Saleh Mwanamilongo

07/15/12

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Rebels in eastern Congo are threatening to view United Nations peacekeepers as hostile forces unless the world body explains its role and refrains from further attacks.

The veiled threat came only days after U.N. helicopter gunships on Thursday bombarded several of the M23 rebels' positions near Rutshuru in North Kivu province.

In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday, the rebels allege that civilians were killed in the air raids, without providing a death toll.

They say if the Security Council fails to explain the peacekeepers' "real mandate," they will assume that it has changed to make the U.N. an active partisan force, which would mean "to tell our forces to set up defenses against the U.N. troops, their infrastructure and staffers."

A detailed response is necessary to avoid that the M23 rebels will respond to armed attacks in the same way, "regardless of who is the author" of such an attack, said the letter dated Friday.

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AFP

07/15/12

ADDIS ABABA — Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed Sunday to an international force to neutralise rebels in eastern DR Congo, as the African Union said it was ready to send peacekeepers there.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame told AFP both sides had agreed "in principle" to accept the force.

He was speaking after his first face-to-face meeting with DR Congo President Joseph Kabila since a UN report in June accused Rwanda of supporting Congolese rebels. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the African Union biannual summit.

Earlier Sunday, AU Commission chairman Jean Ping had told leaders the bloc was ready to contribute to a "regional force to put an end to the activities of armed groups" in DR Congo.

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Igihe

07/15/12

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has a private meeting with President Joseph Kabila of DRC this afternoon in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.  Details of their discussions are underway. However, it was expected that the two presidents would discuss the ongoing crisis in eastern part of DRC.

President Kagame arrived today in Addis Ababa for the 19th Session of the African Union Assembly taking place from 15-16 July 2012 under the theme “Boosting Intra African Trade and which aims to build upon the commitment of all nations to achieve integration, economic growth and development.  President Kagame will participate in a closed session for the voting of the Chairman of the AU Commission and in a session for the heads of state of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region following the meetings of foreign ministers of ICGLR.

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Georgianne Nienaber

o7/15/12

Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind." ~~ George Orwell

Early on Thursday, July 12, 2012, the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) joined with the Congolese army (FARDC) and sent five Mi24 and Mi25 Soviet helicopters flown by Ukrainian pilots to bomb positions north of the provincial capitol of Goma. The goal was to conduct a joint operation with FARDC in opposition to the M23 rebel movement. MONUSCO was flexing its muscle in order to escape accusations of incompetence. In thirteen years, 20,000 troops with a budget of 1.4 billion USD  have been unable to protect the civilian population of eastern DRC, and the mission has been under increased scrutiny since its mandate came up for renewal in June.

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Soleil du Graben

14/07/12

En date du jeudi 12 juillet 2012, des hélicoptères de la MONUSCO et  ceux des FARDC ont décollé de l’aéroport de GOMA, en début d’après-midi, et ont pris la direction du Nord de la ville pour aller bombarder les positions occupées par le M23 lors d’une opération conjointe. Celle-ci dont l’objectif  était de prouver à suffisance l’implication de la MONUSCO sur le terrain des combats aux côtés des FARDC pour répondre aux  réclamations de certaines organisations de la Société Civile manipulées par le Gouvernement  Congolais, après la débâcle totale des FARDC qui ne sont plus en état de combat.

Cette opération  conjointe planifiée et exécutée à partir  des renseignements  fournis par les services d’intelligence des FARDC qui sont comme dans toute armée sur les positions  avancées du front proches de l’ennemi, n’ont pas permis d’atteindre l’objectif escompté et ont par contre aboutit au bombardement des habitations des populations civiles dans la Localité de KANYAMAGANA , Groupement de RUGARI, blessant plusieurs personnes  dont une femme tuée  Mme BUSHYE AGATHE et 4 autres qui ont été évacuées et reçoivent des soins en ce moment à l’Hôpital Général de RUTSHURU. 

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