CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Congo RDC |
TENSION
An update on recent events in Kisangani and Kivu
For some time it was feared that General Bora Uz-ima who had been condemned to death in absentia by the Court of Military Order in Kinshasa for involvement in the murder of the late President Laurent Désiré Kabila, might make a determined return to Kisangani. As it was, two other personalities arrived on 30 October.
Professor Zahidi Ngoma is one of Congo’s Vice-Presidents, with special responsibility for social issues and cultural affairs. General Padiri Bulenda is commander of the 9th Military Region. Both are known for their opposition to any armed intervention in Congo’s affairs by foreign powers, Rwandan forces especially. The difference between the two is that Professor Ngoma had compromised his own position somewhat, by accepting the post of leader of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), a rebel movement allied to Rwanda. He then swapped sides to join the government side. General Bulenda, however, had remained «underground» since 1993.
The two men arrived aboard the same plane. The Vice-President was accompanied by some ministers, vice-chancellors of university and directors of institutes of higher education and had come to take part in the opening ceremony of Kisangani’s academic year. There wasn’t a spare seat to be had in the hall where the ceremony took place. Several speakers underlined ev-eryone’s hope that now the nation would be united and the education system amended.
General Joseph Padiri Bulenda was present at the ceremony, but later left to meet with the various military authorities. The following morning, after an initial meeting with his own staff, the General went to pay his respects to the city’s political leaders and the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC). He then invited all Congolese military personnel to come to his headquarters in order to be registered in view of possible re-enlistment in the official armed forces. He also announced the setting up of an office to which all human rights violations could be reported.
Rumours or reality in Kivu?
Readers will recall that General Bora had been arrested on 31 August 2003 and taken, not to Kinshasa but, to everyone’s surprise, to Goma, where he was released. (See ANB-BIA nr 463, 1 October 2003). On 3 September, Lawyers Moise Nyarugabo and Balamage, both RCD Members of Parliament in the transitional parliament, had come to Kisangani to clarify circumstances leading to Bora’s arrest. They said they’d only come to find the truth. According to them, the situation had arisen because an order had been misunderstood. Hence the necessity of taking the General to Goma and later to Bukavu, where he could quietly rest in the bosom of his family.
But at the beginning of the second fortnight in September, news broke from Bukavu, indicating that General Bora Uzima and the governor of South Kivu, Mr. Chiribanya, had once again started to make a nuisance of themselves. They’d gone to Uvira at the head of a delegation from South Kivu, to plan for a third Rwandan war to capture eastern Congo RDC. This delegation also included administrative and political leaders from the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, plus some armed men. It must be noted that many soldiers refused to take part in this new somewhat risky raid.
It’s been reported that the Rwandan Patriotic Army (APR) has already taken all the centres previously under RCD control. The situation in Kivu is described as particularly alarming. The Rwandans are said to be present in large numbers throughout the province and are to be found in Walikale’s administrative centre; in Masisi; as well as controlling the Goma-Butembo main road. The invaders carry out their military operations from Rwanda, with some troops stationed in Virunga Park and others in Sominki (a gold and tin oxide producer)’s properties in Kadimuza and Ngabibue. Those in Walikale are reported to be advancing towards Nyabinda, others towards Butembo in order to regroup.
The Musaki and Rumangabo military training centres are continuing to train large numbers of soldiers and are conducting what amounts to recruiting campaigns. Which all goes to show that preparations for an all-out war are in an advanced stage. Recently, the APR also attacked Maï-Maï positions. The people of Kivu are extremely worried about what’s happening, because it’s clear Rwanda is seeking all-out annexation of the territory.
Trying to find out what’s going on
During a five-day stay in Kivu, we tried to find out what’s going on. In just a few days it’s not easy to determine the exact situation and to ferret out the truth behind the rumours. Nevertheless, Kivu’s inhabitants seem ready for anything. In Bukavu, the fear of seeing the province again being invaded by Rwanda with the complicity of certain people from Kivu such as General Bora Uzima, is growing by the day. But the inhabitants say they’re ready to face any provocation and to resist until the end.
It’s clear the Rwandans are infiltrating into Goma, but to distinguish between Tutsis or Hutus coming from Congo and those from Rwanda is not easy. Is Bora still in Bukavu, perhaps with his family? We’re not absolutely sure as he’s always on the move between Bukavu, Goma, Kigali and Uvira. We are certain, however that his accomplice, General Laurent Kunda, is in Goma. You can see him on his way to his office and he continues to run the army’s daily newspaper. He goes back to Gisenyi each evening and spends the night there.
Reconciliation?
Suddenly, during the first two weeks of October, General Bora spoke about himself when the Information and Press Minister, Vital Kamhere, was in Bukavu. Replying to journalists’ questions, General Bora said that from the outset he’d accepted President Joseph Kabila’s authority, likewise that of the army Chief-of-Staff, General Liwanga. He has no problems, either, with army appointments made by Major-General Joseph Kabila. «The army can have only one supreme commander and I remain at President Kabila’s service to receive any orders. I’m ready to go wherever he sends me, provided I’m serving my country». When General Bora was questioned about the new rebellion he was suspected of planning, he said: «It’s a conspiracy against me. It’s inconceivable to prepare a new rebellion at a time when all the people are embarked on reuniting the country». However, General Bora prudently took care not to tackle the problem of his participation in the plot which had led to the assassination on 16 January 2001 of Mzee Laurent Désiré Kabila.
Not long ago, when the new deputy commander of the 8th military district, General Mufuki General, came to take his up his post in Goma, General Bora promised him every assistance. He said he was awaiting a new appointment. Even if such an appointment has taken some time in arriving, the fact is, General Bora remains on the active list, as in every army in the world.
General Bora is somewhat mysterious and elusive. In the final analysis, he’s the one to judge his own sincerity.
- Cats-Ta, Congo RDC, November 2003 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment