15 December 2008
Kigali — The British government is "in discussions" with both Rwanda and DR Congo over allegations by a UN panel that the two governments are fighting proxy wars by funding and arming rebels in the east of DRC, RNA reports.
The 127-page documents details how Rwandan military elements, banks and wealthy businessmen have been channeling support to the rebel group commanded by General Laurent Nkunda. The rebels dismissed the report.
Kigali said the report was "malicious" and only serves to distract the world from the real problems. Rwanda also expressed concern with the timing of the report - when both governments are working out a plan to disband Rwandan militias.
But prominent donors to Rwanda seem to be taking new evidence with caution. The Netherlands had planned to transfer 3 million euros (3.99 million U.S. dollars) in budget support to Rwanda this year and another 4 million euros (5.32 million U.S. dollars) next year. That is no more. But project support will continue because it has nothing to do with government.
Britain which is by far the largest single donor is not hurrying. Government here receives about 46 million pounds in direct budget support from Britain. Former British PM Tony Blair is now adviser to President Paul Kagame.
"These are obviously serious allegations", said a statement from the Kigali office of the UK Department for International Development - DFID.
"We will be looking closely at the findings and speaking to both the governments of Rwanda and the DRC", the DFID added in the statement when contacted by RNA.
In 2005, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on specific individuals involved in the wars in DRC, but the investigators reported that regional governments have disregarded the sanctions completely.
"The Governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have not instructed customs officials to implement the travel ban on sanctioned individuals, and their respective Central Banks have not made systematic efforts to freeze the assets of those on the sanctions list", the UN experts said.
For example, in one case, Congolese General Bwambale Kakolele, who has been on the sanctions list since its inception on November 01 2005, apparently expressed surprise when the UN Group informed him that he had been sanctioned, as he claimed he had never been informed.
The experts recommends that the UN sanctions Committee enforce compliance with the arms embargo by writing officially to Member States that have not responded to the requests and questions of the Group, and noting their compliance status.
Britain is member of the sanctions committee and DFID statement in Kigali said the UK is also taking part in the discussions in the UN Committee which oversees the arms embargo and sanctions regime related to the DRC.
It is not entirely clear as to whether the UK will confront Rwanda directly over the latest UN allegations. And British campaigners are predicting just that.
Writing in a British newspaper The Independent, Mr. Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society says "It is not hard to see why" the UK cannot cut its direct budget support for Rwanda in protest.
He says that British and US guilt over the decision to pull out the UN force in Rwanda as the Genocide began reinforces their moral support for President Kagame - whose rebel force stopped the massacres.
"Kagame, a visionary leader and a formidable man of action, is warmly welcomed.
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200812160602.html
Kigali — The British government is "in discussions" with both Rwanda and DR Congo over allegations by a UN panel that the two governments are fighting proxy wars by funding and arming rebels in the east of DRC, RNA reports.
The 127-page documents details how Rwandan military elements, banks and wealthy businessmen have been channeling support to the rebel group commanded by General Laurent Nkunda. The rebels dismissed the report.
Kigali said the report was "malicious" and only serves to distract the world from the real problems. Rwanda also expressed concern with the timing of the report - when both governments are working out a plan to disband Rwandan militias.
But prominent donors to Rwanda seem to be taking new evidence with caution. The Netherlands had planned to transfer 3 million euros (3.99 million U.S. dollars) in budget support to Rwanda this year and another 4 million euros (5.32 million U.S. dollars) next year. That is no more. But project support will continue because it has nothing to do with government.
Britain which is by far the largest single donor is not hurrying. Government here receives about 46 million pounds in direct budget support from Britain. Former British PM Tony Blair is now adviser to President Paul Kagame.
"These are obviously serious allegations", said a statement from the Kigali office of the UK Department for International Development - DFID.
"We will be looking closely at the findings and speaking to both the governments of Rwanda and the DRC", the DFID added in the statement when contacted by RNA.
In 2005, the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on specific individuals involved in the wars in DRC, but the investigators reported that regional governments have disregarded the sanctions completely.
"The Governments of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have not instructed customs officials to implement the travel ban on sanctioned individuals, and their respective Central Banks have not made systematic efforts to freeze the assets of those on the sanctions list", the UN experts said.
For example, in one case, Congolese General Bwambale Kakolele, who has been on the sanctions list since its inception on November 01 2005, apparently expressed surprise when the UN Group informed him that he had been sanctioned, as he claimed he had never been informed.
The experts recommends that the UN sanctions Committee enforce compliance with the arms embargo by writing officially to Member States that have not responded to the requests and questions of the Group, and noting their compliance status.
Britain is member of the sanctions committee and DFID statement in Kigali said the UK is also taking part in the discussions in the UN Committee which oversees the arms embargo and sanctions regime related to the DRC.
It is not entirely clear as to whether the UK will confront Rwanda directly over the latest UN allegations. And British campaigners are predicting just that.
Writing in a British newspaper The Independent, Mr. Richard Dowden, Director of the Royal African Society says "It is not hard to see why" the UK cannot cut its direct budget support for Rwanda in protest.
He says that British and US guilt over the decision to pull out the UN force in Rwanda as the Genocide began reinforces their moral support for President Kagame - whose rebel force stopped the massacres.
"Kagame, a visionary leader and a formidable man of action, is warmly welcomed.
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200812160602.html
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