UN tight lipped on FDLR’s operations in DRC The FDLR militia is blamed for the Rwandan genocide of 1994 among other atrocities in eastern DRC. The FDLR militia is blamed for the Rwandan genocide of 1994 among other atrocities in eastern DRC.(REUTERS) The United Nations (UN) has refused to publically announce details of any potential military operation against the rebel FDLR in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The South African government has added its weight to pressure the UN Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, calling the military option inevitable after the rebel groups failed to disarm by a January 2 deadline. South Africa, along with Tanzania and Malawi make up the over 3000 troops attached to the mission’s Force Intervention Brigade tasked with neutralizing continued rebel threats in the restive east of the country. In Monday’s daily noon briefing at the UN, SABC asked the Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq’s response, whether military action by MONUSCO’s force intervention brigade against the FDLR was imminent. He says, “You’ve heard what we’ve had to say, it’s clear that the FDLR has not done the disarmament tasks that they were supposed to have done by the Jan 2 deadline and you’ve heard what MONUSCO has said and the preparatory actions that we’ve taken for any potential military action.” Potential but not definitive as the complexity of military action against the FDLR militia, whose members are blamed for the Rwandan genocide of 1994 among other atrocities in eastern DRC, continue to complicate the UN response on when it plans to strike. We are very confident on the validity of our plan Farhan says, “It’s not something that we would announce in advance of the actual operation, we’ve made clear that there is no military solution but there will be no solution without military pressure. At the same time any operations that are undertaken against the FDLR, are and must remain part of a broader political strategy so we’re pursuing both that and we’re at this stage planning for a potential military operation.” MONUSCO’s deputy force commander Maj. Gen. Jean Baillaud last week indicated they were well prepared for operations against the FDLR. “Concerning the FDLR, don’t expect from me to tell you the beginning of the operations. In fact we are very far in our research of the information. We are very confident on the validity of our plan, and of course we will be capable to attack where we want and when we want, to get the results that will be released to you.’ A senior UN official has also indicated that they are awaiting the signing of a joint directive with the DRC Government before military operations can proceed against the FDLR; action that according to the UN will be complicated by a foe reluctant to engage, no longer wearing uniforms and much harder to tackle than the highly visible M23 group that similar joint operations defeated in 2013.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 06:07:28 +0000
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