermore, if there are no major initiatives to demobilize large numbers of rank-and-file combatants and to reform the Congolese army, the professionalism of that army will continue to deteriorate, continuing to result in serious repercussions for the civilian population.
[view whole blog post
]
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
See More
Report Abuse