A UNITED Nations report says rebels in eastern Congo have gained strength despite attacks by Congolese forces and UN peacekeepers, and now exploit an international web of contacts to run a mineral smuggling enterprise to keep themselves armed and in business.
The report, which The Irish Timeshas seen, says UN peacekeepers have made eastern Congo's conflict worse by teaming up with government forces on several high-profile military operations.
It accuses the Congolese army of funnelling arms to the rebels and raping and killing civilians in its unsuccessful bid to oust the region’s chief rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
“Military operations have thus not succeeded in neutralising the FDLR, have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis,” the report by a UN-mandated group of experts says. “Elsewhere, in Europe, North America and the wider African region, the FDLR diaspora support networks have continued to operate and have been deeply involved in managing the response to the [army] operations.”
The UN Security Council planned to discuss the report this week, and will need to decide in December whether to renew the mandate of the peacekeeping mission, which has about 20,000 troops and other personnel.
The report is an implicit condemnation of the recent strategy adopted by the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, known by its French acronym Monuc.
After taking the lead role in combating Congo’s numerous rebel groups in 2004 and 2005, peacekeepers have shifted to supporting the army, providing fuel, transport, logistics and other help.
Yet human rights activists say the army is among the worst rights abusers in Africa.
The report details how troops raped and tortured civilians and enlisted child soldiers.
It reveals several cases in which army officers diverted or tried to divert assault rifles, grenades, and ammunition to rebel groups. Sometimes, army troops warned rebels of their presence by firing into the air and released rebels captured in the fighting.
It also lays out how Monuc worked closely with a Congolese general named Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed “The Terminator,” who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. Gen Ntaganda’s troops have taken control of several areas and are believed to reap about $250,000 a month in taxes on charcoal, timber and minerals, the report said.
“You have one of the most abusive armies in Africa,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Should Monuc be a partner with this army without any clear conditions in place about how to protect civilians and respect international law?”
In the meantime, the rebels have had no trouble recruiting more soldiers and have solidified their control over lucrative gold and tin mines. Working with the army and officials in other African governments, the rebels sell gold and other minerals and buy weapons in return.
Congo estimates that about 40 tonnes of gold – $1.2 billion worth (€800 million) – is smuggled out of the country each year.
Much goes through Uganda or Burundi and ends up being sold in the United Arab Emirates. The rebels and army networks have had little trouble circumventing UN and government due-diligence requirements.
“If you are serious about tackling this problem in the short term you need to tackle these networks,” said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert who once served on the group of experts that drafted the report.