"It clearly appears that UN's outrageous attacks against the CNDP
are nothing else than a diversion maneuver with the scope of
trying to hide the failure of the MONUC action
in our country."

UN CONFLICTING CONGO

MONUC in late January reinforced its presence in Nord-Kivu,
where some 4,500 of its 17,000 troops
in the vast central African country are deployed,
mostly in the volatile east.

To Orwell Today,

Hello Jackie,

It has been quite some time since I got in touch. But I landed on this piece of news that shows the hypocritical moves on the part of the UN warmongers:

Genocide rebels are well financed in Congo - UN experts report. Rwanda Gateway, Feb 23, 2008

They so well know FDLR is the problem of the Great Lakes, and still they are forever looking for small fish.

But before you read that, I think you should look at the firm protest of General Nkunda's - very interesting. I hope it will sober them up a bit.

Warm greetings,
Antoinette Kankindi

Greetings Antoinette,

Yes, the last time we communicated was to share our mutual distrust of any peace coming out of the January Peace Conference in Goma that Kabila and the UN staged. See PEACE TALK NO ACTION.

It turns out we were right to be skeptical as the news these past few days has evidenced:

UN says rebels massacred 30 villagers in DR Congo. AFP, Feb 20, 2008

New blow to DR Congo ceasefire as Nkunda refuses to meet. AFP, Feb 22, 2008

Thanks for sending General Nkunda's response to the latest lies being spread by the UN against his CNDP movement, and also the article explaining how in fact the UN's own experts report that it is FDLR Hutus from Rwanda and their political and military allies - including FARDC, PARECO etc - that are behind the massacres and other atrocities going on in the Kivu provinces of Congo before, during and after the latest unPeace Conference.

All the best,
Jackie Jura

Protest Against MONUC Spokesman's Allegations and
Request of an Independent Mission of Investigation

Bwiza, February 21, 2008

Excellencies:

   - The Deputy Secretary for African Affairs, Department of State, in Washington, DC/USA
   - The Special Representative of the United Nations General Secretary in DRC, in Kinshasa/Gombe
   - The President of the African Union's Commission, in Addis-Abeba/Ethiopia
   - The European Union's Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, in Brussels/Belgium
   - Mr. Tim SHORTLEY, the Department of State's Special Advisor, in Washington DC/USA
   - The International Conference for the Great Lakes Region's Executive Secretary, in Bujumbura/Burundi

The CNDP's Political Office was informed through the press about the false and damaging allegations formulated against the Movement by Mr. KHEMAL SAIKI, the MONUC spokesman during the UN mission's weekly press conference in Kinshasa, on Wednesday February 20, 2008.

Those allegations of an exceptional gravity impute on our Movement the responsibility in the massacre of thirty civilians, which happened supposedly between January 16th and 20th, this year, in Kalonge locality and its surroundings. These false accusations have been formulated with a worrying superficiality, especially because they are based upon the sole testimony of a certain MUNYAMARIBA, an Administrative Chief in the said post. This particular witness is already known for keeping, with the complicity of Provincial Authorities, a private militia fully armed with war weapons.

Today, he is the head of an armed criminal group particularly active at this time. We are talking about no other group than the PARECO, which happens to be the Congolese cover group for the genocidaire forces FDLR/ex-FAR/Interahamwe. KHEMAL SAIKI's allegations are deprived of impartiality because of the fact that this particular UN agent does not work only for MONUC. At times like in this case, facts indicate that he turns out to be also a spokesman for criminal organizations called FDLR/ex-FAR/Interahamwe and PARECO. He takes upon himself the risk of vesting his partisan positions with international credibility. He should be ready to assume, fully and up to the end, the consequences of involving the International Organization he represents in such a compromising discredit.

It is worth noting that some weeks back, the same KHEMAL SAIKI distinguished himself with other false accusations claiming that the CNDP had enrolled 200 students in the TONGO locality. On the other hand, the MONUC Chief of the Bureau for North-Kivu, Mr. Alpha SOW has, during a consultation session that took under the International Facilitation on Wednesday, formulated an interpellation against the CNDP, arguing that a number of male individuals have been castrated by elements of our Movement. Certainly, it is clear that MONUC does not spare any means to damage the CNDP. This is so deplorable especially because the MONUC, and all its agents operating in North-Kivu, do perfectly know those barbaric crimes denounced are the major characteristic of the FDLR/ex-FAR/Interahamwe and PARECO's « modus operandi ».

Consequently, the CNDP declares its total indignation before such an obvious bad faith, as well as the huge and grave prejudice affecting the Movement because of those false allegations formulated with a clear intention of causing lasting damage. Thus, the Movement is requesting a mixed verification mission, constituted by the Government - the International Facilitation - and the CNDP, to be set up immediately so as to establish the truth about those false allegations. In order to avoid further distorting maneuvers that this dossier is intended to cause, the CNDP withdraws starting today, from all meetings concerning the Engagement Act's application. However, with the exception of the mixed verification mission and while waiting for the latter to start off, the CNDP decides to suspend all collaboration with the MONUC. The impartiality of this UN mission has been severely discredited by its agent's declarations, which clearly breach its status of a member of the International Facilitation overseeing the Engagement Act. But the CNDP is permanently available to all the other members of the International Facilitation, particularly with regard to the hereby mixed verification mission requested.

The CNDP takes note of the fact that those gravely false allegations are being argued by the MONUC exactly when, two weeks ago, the same MONUC declared its concern, in a Statement, over the extremely worrying situation prevailing in the Kamina Military Base. Indeed the Commando battalion stationed in that Military Base, after attacking a battalion made up of elements waiting for brassage, which means unarmed elements, was defeated and ousted from the Base. It is an obviously and extremely embarrassing situation for the MONUC, because it questions seriously the current modalities and conditions of the Army's integration under the brassage process, a process strongly advocated for and supported by this UN Mission. Consequently, it clearly appears that its outrageous attacks against the CNDP are nothing else than a diversion maneuver with the scope of trying to hide the failure of the MONUC action in our country.

The CNDP reiterates before the national and international opinion that its struggle is essentially consecrated to the Defense of the Congolese People against predatory politics, which have as a direct consequence, the betrayal, the exploitation and the impoverishment of the people. In consequence the CNDP can, in no way, practice any type of behavior or operations that could lead to the people's prejudice.

Respectively,
General Laurent NKUNDA MIHIGO
Chairman, CNDP

Genocide rebels are well financed in Congo
Rwanda Gateway, Feb 23, 2008

FDLR-FOCA [Hutu] rebels have become well-entrenched in the South and North Kivu provinces of eastern DR Congo and have developed diversified sources of financing that can keep them going for years, UN investigators have reported. The [Hutu] rebels under the banner Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda-Forces combattantes abacunguzi (FDLR-FOCA) are said to control mineral rich areas where they massively export deposits for revenue and arms. FDLR is the political arm and the FOCA stand in as the military wing.

According to a report by five experts for the UN Security Council, the FDLR-FOCA control cassiterite deposits north of Lulingu, in Shabunda region (South Kivu), in Nyabiondo, Walikale region (North Kivu), and in Lemera (South Kivu). They also manage gold deposits in Kilembwe (South Kivu). These minerals are transported to general collection points near the mining deposits. The output is typically transported by road and air by comptoirs (buying houses) to their headquarters, many of which are located in Goma and Bukavu - capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu respectively. To export the minerals, according to the investigators, the [Hutu] rebels use mainly boats on numerous rivers and particular routes such as Kanvinvira-Uvira-Bukavu-Hombo-Itebero-Kibua and Uvira-Kilembwe (South Kivu), as well as Ishasha-Nyabiondo-Remeka-Kibua, Ishasha-Nyabiondo-Kimua-Kibua Ishasha-Nyabiondo-Kishanga, Ishasha-Nyabiondo-Pinga, Kasindi-Butembo-Lubero-Kasuo, Kasindi-Butembo-Lubero-Kasuo-Ikore-Pinga-Nyabiondo (North Kivu).

The investigators say the [Hutu] militias, who number between 7000 and 9000, have introduced taxes paid by traders at six roadblocks along Shabunda-Bukavu road. Traders in Shabunda reported that, as a result, commodity costs were 'sufficiently prohibitive’ and that it was less expensive to transport goods by air, despite high air freight tariffs. Markets in areas under the control of FDLR-FOCA [Hutu], including Kibua, and Nyabiondo in North Kivu, Kahungwe, Sange and Kilembwe in South Kivu, are by order required to pay taxes.

Civilian associates of FDLR-FOCA produce a range of agricultural goods, including cannabis, both for their and the militia’s own subsistence needs and for sale at regional markets, the 35-page report indicates. FDLR-FOCA and its civilian associates exploit timber in Pinga territory, they poach hippopotamuses for both meat and ivory in areas under its control along Lake Albert in Lubero, as well as periodically steal and loot from civilians.

To keep their war machine intact, the [Hutu] rebels that according to the authorities in Kigali are blamed for the Genocide in Rwanda, the UN investigators say they have "smuggling networks" that provide a constant flow of arms. The experts say there are "strong indications that there are close links between some FARDC ([Kabila] DRC army) elements and FDLR-FOCA". These links, as the report shows include individual FARDC elements providing arms to FDLR-FOCA fighters and ad hoc revenue-sharing arrangements between FARDC elements and FDLR-FOCA. The [Hutu] militias apparently use "old" AK-47s, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades, 60/81/120 mm mortars and automatic machine guns.

The networks also smuggle goods ranging from household and electrical appliances to minerals, drugs, ivory and weapons. These goods enter and circulate within Congo by both land and lake routes. According to the investigators, the 17.000 strong UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) lacks radar detection and land-based mobile patrol teams to assist lake surveillance units. The DRC [Kabila] government for its part reported that it does not have sufficient customs storage and inspection facilities for tracking any such flows. The report affirms that there may not be any policy of cooperation between government and the [Hutu] rebels.

The UN investigators detail that the [Hutu] rebels keep their numbers by heavily recruiting children forcefully. The FDLR-FOCA [Hutu] also operates as part of an "informal network of armed groups". The partner militias formed recently, according to the report are Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance (PARECO) - that apparently has bases near the FDLR-FOCA high command. There is the "Rastas", a brutal gang-raping group that wears American football jerseys and brandish dreadlocks. The FDLR-FOCA has links with the Rally for Unity and Democracy-Urunana (RUD-Urunana) politically headed by Jean-Marie Vianney Higiro and Felicien Kanyamibwa, and the military commander Jean Damascene Ndibabaje (nicknamed Musare), all wanted in Kigali on Genocide. RUD-Urunana broke links with the FDLR in 2004 and has denied any connection to the FDLR or even being in command of armed wing. But according to the investigators, some combatants claim that they belong to RUD-Urunana.

KNOW NKUNDA CONGO

To Orwell Today,

Dear Jackie,

Greetings! Thank you so much. It's so difficult to know what else the UN and the Congolese government are going to do in their common effort to "protect" FDLR, but I personally fully support Nkunda's determination to stand firm against such gross violation of justice and fundamental rights of all the Great Lakes people!

-Antoinette Kankindi

Greetings Antoinette,

In the news today MONUC is blaming Nkunda's boycott of their meetings as the reason for there being no peace for the 800,000 internally displaced people to return home, although an observer rightfully points out that MONUC is to blame for not remaining neutral and thus giving Nkunda justifiable cause for his reaction. Notice also that the Hutu genocidaires, FDLR, aren't mentioned by name, just lumped in with "other armed groups" when in fact they are the root cause of the never-ending war in the Lake Kivu area.

Amahoro,
Jackie Jura

Nkunda boycott could leave IDPs stranded. IRIN News, Feb 26, 2008
...Nkunda said his boycott was a reaction to a report by the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) accusing the CNDP of killing at least 30 civilians between 16 and 20 January, while the peace talks were ongoing...He stressed that his movement was willing to work with the investigation into the alleged massacres. About 800,000 civilians in North Kivu have been displaced, with more than half forced to flee their homes since the end of 2006 because of clashes between government forces, Nkunda's rebels and other armed groups from DRC as well as neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi. Nkunda's boycott "will delay the return of those displaced who are suffering because most of them have been moving from one place to another for several years", said Dieudonne Kalindye, professor of human rights at the University of Kinshasa. "These people would have started returning to their villages if the whole [peace] process had been implemented according to the Goma agreement," he added. Philippe Biyoya, a professor of political science at the Protestant University in Kinshasa and the University of Kinshasa, said MONUC must be seen to be neutral so that the implementation of the Goma accord is not jeopardised. "MONUC, if it wants to preserve peace, must adopt a policy of neutrality. Any declaration of the kind that has been made - even if it pointed out the truth - it made Nkunda believe that he is liable for investigation and arrest, which would make him reluctant to make peace at any cost," said Biyoya...

Dear Jackie,

I have just looked at the IRIN News article. It takes only a Nkunda to say openly what Monuc representatives are doing wrongly. Did you realize how reluctant and cautious those professors are being? Anyway, let's hope some people are going to start weighing what Monuc says before taking its declaration for the Truth with capital letters!

Thank you again,
Antoinette

Dear Antoinette,

Yes, I realized that the professors were not at all on Nkunda's side and were having to force themselves (for the sake of appearing honest to their students) to utter criticism of MONUC's (Mother UN's) unfounded accusations against Nkunda and its blatant non-neutrality toward him. And of course, they give with the one hand and take away with the other, with the "even if MONUC is right and he's guilty" comment.

Amahoro be with you (and also with all),
Jackie Jura

Jackie Jura
~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events ~

email: orwelltoday@gmail.com
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