DR Congo threatens war on rebels

Fighting has been raging in the DRC’s Kivu provinces since September 2007, after a renegade Rwandan general, Laurent Nkunda, invaded from the east. His stated reason was to fight remnants of the Hutu Interahamwe, who reside in the eastern Congo, but it is much more likely that he is under orders from Paul Kagame to secure the coasts of oil-rich lakes and the mining regions of Kivu.

On the opposing side, the Congolese government under Joseph Kabila has responded in force, and beaten Nkunda back (although a stalemate seems to prevail at the moment). The UN’s largest peace-keeping force, MONUC, is now mobilizing to fight alongside Kabila, which may breach their terms of engagement as they slide from peace-keeping to war-making.

Both sides have rich western backers, with billions of dollars in natural resources such as oil, diamonds, tin, niobium, gold, timber and coltan at stake. Whoever wins will make some shareholders back home very rich indeed.

Thousands have died, many more have been raped and tens of thousands have been displaced.

The head of the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo says he has given up all hope of a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Congo.

General Dieudonne Kayembe said force was now the only way to deal with dissident General Laurent Nkunda.

Fighting has continued in the North Kivu province for a third day, with government troops using heavy artillery against rebel forces in Rugari.

Gen Nkunda has threatened UN troops, accusing them of backing the army.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (Monuc) says the army has been sending reinforcements to the region ahead of a possible major offensive against Gen Nkunda.

Posted by Szamko
Just tries to tell the truth.

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