The international community is finally, with shameful belatedness, coming to terms with the political and humanitarian crises in the Great Lakes region of Africa, but it is as yet undecided on how best to tackle them. While the delay in addressing these questions must be condemned, this should not be an excuse for over hasty military intervention with an ill defined mandate. In the very short term political action to secure access for humanitarian corridors to get food to the refugees is the most urgent requirement. It must be followed by a wider commitment to tackle the political questions that underlie these deep seated crises.
The United Nations Security Council has approved the creation of an emergency intervention force in response to proposals from France and the Organisation of African Unity. Assembling such a force always takes some time because the states that are party to the conflict must approve its composition. Otherwise it would have to be imposed by force.
The debate centres on whether this should be an African operation supported by the UN, the United States and the European Union, or whether it could have other international troops, notably from France. It is not only Rwanda and other African states which are suspicious of French involvement, but also several members of the Security Council, including Britain and the US. There are fears that France (and Belgium) would bring hidden agendas to the conflict because of their former colonial role. If Zaire is indeed in danger of breaking up, as many fear, it is essential that the composition of any international force should be clear cut and free of neo colonial aspirations.
The immediate task is to open humanitarian corridors and get food to some one million refugees in eastern Zaire. Yesterday's announcement by the Rwandan government that it will allow food convoys to be transported across its borders is welcome news, but only in the immediate sense. The longer term aim, which must be tackled with just as much urgency as the humanitarian catastrophe, is to find a political solution to the regional conflicts and to provide the resources upon which they could be based.
If the refugees are to be encouraged to return home to Rwanda, which should be a prime objective of policy, it will be necessary to provide transport, guarantees for their safety and monitoring forces to see that this is implemented. It will also be necessary to insist that the legal processes put in place to try those accused of war crimes and genocide be completely overhauled, speeded up and properly resourced.
Looking ahead towards a regional settlement it can readily be seen that it is necessary to be politically ambitious rather than allow the response to the dreadful humanitarian crisis to become a substitute for politics. The OAU, the UN and the EU should encourage the creation of a conference of regional states to consider a political stability pact. It would have to deal with the very difficult questions of borders and minorities as well as refugees and would also have to confront the need to build up political and democratic resources. It could be underwritten by a standing regional body similar to the Organisation of Security and Co operation in Europe. It is essential that the African states themselves take these political initiatives if that continent is to be fully involved in its own rehabilitation.