Why the world must stand against FDLR’s impunity

Editor, Reference is made to Albert Rudatsimburwa’s article, “Want to save Congo? Help them get rid of the FDLR” (The New Times, July 21). The author gave an excellent recapitulation of one of the most important root causes of the DR Congo’s chronic malady. Another of those causes, in my view, is the poor calibre of the overwhelming majority of the Congo’s so-called politicians who seem as comfortable as their Western “friends”— in business, the NGOs, the Church, politics, and the media, not to speak of a huge UN bureaucracy dedicated to the DRC — all of whom derive varied benefits from keeping this tragic situation on the boil, seemingly to marinate forever. No one in the so-called international community can have any doubt that Rwanda will ever accept anything less than the complete disbanding of this genocidal group. And so, none can be in doubt that Rwanda will never be drawn into any unnatural processes that seek to cleanse these killers and yet it is quite clear that some people’s intention is not to find a durable solution to the Congolese malady but rather to kick the quest for it further into the long grass. The current situation is just too profitable for far too many powerful interests, all of whom have decisive influence on those who can choose on whether to finally really address the principal root cause of the DRC’s agonising illness: completely uprooting the Rwandan génocidaires from Eastern DRC fiefs. But that won’t happen any time soon. Why repair what they benefit from so well in its current condition, especially if they have a convenient scapegoat close at hand? The wonder is that the primary victims of this highly profitable but quite transparent scheme — the Congolese people — are seemingly oblivious to the way they are being played for suckers. Mwene Kalinda, Rwanda *************************** Well said. Having “liberated” Rwanda on the Congolese soil through rape, killings and enslavement of the Congolese people during 20 years, the FDLR are now being considered legitimate partners for talks with Rwanda by some countries? Why this kind of impunity? Military occupation of a sovereign state, economic predation, murder, rape, enslavement of thousands and thousands of Congolese men, women and children, just to end up being relocated in Kisangani for a stopover before being welcomed to some willing western countries? Is this world turning crazy? Faustin, Rwanda

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Why the world must stand against FDLR’s impunity