In its New Year's Eve sanctions against M23 and others, the United Nations Security wrote, among many other things:
“The Mouvement Du 23 Mars
(M23) is an armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
that has been the recipient in the
territory of the DRC of arms and related materiel, including advice, training,
and assistance related to military activities. Several eyewitness testimonies state that M23 receives general military
supplies from the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) in the form of weapons and
ammunition in addition to materiel support for combat operations.
M23 has been complicit in and responsible for committing serious
violations of international law involving the targeting of women and children
in situations of armed conflict in the DRC including killing and maiming,
sexual violence, abduction, and forced displacement. According to numerous
reports, investigations, and testimonies from eyewitnesses, M23 has been
responsible for carrying out mass killings of civilians, as well as raping
women and children throughout various regions of the DRC (…) The atrocities committed by M23 against
the civilian population of the DRC, as well as M23's forced recruitment
campaign, and being the recipient of arms and military assistance has
dramatically contributed to instability and conflict within the region and in
some instances, violated international law.”
UN Security Council’s “Gang Name Style” is an easy dance. This
time no invisible horse is needed; rather, a rope to whip a visible criminal organization
called M23 (the recipient of arms and related material, military advice, etc.) while
sparing and welcoming Rwanda (the supplier) as the newest member of the UN
Security Council. The audience is not 1,000,000,000 viewers; rather almost 7,000,000,000 human beings across the globe.
Now, let’s put our human brain to work. Remember my article “Africanomics
101 for Dummies”? Here’s a follow up. The relationship between a producer and a
consumer is similar to the relationship between a supplier and a recipient. In
both cases, dependence is the core of the association. Put in dummies’
language: there is no production without consumption and no consumption without
production. Likewise, there is no supplier without recipient and no recipient
without supplier. So what? Sanctioning only
the recipient is what I call “half-sanction” or “dummy sanction”. So
what? Sanctioning both the supplier (Rwanda) and the recipient (M23) is what I call "intelligent sanction" if the genuine intention is durable peace and human welfare in eastern Congo.
We, Congolese, are aware of the necessity to get rid of our own
dictator Kabila in a civilized and peaceful manner although he is a by-product
of Rwanda’s and Uganda’s invasion of the DRC to get rid of Mobutu in 1997. I will continue to add my voice to those who
advocate for the end of tyranny in the DRC. On the other hand, and on behalf of
the Congolese people, I urge the United Nations to take all measures to
ensure that the governments of Rwanda and Uganda respect the civilized codes of
conduct prescribed in international law and that the current government of the
DRC abides by the same principles in its relations with its own people. A bon
entendeur, salut!
P.S. * I published this same article on Foreign Policy Magazine at:
http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/12/31/what_does_2013_have_in_store_for_turtle_bay
** Despite my criticism, I am partially satisfied that the United Nations Security Council retook some of the language contained in Executive Order 13413 (See my December 19, 2012 posting). Executive Order 13413 is more comprehensive because it targets suppliers, middlemen, and recipients in the territory of the DRC of arms and related material, including advice, training, etc.)
** Despite my criticism, I am partially satisfied that the United Nations Security Council retook some of the language contained in Executive Order 13413 (See my December 19, 2012 posting). Executive Order 13413 is more comprehensive because it targets suppliers, middlemen, and recipients in the territory of the DRC of arms and related material, including advice, training, etc.)
