Bens in Congo

The M23 rebels appear to be defeated, as they are held and contained by Ugandan authorities and unable to cause trouble.  The final peace talks were about to be signed off and concluded when Congo refused to sign the final “agreement” (accord in French), claiming that as complete victors there shouldn’t be an “agreement” but a “declaration”.  The M23 see no reason to amend the title of the deal.  While it looks like a stalemate, it’s really just time to move on.

And move on we have.  Today the UN “peacekeeping troops” announced they have launched an offensive against the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) along the border of Congo and Rwanda.  While the M23 rebels are Tutsi with a background of Rwanda government support, the FDLR insurgents are Hutu and anti-Kigali.  They are remnants of the Hutu who inspired the Rwandan genocide and have historically been the pretext for Rwandan intervention in Congo.  It will be good to see them go.

The UN force of offensive minded troops is made up of soldiers from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi.  The Congolese army claimed most of the credit for defeating the M23 but the UN played a major support role.  The Congo army defeat of the M23 was their first military victory ever so Kabila and the nation are quite proud about it.  For a change, these UN soldiers in theory have come to fight, so the results will be interesting to watch.

Another thing to watch will be the efforts to expel the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) from the area between Beni and Bunia towards the Ugandan border.  The ADF is made up of Ugandan opposition forces and is supported by Sudan (which historically has fought Uganda).  Congo also claims that this misnamed puritanical Muslim group has support from Al-Shabaab fighters from Somalia.

The BBC is reporting that the M23 rebels are “all but finished” as a military threat.  The Congo army has successfully pushed them out into a small area bordering Rwanda after the rebel group had abandoned the remaining towns they had held.  The most important town, Rumangabo, was the location of a large Congo army base before the M23 rebels occupied it.

Jason Stearns at the blog Congo Siasa had correctly predicted this would happen imminently.   The Kampala peace talks were floundering over the key issue of what to do with the leadership of the M23.  The previous peace accord, signed on March 23 and hence the name of the rebels, included provisions to integrate Tutsi rebels within the regular Congo army.  Amid claims that Congo was not honouring the terms of the March 23 agreement, these rebels formed the M23.  Jason Stearn noted that it may be the time for a military push by the UN in order to force a final agreement.  True enough, today the French ambassador was calling for the M23 to return to the bargaining table.

Notably, the news of military collapse of the M23 focused on the rare victory of Congo army and did not include credit to the UN intervention force.

This could prove to be a major turning point that will restore peace to the area north of Goma.  Unfortunately, troubles south of Bunia near Nyankunde hospital have recently increased due to unrelated rebel Muslims seeking shelter from Uganda.

Compassion for Children in Distress is the official name of the Butembo based organization led by Mama Dorcas Mbambu.  It has formal Congo charity status and government approvals.  Previously posts have mentioned the courage and dedication of Mama Dorcas who leads this organization.  Herself an orphan and unable to have children, she has committed herself in a remarkable way to the support of hundreds (thousands?) of the neediest on Earth: orphans in eastern Congo.  Butembo is a major commercial city north of Goma but south of Beni and Bunia.

Today there are 463 primary school children and 61 high school children at their school which is named Muti wa Nzuki (Tree of Mizuki according to Google Translate).  There are 18 teachers, all of whom endure months at a time without their pay.

Lining up to meet us at the Muti wa Nzuki School for Orphans Dec 2011

Older students at the Muti wa Nzuki School for Orphans

Dorcas writes to me that of the orphans currently in the school (as they will accept others), 52 are orphans for reasons directly related to the war, 33 due to HIV/AIDS and 30 due to other diseases and accidents.

Younger Congolese orphans being lined up to meet us

She has a vision.  This is her 5 year plan:

6) OUTLOOK
We refer to the five-year plan of 2012-2015 , we have a compelling challenges us to:
– Daily food for orphans
– Build classrooms for the high school already operational
– Build the kitchen and refectory (i.e. dining area) for orphans
– Equipping the refectory after construction
– To provide orphans necessary materials for their leisure.

Dorcas lists her sources of income (via Google Translate):

Our financial support comes monthly contribution of the founding members, community support, and self-financing as a school, clinic, dressmaking workshop, theater, and concert sketch made ​​by the evangelization of orphans.

I appreciate how that could be written for a Canadian Parent/Teacher organization with the same words, yet the Congo context is so different.  Founding members are people without money like her.  Community support is primarily from impoverished local parents grateful for any education at all for their children.  We were impressed when we saw firsthand the efforts to train young people in an employable skill, sewing.  Net proceeds from selling their clothing are sent to the school.

Butembo students learning to sew

Neither CSCODI nor the local Anglican church has not been able to provide support recently.  I recently contacted senior Anglicans in Canada, asking if charitable funds could be donated in Canada but forwarded to the North Kivu diocese. They explained that the Anglicans have no means to transfer funds to Congo as the Canada Revenue Agency has made such transfers and tax receipting all but impossible.  When you consider the extent of NGO operations in nearby Rwanda and Uganda, this policy difference explains a substantial difference in the lower economic activity in Congo.

Dorcas notes: NB : We rely on the generosity of anyone motivated by a humanitarian and philanthropic spirit to come to our partner.

I would be honoured to forward any funds that you may wish to send me directly on to Dorcas (via Western Union).

Troubles have been intensifying in eastern Congo around two trouble spots.  In the broad area of Ituri province south of Bunia and potentially close to Nyankunde hospital, thousands have been forced to flee for safety.  On 23 August, the Congolese army launched an offensive against the Ituri Patriotic Resistance Front (FPRI), led by a former army officer who goes by the name of Cobra Matata and which has been present in the area for a decade.  This area has also suffered from the presence of a  Ugandan Muslim group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who are opposed to the Ugandan government but seek shelter in an area between Beni and Bunia just across the border from Uganda.

My best guess is that in December 2011 we were close to either the FPRI or a Mai Mai group when we came across a UN convey on the road to Nyankunde.  https://bensincongo.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/on-our-way-to-nyankunde-and-the-un/

Following a UN Troop Carrier shortly before they jumped out

UN Soldier With Rifle Aimed, south of Bunia

Our primary contact at the orphanage in Butembo has commented on experiencing disruptions from war nearby, but I have not heard any details of what this entails.

Further south in Goma, capital of North Kivu province, the UN (i.e. Monusco) continues to demonstrate its ineptness.  For months, the UN has been developing a fighting force called an “intervention brigade” to deal with the M23 Tutsi rebels.  This force is compiled from African contributing nations and is designed to be significantly pivotal for the UN, as it has been given authority to proactively use aggressive force to clear out the M23 rebels.  The underlying intention is to build an alternative to NATO (there currently is none for an effective military intervention) and this could be the role model.  Nine months later, however, the M23 remains in an untouched position immediately outside of Goma.

There has recently been uncoordinated fighting in and near Goma which has resulted in many casualties.  Per the BBC, one doctor  reported seeing 82 dead bodies in one day.  The BBC is also reporting that local witnesses are accusing Uruguayan UN soldiers of shooting two civilians, apparently continuing the UN tradition of aggravating the local population.  Perhaps this really is the start of aggressive UN action against the M23.  More likely, it is the sad continuation of tragic events in Congo with faint hope for imminent improvement.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Goma this week to draw attention to the conflict in eastern Congo.  His legacy will now be heavily impacted by future events there.

The UN recently authorized a new mandate for the now ex-peacekeepers in Congo.  The former peacekeepers have now been elevated to soldiers.

Last year, the UN peacekeepers looked the other way when the rebel M23 forces captured Goma without a fight after vowing the defend the city. This was a colossal embarrassment to the UN.  Now, the UN has authorized their soldiers to have unprecedented scope to use force and proactively route out the M23. Tanzania will lead this operation and some of their troops are now in place in advance of a total of 3,069 expected from various southern Africa countries.

Rwanda has been suspected of supporting the M23 in the past, but they continue to insist otherwise.  Foreign aid to Rwanda was stopped because of this but has begun to flow again.  Future aid to Rwanda will be dependent on having a lack of evidence that they are supporting the M23. The M23 appear well equipped although they have recently been hit with some defections.

With the first fighting in six months, the M23 today attacked the road from Goma to where the new force is expected to be centred. UN helicopter gunships were deployed to maintain and re-open the road.  The UN declared the operation to be over.

When serious military strength has been required, the world has looked in only one place: NATO. Committing to a more aggressive UN policy could have far reaching implications. Will this become a new template in other hot spots? Will the UN buckle and fail against the M23 who have far more to lose than UN soldiers?

A big question mark for the UN was whether they could get adequate soldiers committed by the various nations. Peacekeepers paid by the UN, no problems. Soldiers exposed to serious risks, another matter. It appears that the UN has managed to twist enough arms to present a viable fighting force.

One positive for the UN is the exclusion in this new force of soldiers from Muslim nations. Of the 19,000 UN soldiers in Congo, the top four countries represented in order are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt. These nations are all using the UN as an employment program with their expenses all paid out of UN head office in New York. Unlike our professional Western armies, soldiers from these countries are not high quality and rarely want to be there. Muslim attitudes toward infidel non-Muslims, and even worse, black infidel non-Muslim, results in soldiers with no motivation to risk themselves to protect the local Congolese population. The use of African soldiers and exclusion of Muslim nations in this latest operation undoubtedly reflects lessons learned from the sorry history of UN peacekeeping to date in Congo.

M23 rebels today captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 well armed rebels easily defeated the Congo government army as thousands of UN peacekeepers stood by and watched. Only days earlier, the UN had sent attack helicopters against the rebels, but they avoided all conflict once the fighting turned against them. There are 22,000 UN soldiers in Congo. In July, they had vowed to protect Goma from advancing rebels. It is a disgraceful days for the UN and the Congo government.

Rebels soldiers bypass UN peacekeepers in Goma

The issue now of course is what’s next? The rebels had previously vowed to continue south to capture Bukavu, but there are only so many of them and they don’t want to get stretched too thin. Will they gain additional support from Tutsi within Congo or crossing from Rwanda? Will the international community respond against Rwanda? Will this create political uncertainty for the Kabila government in Kinshasha?

Update link:
http://congoplanet.com/2012/11/21/news/2011/thousands-protest-m23-capture-of-goma-turn-against-government-un-mission-monusco.jsp
Protests erupt against the UN and the Congo government. The North Kivu provincial government will move to Beni from Goma.

Kaluma Katembo recently had the opportunity to visit the operations of Congo Nishati Mpya (CNM – Congo New Energy) and to provide a report.

Good progress has been made and there are several customers now using the briquettes produced by CNM.  The challenge has been to perfect the quality of the product.  Richard Kasereka, General Manager, has been experimenting to determine the best combination of available organic material inputs for a given output.  Charcoal fines may produce the best long lasting coals, but higher portions of wood inputs will provide faster lighting and initially hotter fires but shorter cooking times.  The agreed goal was to improve the product quality before expanding production.

GM Richard Kasereka mixing a wood slurry into charcoal fines

Kaluma reports that the market for the briquettes is quite strong once a consistent quality briquette is developed. Each of the three presses are capable of supporting up to five employees. (Two gathering materials, two working the press and one providing customer delivery and administration.) He discussed with several leaders in the area the concept of joining an Advisory Board for CNM which will oversee effective governance for the operations and provide guidance for additional expansion.

Recent production of wood briquettes drying in front of the Congo Nishati Mpya production shed

The rainy environment of Butembo has been frustrating as it delays the adequate drying of briquettes. The more northern Congo cities of Beni and Bunia may provide good locations for expansion as they are both at lower altitudes, dryer and hotter. It was encouraging to learn of the commitment of those in Congo working on the project and the unrelenting support of CSCODI. With their commitment and perseverance, we continue to have strong confidence in the strong success of this venture.

Bono at the Founders Conference

Bono, the lead singer of U2, has long been known for his advocacy work, notably as an activist to reduce poverty and disease in Africa.  At a recent conference, Bono admitted that it had been “a humbling thing for me” to realize the importance of capitalism and entrepreneurialism in philanthropy, particularly as someone who “got into this as a righteous anger activist with all the cliches.” “Job creators and innovators are just the key, and aid is just a bridge.”  “A humbling thing was to learn the role of commerce.”

Exactly right.

Blogger Ryan Anderson summed things up well:

Monetary aid will never be able to solve Africa’s problems until institutions that foster individual and collective enterprise flourish. Transparent governance, the rule of law, and market economies are necessities. As long as governmental corruption, misplaced market incentives (through subsidies), and institutions of repression rule the day, no amount of money will change a thing. Money, technical know-how, medicines, and all sorts of material goods can only do so much without the necessary political, legal, and economic institutions. But it is even more important that cultural institutions rise to the challenge of inculcating the personal virtues required for self-sufficiency, self-governance, and economic growth: honesty, integrity, fair play, hard work, thrift, investment, creativity. The entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with moral backbone, is the only way Africa will lift herself out of poverty. Helping Africa enter commercial society is foundational. As John Paul II put it in his encyclical Centesimus Annus, it is “necessary to help these needy people to acquire expertise, to enter the circle of exchange, and to develop their skills in order to make the best use of their capacities and resources.”

Congo Nishati Mpya was created for local Congolese to develop small enterprises that will provide income and purpose and to help promote a spirit of entrepreneurship in the community to enable people to develop a better life.

If you are interested in more detail on the conflict in Congo, you must regularly visit Congo Siasa. It is maintained by Jason Stearns, an American who has worked for the UN, MONUC and other agencies in the region. His book, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa, details in depth the recent tragic history of Congo.

It appears that Rwanda and Congo are now effectively at war with the M23 military rebellion being most active just north of Goma.  The Western press seems to be giving Rwanda a free pass on their aggressions in Congo even though a biting UN report has condemned Rwandan activity.  Although Rwanda denies most of the claims, Western countries are cancelling military aid to Rwanda and postponing development aid until the situation is clearer.  Meanwhile, many reports are indicating that tensions and fighting have increased throughout the Kivus and Ituri (Orientale) in Congo’s north east.

The Toronto Star has profiled Philip and Nancy Wood, doctors at Nyankunde, in this full length article.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1244161–congo-a-40-year-mission-for-toronto-doctor-couple