Presentation at the Trinity Development Research Week
Dublin , 10 Nov. 2010
By Arnold Kashembe
University of Limerick
Africa
Great lakes Region
D.R. Congo: Brief History
The population of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is
estimated at around 60 million.
After Algeria, it is the largest country in Africa with 2,345,410 sq
Km.
The DRC is richly endowed with natural resources, including
diamonds, which are its most valuable export. Other valuable
mineral assets include gold, copper, cobalt, zing, Uranium,
casserite and coltan. It also has enormous timber resources.
1885: Congo Free State
The Congo Free State was a corporate state
privately controlled by Leopold II, King of the
Belgians through a dummy non-governmental
organization called Association Internationale
Africaine.
Leopold was the sole shareholder and chairman,
exploiting the state for rubber, copper and other
minerals.
Belgian Congo
In 1908, Congo Free State became the Belgian Congo, as a
more conventional form of colonial rule was established.
The economy continued to be structured around rubber and
mineral exports.
In 1925 Belgium combined the Congo with its other
territories of Ruanda-Urundi to create a single
administrative entity known as Congo Belge et Ruanda-
Urundi.
It was split up into its component parts again in 1945.
Congo Independence
In May 1960, a growing nationalist movement, the
Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) led by Patrice
Lumumba won the parliamentary elections. The party
appointed Lumumba as Prime Minister. The parliament
elected Joseph Kasavubu of the Alliance des Bakongo
(ABAKO) party as President.
The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30 June
1960 under the name République du Congo.
On 5 September 1960, Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from
office.
On 17 January 1961, Katangan forces and Belgian
paratroops – supported by the United States – kidnapped
and executed Patrice Lumumba.
Several short-lived governments, of Joseph Ileo, Cyrille
Adoula and Moise Tshombe, took over in quick
succession.
Congo Crisis
On 11 July 1960, with the support of Belgian business
interests and over 6000 Belgian troops, the province of
Katanga in the southeast declared independence as the
State of Katanga under the leadership of Moise Tshombe.
On 8 August 1960, the autonomous Mining State of South
Kasai was proclaimed with its capital at Bakwanga. Albert
Kalonji was named president of South Kasai and Joseph
Ngalula was appointed head of government.
The secession was ended in January 1963 with the
assistance of UN forces
From Republic of the Congo to Zaire then
Democratic Republic of Congo
 After the fail rebellion led by Pierre Mulele in 1964, Joseph Mobutu,
formerly Chief of staff of Lumumba seized the power with support
from the CIA on 25 November 1965.
 on 27 October 1971, Mobutu change the country name to Zaire and
had absolute power with only one political party MPR (Movement
Populaire de la Revolution) and made Zaire his own personal
treasury.
 The country Name was changed to Democratic Republic of Congo on
17 May 1997 by Laurent Desire Kabila.
Dynamics of the conflict
Shaba I Conflict
 was a conflict between Zaire and Angola in 1977, and was arguably a
consequence of Zaire's support for the FLNA and UNITA factions in
the Angolan Civil War.
 The conflict began on March 8, 1977 when about 2,000 members of
the Front for the National Liberation of the Congo (FLNC), invaded
Shaba province in south western Zaire, with the support of Angola's
MPLA government and the involvement of Cuban troops.
 President Mobutu appealed for outside support.
 The war ended when 1,500 Moroccan troops, and the French beat
back the FNLC.
Shaba II Conflict
Shaba II was an invasion of the Shaba separatist
movement FNLC (6,500 Katangese gendarmes) into the
Zairian province of Shaba on 17 May 1978. The FNLC had
its bases in eastern Angola and had the support of the
Angolan government.
Mobutu appealed for foreign military assistance from the
French and Belgian.
Conflict ended when the U.S. and Cuba coaxed Angola and
Zaire into negotiations leading to a non-aggression pact.
The aftermath of the Rwanda
Genocide
As a result of the Rwandan genocide, over one million Hutu
refugees fled into Eastern Zaire. Amongst them were the
remnants of the former Rwandan army and the extremist
Hutu militia group, the Interahamwe.
While this imposed a grave burden upon the administration
and people, it did not at first appear to pose a major threat
to the Mobutu regime itself.
The First Congo War
The First Congo War started in November 1996 when the
Rebel Forces backed by Uganda and Rwanda entered the
country to overthrew the Mobutu Regime.
It ended in May 1997 when the Rebel leader Laurent-Désiré
Kabila declared himself president and changed the name of the
nation back to Democratic Republic of the Congo
.
The war set the foundation for the Second Congo War, which
began on August 2, 1998.
Aftermath of the First Congo war
Rwanda and Uganda’s alliance with Kabila was to
prove extremely short-lived. Kabila sought to reduce
the power of his Rwandan sponsors.
By July 1998 Rwanda and Uganda had decided that
Kabila too must be removed.
The Second Congo War
Also known as Africa's World War and the Great
War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the
Democratic Republic of Congo
 The largest war in modern African History, it directly
involved eight African nations, as well as about
25 armed groups.
Starting Point
The trouble started on 14 July 1998, when Kabila
dismissed his Rwandan chief of staff, James
Kabarebe, and replaced him with a native
Congolese, Celestin Kifwa.
Apparently Kabila felt that he had solidified his
Congolese political base enough to put some
distance between himself and the nations who had
helped him to take power.
2 August 1998
The Banyamulenge in the town of Goma erupted.
Rwanda
offered immediate assistance to the
Banyamulenge well-armed rebel group, the Rally for
Congolese Democracy (RCD) backed also by Uganda.
This group quickly came to dominate the resource-rich
eastern provinces and based its operations in the city of
Goma
The RCD quickly took control of the towns of
Bukavu and Uvira in the Kivus.
To help remove the occupying Rwandans, President
Kabila enlisted the aid of the Hutu militants in
eastern Congo and help from other African
countries.
World War in Congo
Kabila Support
Rwanda Allies
 Zimbabwe: With a 200 million $
 Rwanda: The key player in the
Contract involving
owned corporations .
Mugabe
conflicts with motive to control
the rich mineral part of the East.
 Angola: With the need to end
With Military Presence and
Support to the Rebel Groups
claiming to hunt down the
genocidaires.
UNITA operation in South
Congo and Control over
Diamond.
Kabila Support
Uganda
 Namibia: Sam Nujoma with
 Uganda: Being part of the
similar interests as Mugabe.
 Chad:
With influence from
France but also with intentions
to have a steak in the Congo
Resources.
 Libya: Motivated with financial
interests and the desire to
defeat the west.
problem from the very
beginning in the war with
Rwanda with military presence
in Congo and giving support to
the rebel Groups in Eastern
Congo.
 Motive: Interests in Resources
mainly gold of which Uganda is
now bigger exporter while
having none in its territory.
 Sudan: Playing two cards,
 Burundi: Lending also support
Offering generosity to the
Congo Government but also
supporting 3 Ugandan Rebel
Groups involved in the conflicts
namely :
 Lord’s Resistance Army,
 The Uganda National Rescue
Front, and
 Allied Democratic Forces
to the Rwanda rebel Groups
with interests in the Resources
in Eastern Congo.
Shadow Supporters
To Kibila
France
Belgium
China: Weapon trafficking
through South Africa.
To Rwanda
U.S.A: playing also the two
cards for the mining control
in the Congo.
Factions
Government Allies
Kinshasa-aligned forces included the Congolese national
army under President Laurent-Désiré Kabila and later his
son Joseph Kabila, various anti foreigner Mai-Mai groups,
and allied nations such as Zimbabwe, Angola, Chad, Sudan
and Namibia.
They control the west and south of the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC). The main goal is the creation of a
strong state in control of its territory and borders, and thus
regaining control of the natural resources
 Rwandan Patriotic Front-aligned forces included the national armies
of the Tutsi-dominated governments of Rwanda and Burundi, the
militia groups created by the ethnic Tutsi Banyamulenge residing in
the DRC and the Banyamulenge-dominated Rally for Congolese
Democracy (RCD) rebel forces led by Laurent Nkunda and based in
Goma.
 Tutsi-aligned forces inside the DRC most active in North and South
Kivu provinces, and have territory extending westward toward
Kinshasa. Goals include protecting the national security of Rwanda
and Burundi, defending Tutsis in the DRC, checking the influence of
Uganda and exploiting natural resources.
Hutu-aligned forces included Rwandan Hutus responsible for the
1994 Rwandan Genocide, Burundian rebels seeking to
overthrow their government, Congolese Hutus and affiliated MaiMai militias. The major Hutu group being the Forces
Démocratiques de la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) operating in
the Kivus.
Goals include expelling foreign Tutsi forces, ethnic cleansing of
the Banyamulenge, overthrowing the governments of Rwanda
and Burundi, and gaining control of resources.
Uganda-aligned forces included Uganda's national army and
various Uganda-backed rebel groups, such as the Movement
for the Liberation of Congo (MLC), in control of much of the
northeast and central north of the DRC.
Stated goals include protecting the borders of Uganda from
invasion by Uganda rebel groups based in DRC such as the
Allied Democratic Forces and People's Redemption Army,
destroying rebel bases in the DRC and mineral exploitation.
The United Nations had named Uganda as one country that
illegally extracted natural resources from the DRC.
Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement
In July 1999 the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement was signed
by the six warring countries (Democratic Republic of Congo,
Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Uganda) and
the MLC. The Rally for Democracy in Congo of Laurent
Nkunda refused to sign.
Under the agreement, forces from all sides, under a Joint
Military Commission, would cooperate in tracking, disarming
and documenting all armed groups in the Congo, especially
those forces identified with the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
Few provisions were made to actually disarm the militias.
UN Intervention
By February 24, 2000, the UN authorized a force of 5,537
troops, the United Nations Organization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), to monitor the
cease-fire. However, fighting continued between rebels and
government forces, and between Rwandan and Ugandan
forces.
All diplomatic efforts made bilaterally or through the United
Nations, African Union and Southern African Development
Community failed to make any headway.
As of June 2010 the UN peace-keepers in the DRC
exceeded 20,000 troops from more than 30 countries in the
world and was changed to United Nations Organization
Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (MONUSCO).
Partial peace is being seen in the DRC but there have been
many controversy including inability to protect civilians,
participation of the UN peacekeepers in rapes and mineral
exploitation.
From Laurent Kabila to Joseph
Kabila
16 January 2001 Laurent Kabila was short by his
bodyguard. Two days later Kabila died from his injuries. It is
unknown who ordered the killing but most feel Kabila's allies
were to blame as they were tired of his duplicity.
By unanimous vote of the Congolese parliament, his son,
Joseph Kabila, was sworn in as president to replace him.
This was largely as a result of Robert Mugabe's backing
and the fact that most parliamentarians had been
handpicked by Joseph Kabila.
Sun City Agreement
The Sun City Agreement was formalized on 19 April 2002. It
was a framework for providing the Congo with a unified,
multipartite government and democratic elections.
“1 + 4” Formula was applied, 1 president: Joseph Kabila and 4
Vice-president: Azarias Ruberwa, Arthur Zahidi Ngoma,
Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi and Jean-Pierre Bemba.
However, critics noted that there were no stipulations regarding
the unification of the army, which weakened the effectiveness of
the agreement.
Pretoria Accord
On 30 July 2002 Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo
signed a peace deal known as the Pretoria Accord after five
days of talks in Pretoria, South Africa. The talks centered on two
issues.
One was the withdrawal of the estimated 20,000 Rwandan
soldiers in the Congo.
The other was the rounding up of the ex-Rwandan soldiers and
the dismantling of the Hutu militia known as Interahamwe, which
took part in Rwanda's 1994 genocide and continues to operate
out of eastern Congo.
Transitional Government
On 18 July 2003, the Transitional Government came into being
as specified in the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement out of the
warring parties.
The Agreement obliges the parties to carry out a plan to reunify
the country, disarm and integrate the warring parties and hold
elections.
There have been numerous problems, resulting in continued
instability in much of the country and a delay in the scheduled
national elections from June 2005 to July 2006.
MONUC
MONUC was placed under Chapter VII of the United
Nations Charter since 1999 with mandate:
Implementing the Ceasefire Agreement
Monitoring and Reporting any violations through proper
channels
Centre of the DDRRR (Disarmament, Demobilization,
Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration) Process.
Facilitate the transition towards to organization of credible
elections.
Now changed to MONUSCO with Soldiers up to 23,000.
Rape as a weapon
In eastern Congo, the prevalence and intensity of rape and
other sexual violence is described as the worst in the world
with the majority occurring in South Kivu.
 The actual number of women raped is thus assumed to be
very higher. All armed forces in the conflict are guilty of
rape, though the militia and various insurgent groups have
been most culpable.
Refugees
Effects within the DRC included the displacement of some
3.4 million people, as well as the impoverishment of
hundreds of thousands.
The majority of the displaced were from the eastern section
of the country. Nearly 2 million others have been displaced
in the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania
and Uganda.
Pygmies
During the war, Pygmies were hunted down like game
animals and eaten.
Both sides of the war regarded them as "subhuman" and
some say their flesh can confer magical powers.
In neighbouring North Kivu province there has been
cannibalism by a group known as Les Effaceurs (The
Erasers) who wanted to clear the land of people to open it
up for mineral exploitation
Legal Consequences
On 19 December 2005 the United Nations International
Court of Justice ruled that the DRC's sovereignty had been
violated by Uganda, and that Uganda had looted billions of
dollars worth of resources.
The DRC government has asked for $10 billion in
compensation.
Continuing Death Toll
The War in the Congo has taken lives of over 5.4 Millions People
and still people are continuing to die as a direct consequences
on the conflict.
Some through Diseases, other starvations.
Continuing interests over the resources by many parties involved
in the conflicts, some people are being murdered as a
consequence of greediness.
What is the Future of the D.R.C?
The D.R.C continue to suffer violence, rapes, human rights
violations and many other atrocities despite the big size of the
UN Mission and the elections held in 2006.
The majority of Congolese remain poor, unemployed and
witness the multiple foreign companies exploiting and exporting
mineral.
Despite the recognition by the UN that Congo has been and
continue being invaded by foreign troops; the international
community has been quiet to the situation.
The presidential elections are scheduled to take place on
28 November 2011 and the main candidates being Joseph
Kabila, Tshisekedi wa Mulumba and Vital Kamerhe.
The opposition is not confident for the free and fair elections
and suspect Kibila to have plans for elections fraud.
Peace after the elections is yet to be seen.
Will the Democratic Republic of Congo be then totally free,
peaceful and governed by Congolese people themselves
without the interference of the external forces?
That will be the moment that the millions of Congolese
people ever waited for..
Thank you