By Joseph Rwagatare
As so often happens with events in the DRC, fact and fiction fuse into
a sticky mess that has come to define the history of that country. And
there seems to be a preference for fiction over fact.
This is the case now with regard to the fighting in Eastern DRC in
which Rwanda has been implicated. A web of lies - not particularly
clever - has been woven around the fighting in the area. Incredibly,
these third rate lies, unverified claims and clearly fabricated tales
have been picked up and spread by media organisations hitherto thought
to be beyond reproach in their reporting. Because of this the lies
have been passed off as truth.
As I said in this column last week, the DRC has the history of being
the graveyard of many reputations. And once reputations have died and
been buried in the Congo, any attempts at revival and redemption end
up having them buried deeper. If you doubt this ask the United
Nations.
Media organisations are no exception to being strangled in the DRC.
This will be the inevitable consequence for disseminating lies as
people begin to reassess their credibility. The reputation for
impartiality, objectivity and thoroughness associated with some of
them will disappear, or if not, will be severely damaged.
Naturally in an atmosphere of lies, truth is nearly always completely
smothered. Again this is the case in the DRC. The same media
organisations that jump at the latest made-up allegations suddenly
become silent when confronted with facts contradicting the lies.
For instance, MONUSCO's rather belated denial that it ever produced a
report naming Rwanda as supporting the M23 rebels has received scant
coverage. So have the consistent denials by the Government of Rwanda
about its alleged backing of the rebels. Perhaps more telling is the
total disregard for the findings of a Joint Verification Team made up
of Rwandan and DRC officials.
Clearly, there is something sinister here. And who stands to gain from
it all? Apparently there are many.
One of the oldest tricks in the book to divert attention from oneself
is to direct blame at other people. Equally, one of the most effective
ways to get anyone to do what you want is to get them when they are at
their weakest and therefore most vulnerable.
It is common knowledge that the government of the DRC has been under
sustained pressure since the last presidential and general elections
in that country. Both were reported to have been massively flawed.
But why a country with an incredible abundance of natural wealth
should in the first place hold out its hands to donors beats all
logic. Why it should cower before them is utterly incomprehensible. If
I were the DRC government I would make them sing and dance and stand
on their heads before they can lay their hands on my precious wealth.
Again, despite its enormous wealth and huge foreign support and the
goodwill of neighbours like Rwanda, the government has failed to
establish effective control over its entire territory. And no
satisfactory explanation can be advanced for this dismal failure.
The lazy way out of multiple failures is to look for a convenient fall
guy, and for a variety of reasons, Rwanda is the most convenient.
There are other elements interested in muddying the waters of the
Congo so as to hide their responsibility for the mess in the wider
Great Lakes Region. The current violence in Eastern DRC can be traced
to the coming into the area of armed ex-FAR and Interahamwe. These
forces were shepherded there and continued to be armed by some in the
international community. That support for their genocidal protégés has
not stopped.
A key player in the Congo has been a coalition of NGOs, mostly in the
human rights movement, led by Human Rights Watch. Ironically their
existence depends on the continuation of conflict. And to carry on
their work, they need funds, and to get them, must justify their
existence - which is the continued presence of violence. So we come
full circle.
In addition, the NGO movement harbours a grudge against Rwanda for
refusing them the opportunity to set up as alternatives to the state
and thereby keeping the country in perpetual dependence to hand-outs.
They behave like a jilted partner in a love relationship gone sour -
never giving up hope of reconciliation, but also doing everything
possible to wreck the life of the other partner.
And let's face it. The Cold War may have ended, but not so the rivalry
between East and West. We see it everywhere in the world where there
is conflict these days. It is present where there is competition for
resources, and the Congo is a classic case.
In the Nineteenth Century control of the two Congos by Europeans
triggered the Berlin Conference that partitioned Africa among them.
Today's continued rivalry over Africa's resources will ensure that the
continent remains partitioned and impoverished and, therefore, easy to
exploit. What easier way to do this than keep us in perpetual conflict
- and especially keep down those attempting to raise their heads.
--
Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
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