Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The Easter attack on the town of Mbandaka (see Fides 9/4/2010), capital of the Equator Province in the northwest Democratic Republic of Congo, is having a major impact on the country and has caused controversy among Congolese authorities and the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC).
On 8 April, President Joseph Kabila visited Mbandaka, where he chaired an emergency meeting of the Security and Defense Council. Three senior officers of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) were suspended from service and will have to answer for their behavior before a military tribunal. Other soldiers are accused of cowardice, looting, and terrorism. The Minister of Communication and Media, Lambert Mende, described the attack on Easter as "a terrorist act committed by an armed group." The Minister announced, in addition to military sanctions against the infidels, the opening of an investigation against a regional member and two members of the Equator Province in the National Assembly, accused of being accomplices of the rebels.
On April 4, Easter Sunday, a group of Enyele rebels came across the Congo River to Mbandaka, where they met little resistance from the military and the FARDC and the "Blue Helmets" of MONUC. Initial actions of UN soldiers led to controversy between Kinshasa and the UN leadership. According to Minister Mende, in fact, a MONUC soldier, equipped with a machine gun, stood idly as he witnessed the killing of a Congolese civilian by rebels just after their arrival in the city. The UN position was within 25 meters from the place where the crime occurred.
The UN representatives have responded to the allegations stating that MONUC has played a decisive role in helping the Congolese Army to regain control of Mbandaka and its airport. The Congolese press is also showing evident dissatisfaction with the fact that representatives of MONUC in Kinshasa have asked the government to begin negotiations with the Enyele rebels, as was done in Kivu with the rebels of the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People) . This logic would lead to "reward" any group that takes up arms to vindicate their positions, an act that is unacceptable for constitutional state. It is not clear why only the DRC should do so. There are also serious questions about the motivations of attackers of Mbandaka, as well as regards internal and foreign groups that could benefit from it. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/4/2010)
