The Jeune Afrique interview with President Paul Kagame that largely dwelt on the DR Congo imbroglio provided us with many points to ponder. He spoke about his disappointment with South Africa’s leadership, the threat posed by Felix Tshisekedi’s unhinged behavior and rhetoric not only to Rwanda but to the entire region, and also revealed the dishonesty of Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye. All in all, it was a riveting conversation between the President and François Soudan, the interviewer. The part of the interview that stood out to me was when President Kagame spoke about the “primitive politics” at the heart of the Tshisekedi-Ndayishimiye-FDLR coalition. François Soudan did not take the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic of ‘primitive politics’, but I want to do so today. ALSO READ: Kagame condemns ‘primitive politics’ driving DR Congo, Burundi, FDLR collabo In the case of the Tshisekedi-Ndayishimiye-FDLR axis, primitivity manifests in two forms, in my view. The first is the idea that ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. While this seems like a logical train of thought, it ignores the fact that some enemies are ‘enemies’ for a good reason. By aligning themselves with the genocidal militia, FDLR, Tshisekedi and Ndayishimiye are literally joining forces with an entity that not only seeks to commit genocide in Rwanda but are presently engaging in genocidal acts in DR Congo against the Congolese Tutsi. ALSO READ: Burundi president’s Kinshasa ‘gaffe’ exposes his intentions for Rwanda – analysts What makes this axis even more foolhardy, especially for Tshisekedi, is the fact that once this coalition disintegrates (and it will as surely as day follows night), the FDLR will once again turn its guns against unarmed Congolese citizens. They’ve been doing so for 30 years, and unless Tshisekedi has a change of heart and takes a hardline stance against them, which I think is unlikely, the FDLR will continue wreaking havoc in North Kivu Province. While the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’ concept is a time-honored modus operandi in international (and local) politics, the Tshisekedi-Ndayishimiye-FDLR axis is grounded in something much more primitive and sinister. It is, in my view, largely rooted in the colonial Hamitic theory that led, in Rwanda’s case, to the 1994 Genocide. These unfounded racial theories, which Belgian colonialists and missionaries took to heart and made the cornerstone of their colonial administration in Rwanda and Burundi, have found a home in the halls of power in Gitega and Kinshasa. And to be honest, these theories are subscribed to by a very large demographic in the region. ALSO READ: Congolese MPs pressure Tshisekedi to address FDLR presence For those who don’t understand the theory, let me explain in the most basic way I can. The story goes that the Hamites (a force supposedly made up of Caucasians) eons ago forcibly invaded lands that Bantu people called ‘home’ and then subjugated the ‘true’ sons of the soil. Obviously, that theory was, and is, nonsensical and racist. Unfortunately, despite the racist foundations of the Hamitic theory lacking anthropological merit, they form the basis of Hutu Power and Bantu ‘solidarity’ within the context of the Great Lakes region of Africa. That is why, in my view, there is such synergy between the Burundian forces (comprising Imbonerakure militia and army regulars), FDLR, and Congolese forces (an amalgamation of Mai-Mai, Wazalendo militia, and state troops). They see themselves as one and the same, fighting against ‘foreigners’, i.e., the Tutsi. According to the Hamitic theory, the Tutsi supposedly originated from Ethiopia (or somewhere in the Horn of Africa). Sadly, I have also noticed that the Bantu solidarity rhetoric is being espoused by some social media commentators from Southern Africa. To them, the SADC forces have come to help their Bantu ‘brothers’ against their historic ‘enemy’. When I think about the primitive politics at the heart of the Tshisekedi-Ndayishimiye-FDLR axis, I really worry about the future of the region. Even if today’s fires in eastern DR Congo are somehow quenched, the fact that leaders of nations still think and operate this way doesn’t give me much confidence to believe that they will equip their people for the future at hand. A future of artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and interplanetary travel. Our politics should be about preparing for the coming decades, so as not to become victims of global changes but rather beneficiaries of the coming dawn. We should be consolidating our forces, as Africans, for the coming multipolar world. Wasting time, resources, and human lives, on issues that have no bearing on the larger picture is, to paraphrase President Kagame, primitive. The author is a socio-political commentator
