Is DR Congo marching back to war? Some 36,000 people have fled the recent unrest in eastern DR Congo Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening to collapse into chaos again following fighting earlier this month between dissident troops and the regular army. Thousands of civilians have fled the area around the border town of Bukavu, and the Congolese government has deployed an extra 10,000 troops to the region.
Accusations and counter-accusations have been flying between DR Congo and Rwanda, with each side accusing the other of trying to destabilise the region. The UN Security Council has warned neighbouring countries not to interfere in DR Congo and United States and UK envoys have been sent to the two countries, appealing for restraint. Do you think DR Congo's fragile peace is now over? Is the Bukavu conflict likely to escalate into an international war, involving DR Congo and its neighbours? Did the five-year war, which killed over three million people, ever really end? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A selection of your views will be broadcast on BBC Focus on Africa at 17.00 GMT on Saturday 26 June 2004. The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far: The DR Congo's fragile peace agreement is definitely not sustainable for the simple reason that instead of focusing on strengthening what they have achieved, the Kinshasa government is focusing more on acts of war. Ivan Rugema, Cape Town, South Africa DR Congo is forced to wage another war because the Rwandan president can not see another way of developing his country except by using Congolese wealth. As long as he in power, DR Congo will never enjoy peace. Kunda John, Montreal, Canada The Congolese government should protect the Banyamulenges' rights. It seems that they are seen as Rwandans by the Congolese. This country is simply too big to be governed. How could it be possible that all Congolese problems are due to Rwandan actions? Nelson Rotsaert, Belgium It is a sad state of affairs when potentially the richest continent is bogged down in petty wars, how much progress has been impeded by these needless conflicts? PointGiven, Edmonton, Canada It breaks my heart to see all these children and the elderly as victims and young children being raped by soldiers taking advantage of instabilities. Why can such a rich country not at least have a little bit dignity? Francois, Oslo, Norway While it is highly likely that there will be short term pauses in the conflict, an end to the war is not at this moment possible. Reason being ,that, the underlying causes of the conflict have not been resolved nor even seriously addressed ,i.e. the redistribution of the natural resources between tribes, regions and countries; the level of autonomy to be enjoyed by tribes and regions and the role of the central government. Donovan Fletcher, Kingston, Jamaica I don't agree with people who are saying that this country is too big to be governed. If people would leave the Congolese people to resolve their problems in peace, maybe there would not be problems. There are many countries in the world that are bigger than the DRC, and yet they are being governed without a problem. Give us a chance. Mukanda M, DRC/Living in USA Congo/Zaire/Congo: It was always an externally imposed creation and once the Cold War client-state funding disappeared came the ensuing power vacuum. This space was filled by disparate local actors, funded externally and locally, with few common interests other than plunder. It is very sad, but without great political will both internally and externally the "falling apart" will tragically continue to unfold. Doug Petersen, Twin Falls, ID, USA It is shameful that a few rebel generals continue to put their selfish interests ahead of the safety and well being of the thousands in eastern DR Congo who have already suffered so much. War, if it comes, will be disastrous for millions of Congolese and the UN and the international community need to send sufficient peacekeepers who are given sufficient powers to prevent these militias from wreaking havoc. Rwanda and Uganda must respect the sovereignty of the Kinshasa coalition government in the eastern provinces. The UN must back up their warnings with consequences for any party that seeks to destabilise the region and the country. John Sullivan, Ithaca, New York -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
