US gives offensive on FDLR rebels thumbs up

UN-backed force will give Congolese solders logistical support. PHOTO | FILE |  AFP

By EDMUND KAGIRE

In Summary

• The Force Intervention Brigade set up by the UN in 2013 with a mandate of using force to rout out “negative” groups in eastern DRC is supported by troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi.
• The force defeated the M23 rebels who wreaked havoc in eastern Congo in 2013.

The United States has welcomed the offensive launched by the DR Congo government forces against the Rwandan rebels based in the eastern part of the country.

The DRC government announced last week that military operations against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) had kicked off after the rebels failed to meet the January 2, 2015 deadline to voluntarily disarm.

US ambassador to the UN Samantha Powers tweeted that the military offensive against the rebels was “long overdue and must be followed by sustained action.” She, however, warned that the operations against FDLR must ensure protection of civilians, minimise civilian impact and be in line with the UN’s human-rights due diligence policy.

Inflicted sufferings

In a separate statement, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the US welcomed the announcement by the government of DRC of the start of military operations against the FDLR. She noted that the rebels were armed and had inflicted suffering on civilians in eastern DRC and Rwanda for over 20 years.

Ms Psaki said the rebels failed to heed the deadline set by the UN, which left only one option, of military neutralisation.

“Last July, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gave the FDLR, including its leadership, a clear deadline of January 2, 2015 to surrender fully and unconditionally or face military consequences. However, the FDLR failed to deliver on its promise to surrender and instead used this period to continue to commit human-rights abuses, recruit new combatants, and pursue its illegitimate political agenda,” Ms Psaki said.

READ: Kigali, Dar set for clash over FDLR military offensive

The US official added that in October, the ICGLR and SADC heads of state reaffirmed that military action should take place in the absence of a full surrender of the FDLR, and on January 8, the UN Security Council reiterated the need to neutralise the FDLR through immediate military operations.

“The United States fully supports DRC military operations with United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo (Monusco) against those members of the FDLR who have failed to surrender. We encourage the DRC and Monusco to continue their co-ordination and joint planning and to take immediate steps to end the threat from the FDLR,” she added.

Chief of Staff of the Congolese Army General Didier Etumba made the announcement of the offensive in Beni, North Kivu Province, accompanied by General Dos Santos Cruz, the force commander of the UN peacekeeping force, Monusco.

A statement issued by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and head of Monusco Martin Kobler, did not mention whether the operations will be conducted jointly as earlier planned but said the UN will provide logistical support to the government forces.

Congolese government spokesperson Lambert Mende told The EastAfrican that the operations will continue until the rebels are fully neutralised.

“As we speak, the soldiers are still going after the rebel positions but I cannot tell you what has been achieved over the past hours. A brief will be issue in the course of the weekend to assess what has been done so far,” Mr Mende said.