Kivupeace.org

Kigali, April 09, 2009
Another look at the abrasive general Nkunda issue ahead of the looming Kabila-Kagame summit:
By professor Ntarugera Deo Koya

Congolese General Laurent Nkunda, Chairman of the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple, CNDP, has been under house
arrest for over two (2) months now. He’s been held captive in Rwanda where he has been kept incommunicado, since 2009: 01: 22.

There is something terribly fishy, awesomely dangerous, potentially disastrous and utterly flabbergasting about the attitude of Rwanda
government top executives in this untowardly preposterous affair:

I started seriously doubting the good faith of Rwanda government authorities, with regard to the affair of general Nkunda’s arrest, when
Rwandan Justice Minister Karugarama issued a statement asserting, with all the appearance of seriousness characteristic of a scholar
delivering some lofty philosophical truth, ‘General Laurent Nkunda is a prisoner of a special type, Nkunda is a prisoner of war’!!!

‘Which war is that?’ said a voice in some remote corner of my mind of minds interrogated. It was almost as if I were hearing some other
person, in my immediate vicinity, asking that question. But there was not a single soul anywhere near me! .Inchoate echoes vehemently
reverberated across my troubled mind like stones hurled in disorder by a madman, ’A prisoner of war?? General Laurent, a prisoner of
war???...Rwanda government says so???...Really?? Utterly preposterous !!! They would go to any lengths these people!! There is death
looming ahead…
Dammit…F… it! There is fire ahead… lots of fire…, Yes, Fire! Fire! And more Fire!...I smell blood here, plenty of blood!!

Mr. Karugarama, in his capacity as minister of justice of the republic of Rgwanda, understandably spoke on behalf of Rgwanda
government: i.e., the government of the republic of Rgwanda complacently tells us, alongside the global world of Man, that general
Nkunda is ‘a prisoner of war’! My blood dangerously surged through my arteries, and I felt unheard-off drones in my temples.
Unconsciously, I swore in Dutch as I used to swear in 1991-1994, dreary years when I hibernated in bloody Europe, in the godforsaken
Flemish Netherlands, ‘Godfff…foerdume!’. Goddammit! What the f… is this?

Then, on my mental scene came in a quick rushed succession, recollections of previous public statements made by President Paul
Kagame with respect to General Nkunda’s legitimate rebellion, Kabila Jr and his ever-failing and bankrupt Congolese State:

In a 2008: 09: 06 interview with Belgian newspaper Le Soir Kagame said, quite sententiously and calibratedly as he pretty often does,
Quotes
L’an dernier, à la demande de Kinshasa, je suis intervenu auprès de Laurent Nkunda. Des officiels congolais, dont le général Numbi,
sont venus à Kigali et à leur demande, je leur ai donné un hélicoptère pour qu’ils puissent aller rencontrer Nkunda quelque part au Nord
Kivu, en compagnie du chef d’état major rwandais. Le contact eu lieu, une solution politique a été décidée et les troupes de Nkunda ont
accepté d’être réintégrées dans l’armée congolaise. Alors que ce processus de mixage avait commencé à bien fonctionner, il y a eu une
rencontre au Burundi et là, la délégation du Congo a soudain demandé que Nkunda soit arrêté, car il figurait sur une liste de criminels.
Surpris, j’ai appelé le président Kabila et je lui ai dit « vous nous utilisez, et vous jouez derrière notre dos : vous publiez maintenant une
liste qui mentionne le nom de Nkunda alors même que vous essayez de trouver une solution politique avec lui… »

Par la suite, le président Kabila s’est entretenu avec les Sud Africains et il leur a demandé que Laurent Nkunda puisse s’exiler chez eux.
La proposition était qu’il quitte le terrain, au départ de l’aéroport de Kigali. Kabila avait proposé cela sans même nous en avertir ! J’ai dit
aux Sud Africains : « pourquoi devrait-il partir de Kigali ? Le président Kabila sait parfaitement où se trouve Nkunda et pourrait lui envoyer
un avion au départ de Goma, il n’y a pas de raison de nous impliquer dans cette affaire. » A nouveau, j’ai appelé Kabila et lui ai demandé
à quoi il jouait. Je lui ai redit que nous étions prêts à l’aider à trouver une solution, mais de manière raisonnable.En fait, tout cela m’
inspire une réflexion de fond: les Congolais aiment se présenter comme des victimes, d’innocentes victimes. Et le monde entier abonde
dans ce sens. En fait, ils ne sont pas des victimes, ils ont aussi une responsabilité dans tout ce qui se passé. Lorsque j’ai revu le
président Kabila à New York, je lui ai dit « Monsieur le Président, vous devez calmer vos extrémistes. Je ne sais pas si vous êtes
extrémiste vous-même, mais vous utilisez cela pour servir vos objectifs politiques. Voyez les problèmes qui se posent au Nord Kivu, entre
les Hutus, les Tutsis, les Banande, les Banyarwanda. J’ai l’impression que vous jouez avec cela, et que cela peut vous servir. J’ignore
quelle est votre stratégie, mais jouer avec l’extrémisme, cela ne vous aidera que pour une brève période, un jour cela finira par vous
revenir au visage. End of Quotes

With Jeune Afrique, Kagame intimated that general Nkunda was held held in custody in Rwanda for his security. I did trust that very much
indeed; and I remember posting entries onto the Nkunda support website, /www.nkunda-support.com/, to the effect that there was no
cause for alarm, that Nkunda was in the caring hands of his Rwandan friends.

And of late, president Kagame did say at BBC, in a hard talk session with Sackur, ‘general Nkunda is our guest’. From ‘being a guest of
Rwanda’ to ‘being ‘a prisoner of war in Rwanda’, there is quite a world of questions and suspicions.

Now that Congolese senators have rejected the amnesty measure decreed for the benefit of Congolese armed groups proposed by
Congolese minister of justice, in the interest of peace, security and social harmony;

Considering Joseph Kabila goes about boasting about Nkunda’s arrest and subsequent captivity, saying he wants general Nkunda
handed over to him so as to grill him with questions…; I seize this opportunity to ask president Paul Kagame a few questions:

1.        Has Nkunda’s rebellion ceased being legitimate?

2.        Why on earth have you decided to partner with the Kinshasa extremists/genocidaires, the Yerodia Ndombasi et alii, to the detriment
of the Congolese Rgwandan Diaspora and the CNDP membership at large?

3.        Supposing you hand over the CNDP Chairman to the Kinshasa inveterate extremists ever-relishing Tutsi butcheries in that failed
State, what do you think Rwanda in general, and your political regime in particular, is going to gain in that first round of uncertain trade-
offs between you and Kabila?

4.        On a number of occasions, you’ve voiced your disenchantment with the leadership of the Kabila dynasty in D R Congo, whatever,
pray, has caused the reversal of order in your approach to the Congolese affairs?

5.        Shall I trust that you have, as you quite often do, a magic ace up your sleeve, Mr. President? An ace that you’re artfully going to play
tomorrow or next, at the belated bilateral summit of the strange duo of yours, that the Congolese and Rwandan foreign affairs ministers
have been canvassing for of late?

6.        In the event General Nkunda is mischievously traded off to the Kinshasa extremists/genocidaires he has been valiantly warring with
for close to a decade, are you sure you and Kabila are going to be the real winners in that despicable bargain? Remember, a freedom
fighter is always in a state of preparedness to accept death when it comes. Have you ever heard, Mr. President Kagame, of what is known
and referred to as POSTHUMOUS CARISMA? Universally, the posthumous charisma of heroes does wonderful things to nations, Sir, and
means in the end that if you think you have cause to trade Nkunda’s flesh off to Kabila, you may please yourself.

The Congolese Rwandan Diaspora alongside multitudes of other Congolese citizens of the CNDP join their voices to that of their beloved
Chairman Nkunda to wish you, president Kagame and the Rwandan people for whom you stand and act, the very best in your political
career.

In these times of commemoration of the 1994Tutsi genocide, the CNDP seizes this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency and, through
you, to all their Rwandan brethren, their deep-seated feelings of sincere compassion and genuine grief. The CNDP also avails this
opportunity to reiterate their felicitations to the Rwandan patriotic front, RPF, for single-handedly, painstakingly and perilously arresting the
genocidal thrust of the Rwandan extremists in 1994.

Bless Rwanda and D R Congo! Long live Rwanda! Long live D R C!
Long live the RPF!
Long live the CNDP!

Ntarugera Deo Koya
Kigali

ntarugera@yahoo.fr

Ntarugera Deo Koya
Communication consultant
Political affairs analyst

Copyright@ www.nkunda-support.com

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