The Association for Peace and Justice Defense (APJD ONG)
Lubumbashi, Congo DR
05.20.01
Who is the major hindrance to peace in the Great Lakes Region? This question remains on issue of debate in the Great Lakes Region. However, many people are nowadays unanimous to confirm that it is chiefly KAGAME who constitutes the major hindrance to peace in the Great Lakes Region. The are many reasons to confirm the above assertion but the principal facts to illustrate the ill will of sanguinary dictator of KIGALI are the following:
1. At this very moment, the UN Security Council members lead by the French Ambassador LEVITTE are for the first time busy visiting countries of the region implied in the crisis undergone by the Great Lakes in general and more particulary in the war waged versus the DRC, to survey the real situation.
The targeted objective is nothing but the respect of cease-fire and to put on the smooth run the Peace process in DRC and in the Region. But meanwhile what is KAGAME doing?
Instead of withdrawing the troops of RPA, KAGAME, in reality leaves behind troops of "Congolese National Army", the new appellation of Congolese rebels (RCD - GOMA) under the command of Rwandan officers in a bid of concentrating his strong units in PEPA, MOBA, around KALEMIE where he has deployed a special battalion and in the North of KABALO. These troops make patrol everyohere terrorising the population and burning villages all along their passage. At the same time, the Rwandan troops have multiplied their attacks against the positions of FAP (Forces d'Autodéfence populaire) meaning "the peoples self defence Forces" around NYUNZU.
Thus, on 11 May 2001, the Rwandan troops attacked in mass a position of FAP at 10 km of NYUNZU and pursued their offensive on MASAMBA. On 12 May 2001, the Rwandan troops launched simultaneous attacks on localities of MASAMBA and of BIGOGO North of river LUKUGA, killing and massacring innocent populations. On 15 May 2001, the Rwandan troops attacked the locality situated at 16 km of NYUNZU along the NYUNZU - NIEMBA road.
The population repports the following :
a. The concentration of Rwandan troops at 25 km of KALEMIE and MAKALA bridge.
b. The concentration of Rwandan troops in KAMITUGA, KITUTU-KABAMBALE, SALAMABILA, NINEMBWE and FIZI.
c. The concentration of Rwandan troops in MBULULA. According to the observation, this attitude of the Rwandan troops has nothing to do with troops bound to respect the disengagement in a bid of going back to RWANDA. One would confirm that General KAGAME, as he has always done intends to hoodwink the International Community on his real intentions whereas he intends to spearhead the offensive in the Democratic Republic of CONGO. That is why, we confirm the information released by reliable sources that the HEAD QUARTERS of RCD - GOMA has suspended permissions and leave for the soldiers in order to intensify operations. Meanwhile, the Rwandan troops are busy searching systematically the zones of RUTSHURU, LUBERO, MASISI, WALIKALE massacring civilian populations and burning houses forcing populations to leave their homes and to find refuge in concentration camps. This criminal tactic of RPA is well known; very soon the troops of KAGAME will pursue these unfortunates and massacre them!
2. While the International Community shows its concern and decides to look into the matter of the Great Lakes crisis and considering the efforts deployed by the Government of CONGO in respecting the implementation of the LUSAKA Peace Agreement, the General KAGAME remains big headed.
From the mouth of his Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Anastase GASANA, he declared that the UN would not take sanctions against her RWANDA because of acts of looting and plundering the Congolese minerals of which cobalt and gold. He would not dare making such declarations if he had no support of certain powerful countries. And it is perhaps the same signification which should be attributed to the recent trips of Mr. Patrick MAZIMPAKA, advisor of Paul KAGAME in the Great Lakes affairs.
Moreover, he has recently confirmed on BBC Kirundi-Kinyarwanda, that troops of RPA would never leave CONGO as long as even one Interahamwe or Ex-FAR will still be on the soil of CONGO! One would wonder as to what is his inteded message, if the designed groups are already marked in order to be identified!
The Association for Peace and Justice Defence APJD NGO observes from such declarations a challenge thrown to the International Community by Mr. MAZIMPAKA and to be understood as such.
For that case, it means that the UN should cease being moved by the criminals such as Paul KAGAME.
3. KAGAME wants to bind the withdrawal of his troops from the DRC with the putting into place of the institutions asserted by the inter- congolese Dialogue. In that case, he pretends to impose himself as a policeman of CONGO and wants to influence the trend of Congolese politics whereby he would have a Government in KINSHASA under his control. Are the Congolese people so wicked to agree that bloody and deadly influence?
The question remains why does KAGAME deny to have a dialogue with his own Hutu and Tutsi opposition? Will it remain sufficient for him to continue talking of the so called threat of Interahamwe and Ex-FAR, to hoodwink the national and international opinion on the real problems of RWANDA?
The truth is that the situation is becoming more and more unbearable in RWANDA due to persecution, physical eliminations, disappearances, arbitray arrests, exclusion and monopolisation of all sectors of national life by RPF of KAGAME. Today, the Rwandans of all ethnic groups leave the country for refuge abroad.
The regime of Paul KAGAME is illegitimate he seized power by a coup d'Etat reguardless of the ARUSHA Peace Agreement. It is very urgent for RWANDA to recover her constitutional legality. It is an indispensable element to the security of RWANDA and of the whole Region. For that case, KAGAME should be compelled to agree an inter- rwandan Dialogue liable to review the social contract among the composites of RWANDA. As it had been done in ARUSHA on 4 August 1993.
The APJD NGO reminds that the achievement of that solution would be dependant on the commitment of the International Community and more principally the UN Security Council.
Failure to do so one would be right if he wondered whether Peace in the Great Lakes would only be depend on power held by KAGAME and his clique in KIGALI.