08 June 2012

East Congo and Central Africa... yes, again

And now, press gangs are roping wanna-be soldiers into expeditionary forces.

"They said we were joining the Rwandan army, when we realized we'd been tricked into coming to Congo, that changed everything and we ran away," said Faustin, who gave himself up to peacekeepers from the United Nations.
His story is part of a growing body of testimony pointing to the involvement of Rwandan military officials in providing arms, ammunition and recruits to the two-month-old revolt in eastern Congo by the rebels who call themselves M23.
The latest fighting, in a conflict zone known across the world for brutal killings and rapes, has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes. The Red Cross say the humanitarian situation could - once again - become "disastrous".
Rwanda's government strenuously denies allegations it is backing the mutiny initiated by General Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes.
But Kigali's alleged involvement, after a thaw in relations with its former arch foe Congo, is fanning fears of a slide back to war in a region that is a tinderbox of ethnic violence.

By: Brant

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