According to the latest reports, m23 leader sultani makenga is in kampala, uganda, for peace talks at the invitation of the ugandan military. This document contains a letter that lt col anatole nsengiyumva, head of military intelligence services, wrote to the chief of staff of the rwandan armed forces. The rwandan government denied any involvement in supporting the m23. Hundreds of young men and boys were recruited in rwanda and forced to cross the border into congo and fight with the m23. Another focus is the spillover of rwandas actions on other countries. Final report of the group of experts on the democratic republic of.
Nairobi, 3 april 20 irin the m23 rebellion, the latest of a string of armed insurgencies in the democratic republic of congos drc north kivu province, has been active for one year now. This content was written by a student and assessed as part of a university degree. Supported by the tutsidominated government in burundi, rwandan tutsi refugees there began launching unsuccessful attacks into rwanda. United nations officials stated that, in addition to the rwandan troops. Intervention brigade authorized as security council grants mandate renewal for united nations mission in democratic republic of congo resolution 2098 20. A united nations report found that rwanda created and commanded the m23 rebel group. The democratic republic of the congos m23 in focus. Nov 23, 2012 uk cannot ignore evidence of rwandan involvement with congolese militia. In a mostly symbolic sign, the us one of rwanda s firmest international backers cancelled the transfer of usd 200000 in military aid. Undp united nations development programme uneca united nations economic community for africa unfpa united nations population fund unep united nations environment programme unhcr united nations high commissioner for refugees unhrc united nations human rights council unicef united nations childrens fund unifem united nations development fund. According to a recent united nations report, the m23 has received significant military, financial and political support from senior members of the rwandan. The report said 14 former m23 soldiers told the group of experts that rwandans who deserted m23 and tried to go home to rwanda were forcibly returned to m23 by rwandan army officers. Rwanda continues to be led by the rpf and president paul kagame, commander of the forces that ended the genocide.
The group finds that rwanda is providing extensive support not just to the m23 rebellion, but to six other armed groups in the eastern congo. The 49page report, which was prepared by a panel of four u. Keys to success included initiative, surprise, unity of effort, leadership, and discipline. The governments of rwanda, and uganda, with the support of the drc, international community, should agree on a clear process for the return and demobilization.
Background and current developments congressional research service summary in 2003, rwanda held its first multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections in decades. Among the guidelines and conclusions in this report is that the m23 officers and soldiers in rwanda and uganda must be counted, registered, and the legal status of their leaders clarified. Examining the role of rwanda in the drc insurgency. United nations group of experts on the democratic republic of congo. Democratic republic of congo, attacks against and military.
Security council member states as part of the groups interim report process. The elites of the former regime were largely replaced. Democratic republic of congo, involvement of monusco how. Since the group submitted the addendum to its interim report, the mouvement du 23 mars m23 has continued to carry out military operations and expanded the.
European donors had shamed rwanda into scaling back its support for m23. Rpf leaders dominated the process and other parties were only admitted if they recognized the rpfs supremacy. In 2007, the office of the high commissioner for human rights ohchr deployed the human rights adviser hra in rwanda to focus on, inter alia, the provision of technical assistance to rwanda to comply with its reporting and followup commitments to treaty bodies. The recent fighting in eastern congo and its implications for peace. Security council issues statement welcoming end of. The group has, however, found no substantive element. Intervention brigade authorized as security council grants. Rwanda also has a shortage of medical professionals, with only 0. Rwandas request to address the council was in response to the 26 june group of experts report which asserted that rwanda was supporting the m23. During the fardcs offensive operation against the m23, the uns fib played an important supporting role. Condemning the 19month m23 insurgency in the democratic republic of the congo, the security council issued a presidential statement today, welcoming the armed groups announcement of an end to.
Feb 06, 2017 licensed to youtube by waxploitation on behalf of waxploitation. News and information about africa issues and problems, human rights abuses, unpunished war crimes and crimes against humanity in africa, uks policy in africa and ukafrica politics and foreign relations, e. Rwanda was elected to the united nations security council. According to the dr congo government, 25 rwandan members of m23 have surrendered as part of a total of over 370 m23 soldiers that have allegedly surrendered by 25 june.
M23s chain of commanding is said to end with rwandas defence minister james kabarebe. The stakes are therefore both economic and geostrategic but they have been uncovered, including by the latest united nations report which accused ugandan and rwandan officials of supporting m23, the socalled rebel group in the democratic republic of the congo, and recommended to the united nations that it sanctions kampala and kigali. The united nations report of the mapping exercise documenting the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed within the territory of the democratic republic of the congo a drca between march 1993 and june 2003 a reporta is a dramatic reminder of both the scope and the gravity of the crimes committed by several state and non. Johnnie carson and susan rice are not motivated to lie by loyalty to african military strongmen. In the wake of the discovery of three mass graves in the eastern part of the democratic republic of the congo drc in late 2005, the united nations first announced its intention to send a human rights team to conduct a mapping exercise in drc in a june 2006 report to the security council.
But links to m23 have already lost rwanda direct budgetary support and high profile military victories by the rebels are causing kigali a diplomatic headache. Following the publication of the addendum to its interim report s2012348add. Fardc and the uns fib attacked and defeated the m23 during a 4day period, 2528 october 20. The m23 relied on significant support from rwandan military officials who planned. Bosco ntaganda and culminates with the minister of defence of rwanda, gen. Nov 27, 2012 rwandas president kagame might have the most to gain from m23s successes in the eastern drc, but he may also have the most to lose. Fragility risks for rwanda going forward, and lessons to draw from rwandas case, are highlighted throughout, but summarised together in the conclusion. Explaining rwandas 1994 genocide university of denver. A552 united nations report of the security council 16 june 199915 june 2000 general assembly official records fiftyfifth session supplement no. She will chair the 2019 vnrs, with the help of four vicechairs of the council. Final report of the group of experts on the drc submitted in accordance with paragraph 4 of security council resolution 2021 2011 s2012843. Rwandan genocide the slaughter of 800,000 people youtube.
Jun 02, 2012 the report deals exclusively with rwandan support to armed groups and sanctioned individuals in the eastern congo, and the findings are extremely damning. Security councils group of experts said in a confidential report that rwanda and uganda despite their strong denials continued to support m23 rebels in their sixmonth fight. Rwanda to immediately end any support for the m23 and withdraw military person. Oct 04, 20 us blocks military aid to rwanda over alleged backing of m23 child soldiers. Nov 01, 2012 the dialogue followed a meeting of the 1533 committee with the parties. Obama urges rwandan president to stop support for m23 rebels. The failure by the united nations to prevent, and subsequently, to stop the genocide in rwanda was a failure by the united nations system as a whole. This report documents the repression of political protests around. Forty years later, on july 10, 1999, drc, along with angola, namibia, zimbabwe, rwanda, and uganda, signed the lusaka ceasefire agreement for a cessation of hostilities between all belligerent forces in the congo. M23 s chain of commanding is said to end with rwanda s defence minister james kabarebe. Uk cannot ignore evidence of rwandan involvement with. Establishing the truth is necessary for rwanda, for the united nations and also for all those, wherever they may live, who are at risk of becoming victims of genocide in the future. Though m23 is just the newest rebel group among many, it is emblematic of the failure by the congolese government and the international community to address the development and governance issues that undermine peace prospects.
The m23 relied on significant support from rwandan military officials who planned and commanded operations, trained new recruits, and provided weapons, ammunition, and other supplies. November 2012 monthly forecast security council report. Media reports indicate that germany, the netherlands, the uk and the us have cut development assistance to rwanda as a result. Wikimedia commons has media related to march 23 movement. The fundamental failure was the lack of resources and political commitment devoted to developments in rwanda and to the united nations presence there. The government of rwanda has continued to support m23. The government of rwanda has continued to support m23 and other armed.
The uk, the us, holland, germany and sweden then cut or delayed aid to the central african nation, even though this will not do major damage to the rwandan economy directly. Examining the role of rwanda in the drc insurgency crisis group. The support was provided in strict compliance with the human rights due diligence policy on united nations support to nonunited nations security forces. Aresa, latinautor, abramus digital, bmg rights management, and 4 music rights societies show more show less. Us blocks military aid to rwanda over alleged backing of m23.
Thus, the rpf should be considered a spoiler, and an important underlying cause of the instability in the eastern congo, through its consistent support of numerous belligerent armed groups. Great lakes region to install motion sensors and nightvision cameras on the few. United nations s2012843 security council distr general 15 november 2012. As world leaders have expressed regret over failing to stop the massacre of as many as one million people.
In the elections that followed, president kagame and the rpf won by disabling the opposition. As such, despite its aid dependence, rwanda is a fiercely proud country and the rpf is, perhaps rightly, skeptical of the depth of the international communitys commitment to rwandas security and to peace in the region. The physical closeness of events just serves to cement kigalis guilt in the eyes of international observers. Recruitment of m23 rebels to suppress protests in the democratic. Recruitment of m23 rebels to suppress protests in the. The united nations development programme undp is monitoring the countrys health progress towards millennium development goals 46, which relate to healthcare.
M23 from the democratic republic of the congos drc city of goma is the latest episode of the countrys instability. Final report of the group of experts on the drc submitted. The uk, the us, holland, germany and sweden then cut or delayed aid to the central african nation, even though this will not do major damage to the rwandan economy directly since that aid represents only 3% of state budget. In brief congressional research service summary rwanda, a small landlocked country in central africas great lakes region, has seen rapid development and security gains since about 800,000 peoplemostly members of the ethnic tutsi minoritywere killed in the 1994 genocide. The final report accuses rwanda of commanding the m23 and uganda of supporting the rebels.
Violence has plagued the democratic republic of congo drc since its emergence from belgian colonial rule in 1960. While many within and outside the region feel that the rwandan government deserves. On 15 november, m23 launched a major offensive against the congolese armed forces in north kivu. Land and water department economic and social development fisheries and aquaculture forestry programme support and.
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