A continually unhinged Congolese autocrat Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has spent the past year pushing his war-ravaged nation towards the brink of a broader regional conflict. By choosing not to recognize the M23 as a Congolese political and military adversary, Tshisekedi pointed to Rwanda and the regional force stationed in DRC as enemies and has since done everything to lure both into the civil war raging within his jurisdiction in which actual Congolese continue to die and suffer in vain.
For a start, Tshisekedi’s disregard for regional peace frameworks reflects a reckless pursuit of war. The EAC and the ICGLR are dedicated to promoting dialogue and peaceful resolutions between Rwanda and the DRC, and between the latter and the M23. However, Tshisekedi has vehemently rejected these efforts and has instead launched attacks on the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) stationed in the DRC. This force was established to safeguard populations in areas vacated by the M23, in accordance with agreements reached in Nairobi and Luanda. Tragically, Tshisekedi’s attack resulted in the loss of a Kenyan peacekeeper’s life and injured many other Ugandan peacekeepers.
Second, rather than supporting initiatives such as the Nairobi Process and the Luanda Process, aimed at finally silencing the guns after nearly three decades of turmoil in eastern DRC, Tshisekedi clings to his militaristic agenda. He’s gone to the extreme of enlisting 2000 mercenaries from the notorious Agemira company, led by none other than a French war criminal, Olivier Bazin, infamously known as ‘Colonel Mario.’ This band of mercenaries, originally from Eastern Europe, has left a trail of brutality across Africa, including Chad, Ivory Coast, and Congo-Brazzaville. These hired guns are joined by a motley crew of Congolese militias and the FDLR, all known for their persecution of Congolese Rwandaphones, whom Tshisekedi perceives as the ‘enemy Within.’
Adding fuel to the fire, Tshisekedi’s regime integrated the genocidaires from FDLR into its security apparatus, further bolstering its military ahead of impending incursions into Rwanda. In fact, last month, the FDLR attempted to cross the Rwandan border at the small barrier that separates Congo from Rwanda, chanting genocidal slogans. “Let’s go and kill all the Tutsis. Not even a single Tutsi should remain alive in the region.” To make matters even worse, Yesterday, the same Tshisekedi-backed FDLR fired rockets into Rwandan territory injuring a peace-loving Rwandan civilian named Hagumimana Pierre.
The situation has now reached a point of sheer madness. Should Tshisekedi’s coalition persist in its hostile actions against Rwanda or continue to target the regional forces stationed in the DRC, it risks igniting a third regional conflict within the Democratic Republic of Congo. The scars of the first two wars, which occurred in 1996-1997 and 1998-2004, continue to serve as a stark reminder of the suffering endured by the Congolese population. Given these circumstances, it is imperative for regional countries to bolster their military readiness, as Tshisekedi appears determined to drag the entire region into a devastating and avoidable conflict.
ellenkampire