RWANDA-DRC: Kagame seeks co-operation on rebels
Source: IRIN
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
KIGALI, 7 May 2007 (IRIN) - Authorities
in Kigali are keen to work with their counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to solve the insurgency crisis that has persisted since 1994 rather than attempt to disarm the rebels
themselves, even as the DRC army pursues a military operation to oust the Rwandan rebels. The rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by its French acronym, FDLR, comprises the
remnants of the former Rwandan army and ethnic Hutu militias blamed for the 1994 genocide. It has been active mostly in the North Kivu region of the DRC, where fighting with the DRC army in the first
week of May left more than 40 rebels dead, according to the army. "We are now discussing this problem with the Congolese authorities," said Rwandan President Paul Kagame last week when
asked to comment on FDLR cross-border attacks in western Rwanda in March. "I plan to talk about that situation with my Congolese counterpart, [President] Joseph Kabila. I will soon get in contact
with him and I hope that we can put an end to this situation of insurrection against Rwanda, which always comes from the DR Congo. "I hope it will be an opportunity where we will find a lasting
solution," he added. Kagame, who had in the past threatened to send troops into the DRC to deal with the threat to national security posed by the rebels, said an incursion into the DRC was
currently not necessary. "This is not the only way we have to handle this problem of genocidal militias," said Kagame. "At the moment we seek other peaceful ways to solve the problem
definitively. I know that the current Congolese authorities seek the possibility of making it possible to collaborate with us to find solutions to neutralise negative forces operating in this part of
eastern DR Congo. "The essential thing we have to consider is that all security conditions are guaranteed for Rwandan and Congolese people. We appreciate now the way the Congolese government
wants to handle this situation. For the Rwandan government, it is a priority, because we must reassure ourselves that there is safety in the whole country and neighbouring countries," the Rwandan
leader said. at/jn/mw
