Congo rebels deny receiving help from Rwanda

• Pete Jones in Rutshuru, Wednesday 10 October 2012 19.24 BST

Spokesman says M23 militia has ‘never received a single gun or bullet’ from Congo’s neighbour

M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

As politicians line up to accuse Rwanda of supporting the latest armed rebellion in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the militia at the centre of the storm continues to strengthen and expand its nascent political wing.

In Rutshuru, the unofficial capital of the territory now controlled by Congolese insurrectionists M23, civilians and armed rebels mix uneasily in the streets while spokesmen answer journalists’ queries about the new movement.

The first question is invariably the same: is Rwanda supporting the rebellion?

“We have never received a single gun or bullet from Rwanda,” said the military spokesman Vianney Kazarama, who would not be drawn on any questions regarding Congo’s diminutive but powerful neighbour. Rwandan officials also flatly deny the accusations, which were made in a June report by the United Nations’ group of experts on the Congo.

Some in political circles are more eager to speak, however, vigorously defending Rwanda against charges of supplying M23 with recruits, weapons and ammunition. “Why does any malaise in Congo always have to involve Rwanda?” said Ali Musagara, head of youth mobilisation for M23. “We are not Rwandans. The fact that nothing in DRC works: is that the fault of Rwanda? We have no army, corruption is endemic, there is bad governance, fraudulent elections; all that, too, is the fault of Rwanda? I don’t think so. These are all Congolese problems and they must be resolved by the Congolese.”

Benjamin Mbonimpa, head of refugee repatriation, blames the problems on a lack of effective leadership from Congo’s president, Joseph Kabila. In contrast, he praises Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, for guiding the country’s recovery from the devastating genocide of 1994.

“Paul Kagame’s leadership is very organised, focused and effective,” said Mbonimpa. “If the Congo had a charismatic leader like Kagame, I think we would be fortunate. But the Congolese people feel a powerful hatred for Kagame; they have a terrible reaction when they hear his name. We can’t propose him to the Congolese population as a good example of the leadership we need.”

The rebels’ evident respect for Kagame worries those who see M23 as a proxy force for Rwandan ambitions in eastern Congo. The Congolese who now live under M23 rule are certainly of this view, referring to the rebels as “foreigners”.

Musagara described as “wise” Kagame’s recent refusal to join other national leaders in publicly condemning the M23 rebels, who are led by Bosco Ntaganda, indicted by the international criminal court.

Musagara also praised Kagame and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, for pursuing a negotiated solution to the crisis. “They are two wise presidents,” he said. “[Rwanda and Uganda] are our neighbours; they must encourage the Congolese government to talk to us because when there is unrest in your neighbour, your country is not stable either.”

Congo’s government has made its first tentative moves towards negotiation, engaging indirectly with the M23 delegation that has been in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, awaiting talks for several weeks. “We are negotiating via the Ugandan government,” said M23’s political leader, Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga, speaking from the city. “We hope to have face-to-face talks soon. It’s very frustrating. We have been waiting in Kampala for a long time.”

M23’s leadership is made up of former fighters with the Rwanda-backed CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People) rebellion in Congo. A 2009 peace deal integrated them into the army and granted them a parallel chain of command and a lucrative smuggling racket into Rwanda. It was the threat to smash those networks that prompted these soldiers to revolt in April and May. They say they want the full implementation of the 2009 peace deal and will fight until they get what they want.

In towns controlled by M23, many are sceptical about whether the Kampala talks will lead anywhere. When asked about a solution to the crisis, Musagara said Congo’s president would decide how the rebellion ended. “We’re ready for anything,” he said. “If [Kabila] wants negotiations, we are ready for that; we are also ready if he wants war.”

Source: The Guardian