The Tutsis, police force for the Americans in Africa


Londende Lokenge
10.31.98


Summary:

I. The New phase of the neo-colonialism in Africa
II. The G-7 summit in Denver
III. Why the Americans chose the Tutsis
IV. Military humanitarian aid in Rwanda and Uganda
V. Diplomatic aid
VI. Conclusions

I. The New phase of neo-colonialism in Africa

The invasion and destabilization in the Democratic Republic of Congo showed the new role that the American government designed for the extremist regimes of Rwanda and Uganda: to serve as transcontinental police force in Africa.

With the end of communism, the Occidental imperialism enter a new phase of neocolonialism in Africa: to exploit on a big scale the african resources to respond to the necessities created by the availability of new markets. The establishment of a transcontinental police in answer of the requirement to guarantee the accesability of mineral resources, to impose the political and economical will of the Occident and to destabilize African regimes that want to stop the aspirations of the Occidental imperialism.

Conscious of the new role of the police in Africa and the unconditional support of the USA did not Kagame declare on press conference in Brussels: "Nobody can do anything in the Congo without my knowing".

II. The G-7 summit in Denver

Though the U.S. started the establishment of transcontinental police in Africa before '95, it was the G-7 summit in Denver in 1997 that officially birthed the new orientation of Occidental imperialism in Africa. The Congressional Black Caucus, a group of black representatives in the American Congress, qualified this summit as "second Conference of Berlin". During this summit, France and the U.S. decided to bury their divergence about Africa and to follow a common policy. It is ironic that the principal resolution of this summit did not propose any concrete solution to the crucial problems of Africa. On the contrary, it only called for the immediate availability of the Africa resources to the occidental multinationals.

To understand the true intentions of this summit, one only needs to examine the concrete actions that followed. In fact, since octobre '97 a law: the "African Growt and Opportunity Act", constructed by american multinationals in Africa, was introduced by the American Congress. This law recommends amongst other things, the privatization of all economic sectors of Africa, reduction on taxes for multinationals, elimination of all restrictions on investments, flexibility on laws about protecting the environment, etc.

Why the Americans chose the Tutsis

The Americans did not chose the extremists Tutsis by chance. This was thought over with care. From american perspective, the extremists Tutsis from Rwanda and Uganda have the right conditions to fulfil the role of transcontinental police in Africa. The following points make the Tutsis the ideal choice:

1. Solidarity. After comparative analysis of behaviour of politicians in the region of the Great Lakes, the Americans were charmed by the solidarity and political consistency found in the Tutsis. Those two elements are the basis that form loyalty. An expert of the American politics in the Congo an insider of the official environment of Washington, revealed also recently (declaring) that the official american environment admires the solidarity of the Tutsis and considers that, opposed to the people from the Congo, the Tutsis do not yield easily under pressure. On top of that they stay joint and do not betray their cause. Follows, that for the Americans they appear to be feasible allies.

2. The Tutsi regimes are ethnical minority dictatorships, opposed to the Hutu majority. Because of this, live in constant insecurity. Their survival, like the example of Israel, depends on outside strength for protection. This insecurity inclines them therefore to seek the protection of someone bigger. The U.S. understood, and decided to exploit this.

3. Rwanda and Uganda are two poor countries. Consequently, they would be billing to serve the interests of America for a reward. This could be in the form of donations , aid to development, humanitarian assistance, loans and other favours at the level of international institutions. In the case of the invasion of the Congo, although the final reason is to allow the american multinationals to exploit as they like the resources of the Congo, meanwhile it allowed these regimes to take their share of the loot, plundering Congo's richness and illegally claiming the mining concessions.

4. Guiltfeelings about the genocide in '94. The extremist Tutsi regimes use, uninterrupted, the genocide of '94, to remind the Occident continuously of their apathy towards this happening.

Still feeling responsable themselves for the contragenocide of more than 400.000 Hutu refugees, Museveni and Kagame continue to brandish the phantom of an imminent genocide against Tutsis, to benefit from American military aid. Those last ones take advantage: while the rest of Africa is still moved by the genocide of '94, they introduce their neocolonial police in Rwanda and Uganda with the excuse to prevent another genocide.

5. Similarities in social-history. The U.S. also felt attracted to the extremist Tutsis regimes for the similarities they have to the American racist regime. Actually, for more than four centuries the black people were enslaved and oppressed in the U.S. because of their race. In Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi the minority Tutsi have overpowered the majority Bantu for five centuries and continue to apply ethnical apartheid.

It is said: like attracts alike. These similarities ended up creating a moving closer and sympathies between one and another. Last march, while many voices were raised to ask from Bill Clinton ask the Africans forgiveness during his journey to Africa for the ill fated role the Americans played in the Slave Trade, Museveni no apology is needed declaring that "if the Africans were enslaved in America was not that due to their stupidity instead of due to the Occidentals?" This state of spirit is that not a ferm of justifying their own hegemonic attitude has brought the extremist Tutsis regimes together with racist Southafrican groups.

6. The warlike and bloodthirsty tutsi culture. This element forms the basic principle of the succes of this transcontinental force. This culture of genocide and violence allow the Tutsis to kill with brutality and without remorse. And explains how they were willing to exterminate coldly the six million inhabitants of Kinshasa when they cut the supply of water, electricity and food to this city. And american diplomat admired this warlike and merciless spirit of the Tutsis and stated that they have "a determination that must not be under estimated" -quoted by the Washington Post. This same paper adds likewise that "Washington considers Kagame and excellent military man with good strategy around whom they decided to promote stability in the region of the Great Lakes".

IV. American military aid in Rwanda and Uganda

Lynn Duke of the Washington Post writes in the copy of 14 july '98 that a member of Clinton's administration, questioned about the massive military help of the U.S. in Rwanda, declared that "it was necessary to establish a powerfull military regime in the region of the Great Lakes to impose military solutions to the conflicts".

It is this way of perception that was dictated the U.S. military assistance in Rwanda and Uganda. And in this same context the motives for the actual invasion of the Congo must be defined. Having clearly understood the American vision for Africa, Rwanda and Uganda can act freely without worries. The U.S. military assistance to these two regimes come essentially from a special budget from the Pentagon. This assignment is not under control of the Congres and the American public. But is a result of a law of 1981 that gives each year millions of dollars to the Pentagon to finance the Special Forces abroad. In this frame, Washington has transformed Rwanda and Uganda into an American police force in Africa.

Besides supplying war supplies, Rwanda and Uganda take actively part in programs of military formation and assistance like:

1. Rapid Intervention Force (R.I.F.)

Also called "African Crisis Response Initiative" (ACRI). This programme started in '95. Although other African countries take part as well, specially Senegal, they are mostly men from Rwanda and Uganda because of the '94 genocide. Millions of soldiers and official Tutsis take each semester part in those military formations assured by the green barets, a special unity of the 3d Division of the Special Forces of Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Within the framework of this programme there is also "Super Raid Intervention Force", an elite battalion formed by American soldiers only. This group of less than 1.000 men, is actually being formed at this moment in Germany. Under the direction of the American general John Jumper a horrendous killing machine is being formed. It is famous for it's mobility and sophistication. Its function is intervention in Africa to assist the Tutsi forces in case of crisis and to defend American interests when they are threatened. Its first performance will take place in Rwanda before this year ends, where it will concentrate on training exercises with Tutsi militaries.

2. International Military Education and Training (IMET)

This program forms an advanced military training. Historically, many military dictators as well as their execution pelotons were trained here. Like the "tontons macoutes" of Haiti and the bloodthirsty brigades of Chile, Argentina and other countries. Many official Tutsis are enlisted in Fort Bragg and Fort Leavenwoth in Kansas. It is in the frame of this program that Kagame, at the time an official in the army of Uganda, took part in a military formation in 1993 together with other Ugandese officials.

3. Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET)

This program is supervised bt the Marine, Infantery and Air Force. Its purpose is to give allow Tutsi troups military experience. The unities of 3rd and 3th Special Forces take part. They train military discipline like camouflage techniques, preparing battles, mobility of reduced unities, maintaining war material, navigation at night, etc.

4. Rwandan Interagency Assessment Team (RIAT)

This projet was conceived specially to evaluate the efectiveness of military trainings od soldiers and officials of Rwanda, with the idea to recommend solutions to improve in case of necessity.

5. The invasion of Congo

According to various sources, the U.S.A. contributed logistic support to Rwanda and Uganda. In fact, according to "Le Soir", a days before the invasion of the Congo, some military experts were seen near the border with the Congo. Besides, two American warships were operating at the latitude of Matadi serving the communication network between Goma, Kigali and Kitona. Also directing the communications of the control tower of the military airport of Kitona. And more over: "American instructors were training Serbian, Colombian, Somalian and Southafrican mercenaries in the locality of Dedia, near isle of Idjwi in the province South Kivu".

V. Diplomatic support

The American diplomatic initiatives in favour of the extremist Tutsis of Museveni and Kagame confirm the existance of a solid clientelistic relationship between the American government and these last ones. To illustrate:

1. To give Museveni and Kagame a good image, the U.S. as well as their Occidental allies, keep presenting these two extremist Tutsis as model directors of Africa, the leaders of the so-called "African rebirth". The only purpose of Clinton's journey to Africa, whose culmination took place in Uganda, was to consecrate the new function of the police, that the American imperialism have assigned to these two leaders.

2. The U.S. have acted actively in favour of the impunity of Museveni and Kagame, with regard to their responsability for the contragenocide of the Hutus in the refugees camps in the Congo. In fact, under American pressure, the final version of the information of the U.N. about this, has been modified in replacing the word "genocide" for "massacre". With this action, Washington wanted to preserve the moral integrity of their protegees since these last ones use the Tutsi genocide to justify ethically their ethnical dictatorship.

3. The U.S. promotes the interests of Rwanda and Uganda before international institutions. For example: although the World Bank has establishes a reduction of the military budget of the country as a basic condition to receive aid, it continues to grant loans to the ethnical regimes of Rwanda and Uganda under pressure of America, although their budgets have raised more than 400% between 1995 and 1998.

4. Regarding the invasion of the Congo, there is undeniable evidence to confirm that the U.S. is the true hinge. Although it is clear that troups from Rwanda and Uganda have invaded the Congo (Uganda has confirmed that with arrogance), the U.S. has not denunciated this agression. And in the U.N., not one resolution noted to condemn it, after the cunnings of the Americans.

5. On the other hand, the U.S. justified openly this invasion of the Congo through Susan Rice, subsecretary of the State of African Matters, who said that Rwanda and Uganda have legitimate interests of safety that justify their agression. We remind ourselves also how Bill Clinton sent Howard Wolfe urgently to Africa during the Tutsi defeat from the west not to ask the agressors to retreat, but to make Angola and Namibie cut the aid to the Congolese government, although the Congo was the victim of this agression!

Moreover, according to the Zimbabwe newspaper, "Herald", Madeleine Albright, secretary of State, ordered the ambassador of the U.S. in Harare to intervene with the authorities of Zimbabwe to obtain a safe-conduct for the special force of the Ugandese army formed by the Americans, to leave the Congo.

VI. Conclusion

From all this information, we can confirm without mistake, that the extremist Tutsi regimes of Rwanda and Uganda really are the hands and legs of the U.S. imperialist police. Their action in the Congo therefore are to be seen in the global context of the American neocolonial policy in Africa.

Actually, according to an article published by "Jeune Afrique", Washington, the same as in 1960 to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, the decision to free themselves from the actual Congolese government, had already been made. The Americans are convinced that Kabila is antagonist in the imperialism vision conceived by the G-7 summit in Denver and supported by the American Congress in their resolution in the "African Growth and Opportunity Act".

In the 60ties the Americans used the ghost of communism to get rid of African nationalist leaders. Today they use the ghost of genocide, a local Tutsi creation. While during more than five centuries the Tutsis have been guilty of the cycle of violence that caracterises the region of the Great Lakes, they suddenly were excused by the Americans.

Although the American ambassador in Kinshasa recently expressed disapproval of Rwanda and Uganda, many observers stay sceptical. They estimate that those declarations only reflect the hypocrisy and the bitter cynicism that caracterize the American policy in Africa. One must remember that since the Slave Trade, America considers Africa as a plantnursery where they can take what they need to fit their economical necessities. America realized that the actual Congolese government blocks the way. So for the U.S. the decision stays firm and unchangeable.