- The government of Rwanda has rejected recent claims by the UN that it is violating the arms embargo against Congo Kinshasa (DRC). While the UN insists on an ongoing Rwandan "covert presence" on the Congolese side of the border, the African Union is preparing key moves to ease tensions between Rwanda and Congo.
An independent panel of experts has prepared a report for the UN Security Council, claiming that Uganda and Rwanda are violating the arms embargo against their western neighbour, Congo Kinshasa. Both Rwanda and Uganda have invaded eastern Congo twice during the past ten years and are accused to support rebel groups in the Congolese areas they once military controlled.
According to the UN's expert panel, Rwanda is still maintaining a "covert residual presence" within eastern Congo, in key areas near the Rwandan border. Further, the experts claim, Rwanda was giving military training to Congolese youngsters living in Rwandan refugee camps, planning to send them back to fight for Rwandan interests.
If true, these allegations by the expert panel constitute grave violations on the arms embargo decreed by the UN Security Council. The embargo was established in 2003 and covers the district of Ituri, at the Ugandan border, and the districts of North and South Kivu, at the Rwandan border. The expert panel recommended that the arms embargo be extended to the entire country.
Rwandan officials yesterday afternoon totally rejected the conclusions of the UN's expert panel, according to UN sources. Rwandan army representatives further told the news agency 'Reuters' that the UN's experts had not bothered to hear out the Rwandan version of the story. "Where they have no facts, they have to falsely create their own," the spokesman told 'Reuters'.
The relations between Kinshasa and Kigali have been increasingly tense during the last months, with the Congolese government accusing Rwanda of sending troops to aid a recent mutiny in eastern Congo. Ex-rebels associated to the Rwandan government still hold import positions in the region, although they also form part of the current transitional government in Kinshasa.
Important moves are however in preparation to improve the poor relations between Congo and Rwanda. The African Union (AU) is planning to set up a special force that is to disarm the Interahamwe and ex-Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR), which are two armed militias based in eastern Congo, aiming at overthrowing the Kigali regime.
Interahamwe and ex-FAR are held responsible for the 1994 Rwanda genocide, and a failure to disarm these groups has led to two Rwandan invasions of Congo Kinshasa. New Rwandan invasion threats were only made late last year, citing the same problem.
According to AU Peace and Security Commissioner Saïd Djinnit, who spoke to the press in Kinshasa on Monday, the Union now has advanced plans to establish such a special force, which has been approved by the AU's Peace and Security Council. The Union was now "engaged in consultations necessary to implement the decision."
These consultations included talks with countries that may be willing to send troops, according to Mr Djinnit. A future AU force aiming at disarming the Interahamwe and ex-FAR militias has already secured funding from Africa's "European partners," according to the AU commissioner. Mr Djinnit did not want to say which countries would participate in such a mission or when it would commence.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español