Putting things in perspective: Buffet Foundation versus UN Group of Experts
On April 1, the Howard G. Buffet Foundation issued a report scrutinising the role, methodology, and content of the UN Group of Experts’ work on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reports closely aligns to the rebuttal the Government of Rwanda issued against the Group’s 2012 interim report’s infamous annex. It … Read more
A Robinson for Kampala, a Brigade for Rumangabo. The UN’s new Congo Strategy?
As expected by many, the sudden surrender of Bosco Ntaganda to the US embassy and his subsequent transfer to the ICC in The Hague has not stopped the ongoing political dynamics in and on the Great Lakes region. Shortly after his appearance in Kigali, the UN named a new special envoy to the Great Lakes … Read more
Confusion totale au Petit Nord?
Few days after the Addis framework agreement on eastern Congo had been signed, North Kivu appears to witness an escalation of violence bearing potential of dramatically changing the short-term politico-military landscape, particularly in the Petit Nord (territoires of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo). While clashes erupted between Congolese army FARDC and the Mayi Mayi of APCLS (“General” … Read more
With the Addis Ababa accord signed, what prospects for Eastern Congo?
Today has marked the signature of a new peace accord designed to bring an end to continuous violence and civil war in the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is not the first one, and if not properly implemented it will not be the last one either. There are a few positive … Read more
Kampala sets up, Kabila wakes up, M23 makes up, Masisi flares up.
This post’s header shot has been taken in proximity of one of Lushebere’s IDP camps, a few kilometres east of Masisi town, the administrative centre of Masisi territory, a part of North Kivu province. The shown area, if further neglected that much in terms of attention, may turn into a major hotspot of renewed Kivu … Read more
Once more, international politics on the verge to fail the Congo?
(Most of this essay, I actually wrote a few weeks ago, but I considered it still interesting now with a few amendments.) Two months ago in Kinshasa, Congolese flags and Francophonie logos were edging the boulevards. Heads of State, including French President Hollande, of l’Organisation Internationale de le Francophonie attended their summit secured by heavily … Read more
Goma. Anatomie einer Eroberung im weiteren Kontext
Am Vormittag des 20. November vermehrten sich die Agenturmeldungen und Kurznachrichten auf Twitter: Goma, die seit mehreren Tagen von der kongolesischen Rebellengruppe M23 (Bewegung des 23. März, laut einem gescheiterten Friedensabkommen) belagerte Provinzhauptstadt des Nordkivu, sei gefallen. Das Bild verdichtet sich, kurze Zeit später gibt es zahlreiche Bestätigungen dieser Nachricht und Goma fällt für etwa … Read more
Kivu troubles: Short wrap up and media review
(mis à jour depuis première publication) A spectacle of disinformation and contradictory rumours has been taking place after the seizure of Goma on November 20th and much of the events are still difficult to recap at this point. Saturday morning, however, actual withdrawal of the rebel movement began and many journalists present in Goma witnessed … Read more
Guest post: Observations on the Goma seizure
This is a guest post by David Barouski (Twitter: DBarou): These are my observations and comments after reading through the events of November 21, 2012. They are not organized and written down as they came to me, so I apologize for the haphazardness and lack of being easy to follow. Most of these points are … Read more
Bits and pieces on current events in and about eastern Congo
Here is to a couple of paragraphs on recent developments amid the ongoing crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Rutshuru/M23/ARC: The Rutshuru-based mutiny has remained rather idle on the battlefields while engaging in new (partly forced) recruitment within the territories under its control. Few weeks ago, the M23 was officially renamed ARC (Armée … Read more
