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[Global]
More
than 300 people have signed a petition calling on the U.S. to take
stronger action against its East African allies Rwanda and Uganda for
sponsoring M23 the militia engaged in a murderous rampage in Congo.
Several petitioners also called for charges against Rwanda’s Gen. Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Gen. Yoweri Museveni for sponsoring the violent M23.
The
United Nations in a report by a Group of Experts officially published
last week said M23, which has been accused of war crimes by Human Rights
Watch, says the militia’s overall commander is Rwanda’s minister of
defense Gen. James Kabarebe.
M23’s leaders also met regularly
and were advised by top Uganda military leaders including Gen. Salim
Saleh, Presidential Advisor on military affairs to his brother Gen. Museveni, Uganda’s president; M23’s other top Uganda contact was Gen.
Kale Kayihura, Uganda’s police commander, says the UN report.
M23
seized Goma last week, killing Congolese civilians along the way,
operating like the conventional army it is and clearing their path with
artillery fire.
“Museveni must face the Hague,” says Kabajo
Nsubuga, in a comment posted on the petition drive calling for the U.S.
to force Rwanda and Uganda, to pull M23, the ruthless militia they
sponsor, out of Congo.
Both Rwanda and the U.S. receive substantial military and financial assistance from the United States.
Nsubuga,
who posted the comments from Prince George, in Canada, is one of more
than 300 outraged global citizens who have responded to the petition
drive posted on change.org change.org
“We are responsible for the
training and weapons Kagame and Museveni have and are using against DRC
through M23,” says an American, Tikva Frantz, from Chicago, Illinois,
who also signed the petition. “These abuses have gone on long enough.
Stop the aggression and allow the people of Eastern Congo peace.”
“Kabila
must step down as he is not able to defend DRC and its people,” says
another signatory to the petition, Kini Muizila, from Kinshasa, DR
Congo.
The Petition States: “Susan Rice U.S. Ambassador To
United Nations (212) 415-4050: Back UN Sanctions Against
Kagame/Museveni for Backing M23 Terrorists.
M23 have committed
crimes against humanity and war crimes in Congo, killings and mass rapes
including of infant girls. The U.S. provides financial and military
assistance to Rwanda (under Gen. Paul Kagame) and Uganda (under Gen.
Yoweri Museveni), who sponsor M23. Liberia’s former president Charles
Taylor was tried, convicted and sentenced to 50 years behind bars for
similarly supporting brutal insurgents in Sierra Leone.”
The
responses to the petition have come from the U.S., Germany, Australia,
Belgium, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and many other countries.
Here’s a sampling of responses so far:
KANDALA
LUPWANA, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: “Gross human rights violations
have been and are being committed in the DRC since two decade,
perpetrators are identified (Kagame, museveni) , those crimes involve
individual responsibility of perpetrators and universal jurisdiction
because they are international crimes which affect the moral and dignity
of the international community as a whole. therefore the need to not
let these crimes go unpunished. Also the coming into force of the ICC
claims that no such crimes would remain unpunished.”
JOHN MUKAS, ROYS, UNITED KINGDOM: “BECAUSE
IAM SICK TO DEATH OF THESE TERRORIST WHO ARE KILLING ANYTHING THAT
MOVES TO GET RICH AND THE SUPPER POWERFUL COUNTRIES DOING NOTHING TO
STOP THEM. ITS POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER INFLICTED TO MOST OF
people THROUGH AFRICAN’s SOCIETY WHICH EUROPE WI’ll SUFFER IN THE COMING
FUTURE AS WE ALL NOW LIVE IN A BIG SOCIETY.Something has to be done
soon.”
MARK DUNSTON, PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA): “Because this is the invisible holocaust of my people.”
Deogratias Bikopo, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: “Fight lawlessness, prosecute criminal and promote democracy in Africa.”
Pascal Sundi, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: “Why
Congolese should be killed and raped for the interests of others? Are
they less human beings than Americans and their puppets?”
Marie Owanga, MARIETTA, GA (USA): “If
we can preserve and protect nature as well as animals, shouldn’t we
also care for other humans like us? Why is the Democratic Republic of
Congo still suffering from Genocide, Murder and Statutory Rape right
under our noses and we are acting like it is OK when we know it is
not??? May God help us all in Jesus name!”
Ramses Wamulumba, KAMPALA UGANDA, UGANDA: “Because I am a Congolese compatriot and i am sorry for what is happening to my people and mother land.”
Mary Mcfarland, OKC, OK (USA): “I have extended family, many friends, and fellow human beings in DRC.”
Rev. Shekinah Samaya, OAKLAND, CA (USA): “Because the LAST thing we need in the world is yet ANOTHER genocide in Africa!!!!”
Edward La Combe, GAINESVILLE, FL (USA): “The U.S. should not provide foreign aid when it will be misused to support violent oppression of innocent people.”
Marchal Luc, CORBAIS, AA: “It is time to put an end to the suffering of the populations of the Great Lakes region.”
Albert Rukerantare, BRUXELLES, BELGIUM: “The
war in the eastern DRC violates international law on the sovereignty of
this country. Dictatorship based on the single-and the confiscation of
all freedoms are equal reason that generate this murderous escalation.
The right of the human person must be respected as the territorial
integrity of the DRC. Thus, we must take firm action to force Rwanda and
Uganda to stop supporting the rebellion that strikes terror in the
region and killing innocent people.”
Felicity Nduku NEW YORK, NY (USA): “Stop Blood Minerals by way of Rape and Genocide in the Congo. Justice for Congo’s Women and Children! Human Rights for All!”
Happy Shima, KITWE, ZAMBIA: “No
life is superior to another? Why should we stand and watch Kagame and
Kaguta Museveni cause millions of death of innocent people and untold
suffering of children, women and elderlies for decades! It is high time
the two face justice, it does not matter what Susan Rice interest in
Congo through Kagame is! Looking the other way while lives are being
lost under Kagame’s hands is longer acceptable!”
Sabrina Qureshi, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: “The
m23 group have taken captured Goma city. The UN received reports that
the M23 rebels have abducted women and children. The UN experts have
also received reports that M23 are backed by Uganda and Rawanda. The UK
is a major donor of millions of UK tax payers money to both Rwandan and
Ugandan Governments. As a British citizen I want the UK to end its
support for those governments involved in the war for Congo’s rich
resources.”
Jules MUBIRU, FRANCE: “I simply DO NOT AGREE
with M7’s backing of those killing innocent innocent Congolese women and
children. …. A fed- up and peaceful Ugandan.”
Francis Muhoozi Ndagabanye, MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM: “Blood of innocent people on Museveni(Uganda) and Kagame’s (Rwanda) hands has exceeded human understanding.”
Carol Carole, SEATTLE, WA (USA): “Enough of greed and corruption of African leaders at the cost of the people they are supposed to lead.”
Ombeni Kalongera, DALLAS, TX (USA): “Congolese people deserve dignity. This has been going on for so long. Now, it has to stop.”
KANDALA LUPWANA, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: “Gross
human rights violations have been and are being committed in the DRC
since two decade, perpetrators are identified ( Kagame, museveni) ,
those crimes involve individual responsibility of perpetrators and
universal jurisdiction because they are international crimes which
affect the moral and dignity of the international community as a whole.
therefore the need to not let these crimes go unpunished. Also the
coming into force of the ICC claims that no such crimes would remain
unpunished.”


Pascal Sundi, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: “Why
Congolese should be killed and raped for the interests of others? Are
they less human beings than Americans and their puppets?”
Rev. Shekinah Samaya, OAKLAND, CA (USA): ” Because the LAST thing we need in the world is yet ANOTHER genocide in Africa!!!!”
Settala Graham, KAMPALA, UGANDA: “Kagame and Museveni have been the biggest mass murderers since Adolf Hitler. Enough is enough.”
Alex Kris, TUCSON, AZ: “M23
is responsible for some of the most heinous human rights violations in
the world today, including the enslavement, mass rape and mass killing
of many civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it is
absolutely inexcusable that the US government continues to fund them
through the governments which support them.”
Tommy Tran, ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA: “Support
for violent regimes are a sign of how bankrupt our foreign policies
are. If we are to proclaim ourselves as beacons of human rights, then we
should practice what we preach instead of engaging in hypocrisy.”
Kai Duttle. GERMANY: “Don’t support criminals.”
RICHARD SEMITEGO, BARKING, UNITED KINGDOM: “Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta and Paul Kagame must stop Recruiting and Funding M23
Rebels to oust DR Congo Government. Women and Children are being raped
-Rape is used as a Weapon of War and millions of Congolese are being
killed and displaced as a result of Museveni-Kagame’s aggression against
DRC. ICC must INDITE MUSEVENI & KAGAME for crimes against
Humanity.”
Emmanuel HABIMANA, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: “This is an ongoing agenda that started with 1990 Rwandan invasion and now Goma (DRC).It must stop.”
Augustin Munyemana, REYNOLDSBURG, OH (USA): “Stop Kagame and Museveni evil acts in Central Africa.”
Albert Devos, STEENOKKERZEEL, BELGIUM: ” This war means an invasion in a neighouring country and this cannot be accepted.”


David Binotto MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: “Museveni & Kagame MUST be held accountable for the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Goma.”

The petition which had been signed by 305 people as of November 28 is located at change.org
“Speaking Truth To Empower.”
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