U.S. lacks resolve in implementing U.S. law to the Congo where the humanitarian crisis is far greater than in Libya, and leads one to question why the double standard in applying the
principle of the
[Africa In The Age of Obama]
On March 28, 2011, United States President Barack Obama spoke to the American people about For the past 14 years, more than 6 million Congolese perished due to the ongoing conflict, which was triggered by U.S. allies Rwanda and Uganda when they ” target=”_self”>Final Report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo. This report
documented, among other things, satellite phone records for members of one of the rebel groups responsible for destabilizing the Congo, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). The CNDP was in communication with the Rwandan Defense Force high military command and the Rwandan presidency. Given the solid evidence of Rwanda’s complicity in support of the CNDP who was destabilizing the Congo, global pressure had begun to be applied but not from the United States or Great Britain.
Netherlands took the lead in applying pressure to Rwanda by withholding aid to the Rwandan government. This action played a key role in Rwanda placing under house arrest the rebel leader of the CNDP, Laurent Nkunda, and causing the rebel group to integrate into the Congolese army.
This diplomatic action showed the world that Rwanda is susceptible to outside pressure. Unfortunately, the United States and Great Britain did not
apply any overt pressure. Instead of following the lead of Sweden and Netherlands, the United States pursued a backdoor deal that would result in
a rapprochement between President Kabila and President Kagame while allowing Rwandan troops to enter Congolese soil once again. In essence the United States backed a personal back door deal as opposed to an institutional transparent approach, which would have better served the prospects for long-term peace and stability in the region.
The US has a diplomatic tool at its disposal that can make a difference in the region, the Obama Law, . ” target=”_self”>met with President Kabila in the White House. Then-Senator Obama released a ” target=”_self”> “UN Mapping Exercise Report”.
This report, released by The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on October 1, 2010 ,” target=”_self”>visit to Ghana he shared with the Africans that the United States will engage differently in Africa from previous administrations by supporting strong institutions and not strong men. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has yet to hold to this principle when it comes to Central Africa. It continues to support Central African strongmen, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame of Rwanda while the people of the region continue to suffer from an ongoing conflict and the pilfering of their natural resources.
In the final analysis, if President Obama can implement a No-Fly Zone over Libya, surely, he can implement Public Law 109-456 and hold accountable U.S. allies Rwanda and Uganda.
Thousands of American voters have called on President Obama to start implementing PL 109-456 through a petition that calls for the appointment of a ” target=”_self”>Lend your voice to this effort to bring an end to the crisis in the Congo, the deadliest conflict since World War II.
Kambale .” target=”_self”>Friends of the Congo. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on twitter @kambale http://www.twitter.com/kambale. Add his facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kambalemusavuli
“Speaking Truth To Empower.”
