DR Congo: The mirage of freedom will not be solved by external forces but by Congolese themselves

The fall of Goma and the death of 18 SAMIDRC soldiers (14 of them from SANDF), who were fighting without a cause—did not just send shock waves but also conveyed strong messages. One clear message is that conflicts in the DR Congo can and will only be resolved by the Congolese themselves—no one else. Let me extend my condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers who died for an unjustified cause. And I mean it! I know some people will think I am being sarcastic, while others may assume I am too naïve to sympathize with anyone fighting alongside the FDLR and those who collaborate with what French writer Jean-Pierre Chrétien has called “tropical Nazism.” The death of a 43-year-old South African corporal left me deeply saddened, especially after reading his final message to his wife. He wrote: Darling, I have been sent on a very dangerous mission with neither sufficient equipment nor adequate support. I am a soldier, so I cannot refuse orders. If you don’t receive another message from me, know that I am dead. Look after our children. Who wouldn’t empathize with this poor man? For me, his story draws a painful parallel to my own. Like him, at his age, I was fighting a war. Like him, I had left behind a wife and young children. Like him, my young daughter kept asking when I would come back. But there is a difference. When I joined the RPA to liberate my country, Rwanda, it was because I believed in the cause—not because I was a soldier who had no choice but to obey orders. I knew the odds were against me. I knew I could die. And this isn’t just my personal story—it is the story of countless officers and men who fought in the RPA struggle. Many left behind wives and children. Many, unlike me, were not so lucky. They never got to see their loved ones again. They died. But their deaths were not in vain—unlike those of our South African counterparts. The sacrifices we made, can best be captured by the words of Jamaican poet Claude McKay in his 1919 poem If We Must Die. Here are a few lines that resonate deeply: If we must die, let it not be like hogs, Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot... If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed in vain... Even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us, though dead! Can SAMIDRC or Burundian FDNB soldiers dying in the DR Congo recite these words with pride? Can they say their deaths carry honor and meaning? The reaction to the deaths of the 18 SAMIDRC soldiers should serve as a lesson—not just for them, but also for the DR Congo. Among the fallen were two Malawians. Just two were enough for President Chakwera to recall his troops. As for the South Africans, their leadership—from the President to the Minister of Defence to the Chief of Defence Staff— contradicted each other in various forums, including Parliament. And as always, the blame was placed on Rwanda and Kagame. Religiously, South Africa and the DR Congo have something in common—they believe in black magic. Like many who put faith in mystical powers, they often blend it with the Bible. So, I’m sure they’re familiar with the story of David and Goliath. No number of troops or heavy weaponry can rival the determination of a persecuted people fighting for their rights. Not to be outshined, even Julius Malema, normally one of Ramaphosa’s fiercest critics, decided to jump in. After bashing his former boss, he turned his combative rhetoric toward President Kagame, swearing to go after him. Malema! Oh my God. A man who has never even shot a bird with a catapult is now threatening generals who have been fighting wars for over 40 years. Commander-in-Chief Malema, when you come for your fellow Commander-in-Chief Kagame, I have a humble request: don’t send other people’s children to war. If you’re serious, like a real commander, grab an AK-47 and head to the frontline yourself. Once you're there, you might finally understand the difference between wearing a military beret in a political circus and wearing it in actual combat. And please, don’t forget to bring as many Sangomas as possible. You’ll definitely need them for a dose of Dutch courage. Last but not least, I can't end without commenting on the sight of well-fed, strong-looking Romanian soldiers being frog-marched by a young M23 fighter. As he barked orders at them, he shouted: Move! Move quickly! Don’t joke with M23. You are fighting for money—I am fighting for my life! FDNB No one seems to know what happened to the Burundian FDNB soldiers. But then again, unlike in South Africa, the Burundian parliament doesn’t ask questions, and President Évariste Ndayishimiye, instead of addressing the nation on the fate of their children, continues to focus on his favorite topic—food. He seems permanently stuck at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. As Maslow explains, in the primitive stage of human existence, survival is solely about securing food. Only when that need is met does one begin to think of anything else. As for Tanzania, it did what it always does—no unnecessary noise, no vuvuzelas. They entered North Kivu quietly and left just as discreetly, as if they were never there. To President Tshisekedi, as a wise person once said: Scars aren’t there to loudly announce, but rather, they quietly whisper, ‘You survived.’ The party’s over. Your invited guests have left. Understand that war isn’t Rumba or Dombolo. For the sake of the Congolese people, Engage with your countrymen—peace will come from within, not from outside. To be continued...

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DR Congo: The mirage of freedom will not be solved by external forces but by Congolese themselves