M23 : Tshisekedi Should Act Smart Or Banyamurenge Curves Out Own Country Threatening Regional Security
By Angel Lubowa
KAMPALA
WHAT looked like a presidential order by Rwanda government calling all it’s army units at it’s borders to come safe guard the capital, Kigali and government infrastructure caused some panic to some people on social media platforms recently.
A close friend of mine joked that president Paul Kagame who had invited his South African counterpart,
Cyril Ramaphosa to military congratulations with RDF if he so wished was starting to take shape.
I told him no. Such a presidential order whether real or imaginary must have been for diplomatic ambiguity and tactical.
If any Rwanda forces were beyond it’s borders in support of M23 for example, it served such a purpose otherwise the Rwanda army is known for its being on the ready within and out side Kigali to all it’s borders traditionally.
In any case the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy was seemingly starting to warn Rwanda to lose its annual global aid amounting to more than $1bn of global aid every year, including about £32m of bilateral UK assistance over D R Congo alleged invasion.
Ramaphosa had pressed the red button when he reduced Rwanda army to a militia force on his X handle arousing Kagame’s anger who immediately returned fire oh his own X handle of that magnitude.
South Africa government accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of killing South African peacekeepers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
In fact it warned that further attacks on its troops would be considered a “declaration of war”.
The M23 have taken over Goma and are threatening to advance to Bukavu and Kinhasha if not well handled.
In the wake of Goma’s take over and the death of about 13 members of South Africa army, president Ramaphosa felt that Rwanda is directly fighting alongside M23.
But Rwanda’s President Kagame too accuses South Africa of being part of a “belligerent force” involved in “offensive combat operations” to help the Congolese government “fight against its own people”.
These two countries have had some unhealthy relationship since the over decade long killing of former Rwanda intelligence chief Patrick Kalegeya in a top South Africa hotel and attempts on Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa’s life .
These were given political asylum by South Africa while Kigali wanted them for alleged engagement in subversive activities.
While South Africa says the attacks were the making of Kigali government, Rwanda denies such.
It’s there fore not very hot news if president Paul Kagame and Ramaphosa went for each other directly on M23 matters.
But the M23 wars will not stop at Rwanda and South Africa but set to spill over the entire great lakes region unless well resolved.
Already the president Tshikedi who has just joined the East African Community (EAC) Regional block is seemingly not so comfortable with Kenya and Uganda over problems in his country.
He seems more free with Tanzania, Angola , South Africa and Zimbabwe in their SADAC protocol.
However trusting any body or mistrust is not the solution. The solution lies in bridging the gaps between M23 and Kinshasa government.
DR Congo which has over 70 armed groups operating on its varsity mineral rich territory with M23 posing the greatest threat needs to play it smart.
M23 is allegedly fighting to overcome marginalisation of it’s Congolese Rwandese members otherwise better known as Banyamulenge .
It says Banyamurenge want services and recognition as other Congolese primary citizens and seem to be determined to what they want or else they curve their own country .
Much of the blame for their suffering is more rooted in the way country borders were dermacated during independence of these states by the colonisers.
Their intended failure to contain tribes in the newly independent states resulted in not having Rwandese in their own homeland of Rwanda and Burundi.
Instead minorities of the Tutsi and Hutu were bounded in neighboring countries mostly Uganda, Tanzania and D R Congo respectively.
While successive governments in counties where they now exist have fully assimilated and welcomed them, this is yet to fully happen in DR Congo and only if president Felix Tshisekedi can do this, the Banyamurenge will continue brewing wars and threateninregional stabilization.
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