RWANDA : UN damning report on Rwanda slated for June 2020

By Migambi Sergei

As every year, a group of experts mandated by the UN for the DRC sends a report to the Security Council on the security situation in the cou yontry but also in the region. However, this year’s report is said to particularly hit the Rwandan regime for sending troops to the Congolese territories, and especially for carrying out atrocities against Rwandan refugees and local civilians.

For the past month and a half, several Congolese civil society associations have alerted international opinion to the presence of Rwandan troops in the region but especially to the abuses committed by them. According to these actors of civil society, the toll would amount to a hundred civilians killed, burnt houses and rapes noted.

The usual procedure for submission in this type of report requires that the report be sent first to the country concerned so that the latter is made aware of the allegations before its official release and of possible sanctions by the Security Council. Currently, the chairmanship of this committee is in the hands of Estonia.

Rwanda would therefore have received this report in late March. The content of the latter pointing to the responsibility of the regime in violation of Congolese sovereignty but especially of the abuses committed. The release of this report further strengthens the end of idillia and the complacency of certain great powers towards General Paul Kagame and his regime. This would explain the tense and defensive attitude of President Paul KAGAME at the press conference he held by videoconference on April 27. A videoconference during which he categorically denies the presence of Rwandan soldiers on Congolese territory, rather pointing the finger at neighboring Burundi accusing him of the same facts.

The regime, pressed by the calendar linked to the release of this report and especially of possible sanctions, hastened to intensify the sending of troops and military equipment to the territory before the release of this one. The equipment, the workforce as well as the logistical means implemented bear witness to this. We are talking about more than 8000 men including his prestigious special force. This deployment is facilitated by certain elements of the FARDC and the Kinshasa authorities.

The proven objective of this crossing was to put an end to the Rwandan refugees living in the east but above all to attack the FDLR. This operation, which lasted 3 weeks with intense fighting, resulted in the withdrawal of the RDF from certain areas following several losses of men within them. It is also during the same period that the Rwandan soldiers will assassinate the guards of Virunga Park. This failure would be one of the reasons why General Patrick NYAMVUMBA, the Minister of Homeland Security and former Chief of the General Staff was dismissed. He is currently believed to be in detention with other generals for an attempted coup.

On April 16, President Paul KAGAME had a video conference with Kersti KALJULAID, the President of the Republic of Estonia. Officially, the discussion focused on cooperation in terms of technology to combat COVID 19, but it is certain that the release of the report was the center of discussions. Indeed Estonia chairs the Security Council which is supposed to receive the report.

Lobbying having always been the spearhead of the regime allowing it for several years to escape sanctions, this interview raises questions above all that atrocities are committed against Rwandan refugees and local population. It is clear that once again there is an attempt to stifle the affair and to whitewash an army which has become the personal militia of General Paul Kagame

We hope that this time the international community will face reality in order to be able to confront Paul KAGAME with his responsibilities and prevent the region from falling further into chaos.