So the question now is what is the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) to do? How are things going to get better in the DRC? Recently, the government of the DRC has made an agreement with Rwanda that entails Rwanda ceasing its support of Laurent Nkunda and in so doing they will be allowed to enter the DRC and under some joint military action, they will attempt to attack and destroy Hutu rebels responsible for the Rwandan genocide in 1994. These include small bands of former soldiers turned bandits and more organized bodies such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Although this can be seen by many as the DRC making a deal with the devil, President Laurent Kabila has no choice and this is a necessary price to pay for peace.
This deal has become necessary because of the ineffectiveness of the Monuc (UN Peacekeeping force) in the region. They have not been doing a sufficient job executing their mandate which is the protecting of the people fleeing rebel attacks. They seem to be more concerned with protecting western mining interests in the region rather than the lives of the people fleeing slaughter. This is not to say that Monuc is not doing anything at all for the people of the region or that they are not undermanned in their mission, but they can do better. The problem affecting the DRC is its inability to ensure that the state has a monopoly of the use of legitimate force within its territory (Max Weber). This failure has had the dire consequence of encouraging non state actors to attempt to seize control of their small areas and undermine even further the authority of the state. This deal with Rwanda is essential if DRC is to recover and as the UN is unwilling to send enough troops willing to fight and die to protect the people of the DRC, this deal is the next best option.
However, what would make this deal even better would be if it was a SADC and/or AU force that joined with the Rwandan and DRC military forces. This would make a statement that we as neighbors of the DRC cared for their well being and were willing to mend past wounds by co-operation to achieve peace for the region. Unfortunately, when it comes to joint military action, the institutions in place on the continent of Africa are even worse in many respects than the UN.
The immediate benefits of this deal are that General Nkunda has been captured by Rwandan forces and for the moment, has been neutralized. Furthermore, the DRC has found an African solution to the problem mostly independent of direct western influence and can prove to yield dividends in the future. One of the main pre-requisites for African Unity is for Africans to be able to solve our own problems without “assistance” from the former colonial powers. In addition to this, Kabila has shown, through this deal, to be an excellent politician and diplomat and has in a way answered many of his critics. It is evident that President Kabila truly cares about his country and is willing to do what is necessary to bring it peace.
However, it must be made clear that peace will be bought with a heavy price. FDLR forces and General Nkunda’s forces will now be more dangerous as ever as they are now being seriously hunted. Civilian casualties will increase and war will rage in this region for another five or more years. The destruction that has completely decimated the North Kivu region and areas surrounding it has been heartbreaking to watch and painful to endure for the people of the DRC and those who care enough to watch. Yet, hope does remain. If this deal actually works, it can enable the DRC to start concentrating their efforts towards rebuilding the country and harnessing the vast potential that is the DRC.
In order for African Unity to succeed, regional unity must come first. In the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region, the DRC is the most important piece missing from our valiant attempts at regional unity. SADC is doing better than most other regional blocs on the continent but it is obvious that the fully mobilized economy of the DRC would ensure success for regionalism and consequently, African Unity. As Africans, we must all join together to help our brothers and sisters in the DRC because we need to understand that we are not just helping them, but are also helping ourselves.
