CONGO-DEM.REPUBLIC 8/6/2004 9:52 DEFENCE MINISTER: IT IS AN INSURRECTION IN BUKAVU Politics/Economy, Standard âI say it loud and clear that it was an insurrectionâ, obviously to be tamed. This was the statement made by Defence Minister Jean Pierre Ondekane, speaking at the national assembly convened for nearly three days for the crisis of Bukavu, city of east Democratic Republic of Congo, along the border with Rwanda, since May 26 theatre to fighting and violence resulting so far in the death of over 80 people. Ondekane provoked different reactions among the assembly with his categorical presentation, from disconcertion to anger; President Joseph Kabila and other government representatives had explicitly indicated an aggression by Rwanda. Based on the means at the disposition of the insurgents â by far superior to those of the regular forces â Ondekane did not exclude that it was âa well planned operation with external complicityâ. Belgian deputy premier Louis Michel, since yesterday in Kinshasa, after meeting Kabila and other government representatives, claimed that he could not comment on the exact nature of the events. Meanwhile, in Bukavu an atmosphere of anticipation and great insecurity remains: MISNA sources refer that the city today appeared almost deserted, with the people closed in their homes, with few daring residents and cars in circulation. All are attending the arrival in the city of government troops that according to various sources, are marching toward Bukavu to seize the city back from the âmutinousâ soldiers that occupied it on June 2. No shots were however heard during the day. To respond to an eventual advance by the Congolese unified armed forces, a few hundred soldiers of Colonel Jules Mutebusi â one of the two rebel officers â are grouping in a secondary school in Bukavu, while the men of the other commander, General Laurent Nkunda, have withdrawn toward Kavumu, around 20km away, where the city airport is located, and toward the island of Idjiwi. MISNA sources however underline that the pillaging, rapes and threats by the insurgents continue and it appears that Mutebusi is even recruiting youths and children in his lines. The insubordinates are all from the ranks of the RCD-Goma, the former pro-Rwandan rebellion that in times of war controlled vast sectors of east DR-Congo and today part of the new government of national unity. Aside from fear of the presence of the âinvadersâ, the population of Bukavu is also gripped by a strong sentiment of hostility toward the MONUC (United Nations Mission in ex-Zaire), accused of incapacity to defend the city. Also yesterday, explained the sources, children threw rocks at the MONUC armoured vehicles. A statement received by MISNA, in which we synthesise the reflection of the missionaries, affirms: âThe violent occupation of the city of Bukavu is an episode of a situation of violent occupation still experienced by the entire east DR-Congo. The international community intervened for the nation to reach a peace treaty, but without enacting the necessary means for the immediate dismantling of the military and administrative structure of the forces that passed from the rebellion to the Governmentâ. [BO]
