On September 16, 2007, Foreign Ministers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi began a two-day conference aimed at improving the security situation in the region. The meeting, which occurred in Kampala, Uganda, focused on coordinating response to ongoing conflict with rebel factions operating throughout the area.
Continued diplomacy is essential to creating long-term stability in the region. Increased coordination and security roles provided by United Nations (UN) forces will be key to achieving any lasting agreements.
Instability in the Congo
The most pressing security issue in the African Great Lakes Region continues to be eastern Congo where rebels led by former General Laurent Nkunda have fought UN and Congolese troops for several weeks in the province of Nord Kivu. It is estimated that General Nkunda has 3,000 rebel troops under his command. The fighting has resulted in Congolese refugees fleeing to Uganda on several occasions and has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. Additionally, the rebels are accused of attacks on civilians.
The assembled countries have called for the UN to increase its role in the area, where United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) forces operate. The ministers have asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to reinforce the MONUC forces with better equipment and more troops. MONUC currently has 17,600 troops in the DR Congo with 4,300 of them in the province of Nord Kivu. Currently there is a truce between the rebels and Congo forces negotiated by the UN. However, the truce is fragile and hostilities could be renewed at any time.
Ethnic Tension Endures
The Great Lakes region has been plagued by violence since the early 1990s. Burundi suffered a civil war in 1993, the Rwandan genocide occurred in 1994, and a regional war in the Congo lasted from 1998 until 2003. While those conflicts have since been largely resolved, they illustrate the instability the region continues to face.
Tensions remain between Rwanda and the Congo due to an estimated 6,000 rebels belonging to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FAR) hiding in eastern Congo. FAR rebels are Hutus accused by Rwanda of participation in the 1994 genocide. Rwanda has previously sent troops into Congo territory during the 1998-2003 regional war, and there are fears that if progress is not made it could do so again.
Additionally, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continues to operate in parts of northern Uganda, Southern Sudan, and the Congo. Peace talks between the LRA and Uganda have yet to achieve a lasting peace agreement.
Underlying Causes
Tension and conflict are not new for this region. Decades of prior conflict and war have often proved difficult to overcome in diplomatic maneuvering trying to address new or ongoing regional security concerns. Tribal policies that have often taken precedence over governmental rule have also been difficult to overcome as laws enacted have been difficult to enforce or receive little backing from the populace if not supported by tribal or rebel leaders.
Most importantly, poor economic conditions do not provide avenues for growth or positive changes, which are necessary to achieve lasting results. Poverty and lack of employment opportunities do not provide adequate environment for enacting strong security footholds.
Action Required
While the meeting was an important step towards creating a unified plan of action, it did not produce results. The Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting the Tutsi forces of General Nkunda while Rwanda accuses the Congo of supporting the FAR.
In order to prevent a further deterioration of the situation in the Great Lakes region, an increase in diplomacy is vital. The UN and its MONUC forces should coordinate negotiations with General Nkunda’s forces to encourage his troops to become integrated into the Congolese Army or to demobilize. The UN should also enter into dialogue with the FAR forces remaining in the Congo. The FAR forces should be offered incentives to demobilize.
Without an increase in diplomacy, the conflicts with FAR rebels, General Nkunda’s rebels, and the LRA could lead to a renewal of hostilities. Based on previous conflicts, it is likely that one conflict could cause other countries in the region to become involved, creating further instability.
