Nkunda has legitimate political grievances

At a recent press conference in Kigali, President Kagame said that Laurent Nkunda has legitimate political grievances. Most Congolese media and some international media spent time commenting on the statement. In one example, in a September 12 article of one of a major newspapers in Kinshasa, Le Potentiel, had a title reading “Kagame avoue son soutient à Nkunda,” meaning that Kagame acknowledges his support for Nkunda. President Kagame’s message was not different from the messages from MONUC, the peace keeping mission in DRC, the Security Council or the European Union. On September 12, the Security Council issued a press release concerning the ongoing conflict in North Kivu, one of the statement in the press release read “The members of the Security Council urge the Congolese authorities to redouble their efforts to seek a comprehensive political solution to address and resolve the root causes of the current tensions in the Kivus, in particular by convening the proposed round table.” In urging the Congolese authorities to seek a comprehensive political solution, the Security Council acknowledges that there are legitimate political grievances that are worth sitting on a round table for and work out together the political differences that are the source of insecurity that have made Kivu a living hell for over a decade. Is the Security Council acknowledging his support for Nkunda as well? MONUC, the united peace keeping force in DR Congo, has always made it clear that the Nkunda problem is not a military problem as portrayed by the Kinshasa Government but a political problem and has always urged both parties for dialogue. Is Monuc acknowledging his support for Nkunda as well? If MONUC, the Security Council and European Union did not see any legitimate grievances, I think they would have a different approach for a solution and instead of negotiations. They would probably support President Kabila for a military option. I have never heard any calls from these International institutions calling for the US to seek for a political solution with Bin Laden; instead they have supported the US in the war against Al Qaeda, simply because Bin Laden has no legitimate grievances other than terrorizing the world. I have not heard either any calls from these international institutions calling for Rwanda to negotiate with FDLR interahamwe, simply because the FDLR have no legitimate grievances and that everyone knows their responsibility in the 1994 Genocide and the atrocities they continue to commit today on the Congolese population. Some members of FDLR including their top leaders like General Rwarakabije chose to return home and they are together with other Rwandans trying to rebuild their country. I do not see any other excuse the remaining FDLR forces in Congo have, other than pursuing their goal of making sure no Tutsi living soul is still on earth. If the Congolese Government wants peace restored in Kivu, they have to be clear on what side they are on. Either the peace side or the FDLR side, which has shown no interest in peace so far. Arresting Laurent Nkunda will not solve the problem of insecurity in North Kivu. Another Nkunda will emerge as long as the problems that made him what he is today are not resolved. Ends

Opinions

Nkunda has legitimate political grievances