Friday, February 13, 2009

Rwanda's Annexation of the Kivus Will Test Congolese Resolve

MEMO TO THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE: The success of Rwanda's effort to annex the eastern portion of your country depends on whether you are able to organize a coherent and effective opposition. The international community is moving toward the consensus that Rwanda's re-entry into the Congo is a good thing. Your own president invited them in, so it's not illegal or an act of war, either of which might have required the international community to respond. Rwanda will now impose some rough order on the region, reducing the chaos of war and its humanitarian toll. This, again, is something the international community will applaud.

In the end, only you will be troubled by the dismemberment of your counry. The question is whether you can take on your president, for sacrificing a portion of your country's sovereignty, while at the same time confront the occupying power that has come to dominate the east and exploit its resources. Kagame--and the international community--are betting against you. Do not make the mistake of seeking justice in international fora or of asking your friends and patrons in the West for help; they are both just as glad to see Rwanda take over in the Kivus, since it means one less headache for them. In this fight, you are on your own.

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