Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The CNDP (National Congress for the Defense of the People) rebels, led by Laurent Nkunda, are retreating from the area surrounding Goma (capital of North Kivu, eastern Congo). This is what a spokesman from the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) said, clarifying the fact that the retreat is being carried out by hundreds of men who have abandoned various posts around Goma, which has been under siege for two weeks. The rebels are moving towards the south, in three directions.
It is, however, a partial retreat from the recently invaded territory. Nkunda's men, in fact, continue to hold their ground at just 15 kilometers to the north of Goma. Nkunda thus wished to send a sign of openness to the special UN envoy to Kivu, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is in Nairobi to mediate talks between Nkunda and Congolese President Joseph Kabila.
In the meantime, calm has returned to Kayna, a town at 120 km from Goma, where two days ago fighting broke out between the regular army and a group of Mai-Mai militiamen (see Fides 18/11/2008). Kayna is about 20 km from Kanyabayaonga, strategic locality where the main roads of the region meet.
The pro-government Mai-Mai say that they attacked the army to prevent them from abandoning their positions against Nkunda's men, to place an end to the continual abuse of the civilians. The army has been accused by civilians of looting and destruction, making the people of Kivu consider them more of a nuisance than a defense of national integrity. The soldiers say that they were forced to take food from civilians because they do not receive pay nor provisions.
Nkunda's 4,000 men have almost reached Goma, where there are only MONUC troops (also criticized for their lack of initiative, and complexity regarding Nkunda), who until now have prevented the city from falling into rebel hands.
In the UN headquarters, discussions are underway as to whether or not to send 3,000 more men to reinforce the 17,000 already at work in the DRC. However, the real problem is the lack of political willpower to end the war, in which many interests of the great powers are at stake. It is not mere coincidence that among Nkunda's terms for ending the fighting is that of re-negotiation with the mining contract between Kinshasa and China. Is it only a guerrilla's gesture to appease the West, as he faces accusations from the International Crime Court for war crimes? (LM) (Agenzia Fides 19/11/2008)
