$ Billions Set Ablaze In The DRC

By Elie Smith. 

While the UN and the until thy kingdom come cashless African Union are in dire need of funds for operations in Darfur, Sudan, the UN supported by the hypocritical European Union have strangely already wasted colossal sum in the failed state called the DRC. According to the French daily Le Monde of Thursday August 24 th 2006, $ 450 millions were spent to organize the July 30 th 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections, that some have added the adjective historic to it. The indicated amount will swell the final addition of the UN mission to the DRC, whose budget according to the same paper is set to knock an all time high of $1.5 billion at the end of this year.

The UN mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo abbreviated in French MONUC supervises an array of projects in the country amongst which is the monitoring of a phoney peace deal singed in Lusaka, Zambia in 1998. The action of the UN would have been commendable if the lump sum poured in the DRC which also makes the mission the most expensive one in world, was not synonymous to a man carrying a basket to the stream to fetch water.

From all indications, the UN mission and its investment in the DRC is a monumental wastage of funds that the organization does not even have. If this colossal wastage in monitoring projects is added to other spectacular investments on the continent that has yielded no positive results, in particular places in such as Western Sahara, a West African state occupied by the North west African kingdom of Morocco, since 1976 or funds spent to prop up a phoney and funny under representative government in a ghost country called Somalia, that is the second certified failed African state after the DRC, it becomes clear that, the UN, the African Union and the European Union, are not only champions in misplaced priorities, they are also in mismanagement and in inhumanity.

Promoters of the gamble called elections that its first round took place on the 30 th of July 2006 in the DRC, told whoever cared to listen in the World that, the so-called elections was a magic wand. And to package and make their liars effective, they whipped up the emotive cords of those interested in elections by telling the world that, it would be the first time since 1964 that Congolese will be voting freely. However, the question that would have been best to ask the professional frauds who promoted the elections would have been this: did elections in 1997 prevent Liberians from fighting each other?

To the chagrin of the merchants of illusions in Addis Abba, Brussels and Turtle bay in New York, their roguish Congolese prodigal sons returned after July 30 th 2006 to what they know best: war. Immediately the first round of the elections was anointed by the earlier mentioned trio, Jean Pierre Bemba and Joseph Kabila, two victors of the first phase of the phoney elections who are interestingly or not good materials for the International Court of Justice, began flexing their muscles via their respective armies on the streets of Kinshasa.

The victims were the same, ordinary Congolese who seem curse, for they seem have the worst set of leaders that the continent has ever produced only second to Somalia. On the 19 th of September 2006, supporters of the rich rebel leader called Jean Pierre Bemba took to the streets of Kinshasa again. But this time around, they were on the street without their AK47 assault riffles. Supporters of Mr. Bemba took to the street to protest the suspicious fire that gutted a building in Kinshasa that housed a TV station allegedly close to the MLC, the military and political party of Jean Pierre Bemba.

Like in erstwhile Somalia, it is evident in spite blind support of a section of the International community and Press that, peace and unity can’t be imposed on people who do not desire. This in particular, in places such as the DRC where it internationally recognizes leaders are not interested in peace, but more in their livelihood and those of their immediate surroundings. And worst, most seem to enjoy the status quo while swimming in the blood and the sufferings of their own citizens that, they are naturally called upon to protect.

More so, the so-called leaders of the DRC, in particular those supporting Joseph Kabila have only shone in their collective desire to promote hate, revenge and tribalism than promoting peace and reconciliation within and without their country. In spite all indications that, the second rounds of elections scheduled for the 29 th of October 2006 is a waste on time and resources, the International community is full throttle for it to be held. What is certain is that, the results won’t be respected by the contenders and in chief will be the internationally recognized President and his created arch rival, Jean Pierre Bemba.

The third round will be contested with tanks and assault riffles and toward that option; various parties are busy building up their arsenals. All these under the nose of the International community and in particular the European Union’s embryonic multinational force called Euro Force. Although none of those supporting Mr. Kabila who are always dressed in slick three piece suits are even better or different from rebels on whose shoulders stands all the blames of the on going chaos in the DRC, the presidential side is respected by the International community for reasons that are beyond comprehension.

Jean Pierre Bemba and his supporters are no enfant de Coeur, but there have justifiable reasons to be furious at the elections and its surprising results. It is beyond comprehension how an evidently unpopular Kabila and his party can attempt to win not only in Kinshasa but also in the East of the DRC of all places. Perhaps they may win in their eastern Katanga fief, but to win a landslide in the greater east is suspicious on how the elections and the mapping of the electoral regions were drawn.

Kabila and his supporters have since 1998 invested much more energy in anti-Rwandan rhetoric’s, but strangely the man overseeing the Rwandan hate has now been branded a Rwandan and it almost impossible for him or his party to win in Kinshasa or larger Congo even if it is just the results of the first round. Especially that, the people he has spent time like his father to groom to hate Rwandans now seem doubly deceived and hence will be implacably against him.

It is now clear that, the first round electoral results were doctored and the only person who rose up to criticize the internationally sanctioned thief has been Jean Pierre Bemba, even though the methods he used must not be supported in anyway. Surprisingly, RDC’s chief Azarias Ruberuwa who also doubles as one of the four vice presidents has not spoken firmly against the electoral process has been held. The good thing is that, although the RDC chief was not satisfied with the first round results, his men have not taken up arms as those of Mr. Bemba.

Nevertheless what must not be forgotten is that, RDC are a much more disciplined rebel movement and the fact that, none of their officially known leaders: Ruberuwa or Mr. Onosumba who is also defense minister has not been vocally against the electoral process does not necessarily mean they are approving every thing.

Perhaps because they are more methodical or are the ones all fingers always points at when things go wrong, they are just waiting for the final results to make their points known in words or with RPG’s. Whatever the case, the responsibility in the brewing massacres in the DRC after October 29 th second and final rounds of elections, rest on the shoulders of the UN and the European Union but not that the African Union. This is because, the African Union is an inconsequential actor on decisions taken on her area of supposed influence.

The UN and the European Union will be responsible because, in all the places where they are involved on the continent, there exist simple solutions that could have been used, but they have stubbornly refused to use or implement them. In Western Sahara, Somalia and the DRC, the solutions are simple to make things work out. If the UN and the European Union wanted the roguish African Kingdom of Morocco to free Western Sahara, they just need to implement economic sanctions and also withdraw the SAA status that, the EU has awarded to the African Kingdom.

As for Somalia, instead of wasting monies, the UN and the EU will do well to recognize the much more organized and democratic Somaliland. That simple action will be a wake up call to leaders of the rest of Somalia Union to put their acts together if they want to salvage the remnant parts of their country. In taking these simple measure, the EU that desires to play grand political role on the world stage will have an opportunity to test their cherished soft power or it will remain only a theory whose experiments and experiences in the Balkans have so far being approximate with approximate results.

In the DRC since courtesy requires that, it be called a country, there is a simple way to install peace and at the same time alleviate the sufferings of the masses. The lump sum invested to prop up an elusive peace would have been used to partition the large country into four or five states. The Euro force now based in Kinshasa and dressed like man and women on a safari tour would have been best used in monitoring and building the foundation of the news states as they did in former Yugoslavia. A divided Congo will be good as plugging the holes on a sinking ship. A divided DRC will stop or control one source of immigration to Europe at a time when African immigrants are not desired on the old continent.

As for those who survive on the difficulties of others, they should not be afraid that, a stable Congo or a settled Western Sahara or Somalia will deny them of the luxuries they have always enjoyed when posted to these hotspots. They will be needed for reconstruction and will continue to ride in chauffeur driven air-conditioned four-wheel Japanese cars. The difference now will be that, they will be more secured. Hence, all have to support the partitioning of the DRC, for it will help alleviate the sufferings of millions of children, mothers and elderly men and women and also avoid create donor fatigue about Africa’s problems.

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