Non-disarmament of militia groups threatens peace process, ICG warns

The advocacy organisation, International Crisis Group (ICG), on Tuesday warned that unless immediate attention was given to the problem of armed elements in the DRC, the Lusaka peace process may well unravel. In a press statement on a new ICG paper entitled “No peace without disarmament in the Congo”, the group noted that the largest force within these movements was associated with the Rwandan Interahamwe militia and ex-FAR (former Rwandan army) soldiers. The second largest grouping was composed of Burundian rebels from the Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD), and other groups included the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Angolan UNITA rebels. “Besides wreaking havoc themselves, the armed groups provide a rationale for neighbouring governments to conduct counterinsurgency operations and continue the occupation of Congolese territory, with terrible humanitarian and human rights impacts,” the statement said.

“The death of [former DRC president] Laurent Kabila has opened a limited window of opportunity and led to intensive regional consultations on the issue of Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reintegration or Resettlement (DDRR) among the signatories of the Lusaka agreement. However, progress on the peace process appears to have caused a movement of Hutu armed groups towards eastern Congo and Burundi, leading to an escalation of violence in this area. If nothing is done, the war will likely resume either through an explosion in the Kivus or a reversal of the momentum on disengagement.”

The statement urged the UN Security Council to “send a strong signal of support” for the process of disarmament in the Congo and mandate the UN mission (MONUC) to take the lead in coordinating it.