The Great Lakes region of Africa is comprised of the following countries:
Burundi Kenya
Rwanda Sudan
Tanzania Central African
Uganda Republic
Democratic Republic of Congo
The region has experienced prolonged instability, thus lack of peace and justice for quite some time. It is now engulfed in a war that has drawn in other countries for differing reasons. It was hoped that after the fall of the late Mobutu Sese Seko in Congo, there was going to be peace and stability in the region. These hopes were quickly dashed when President Laurent Kabila, who took over from Mobutu, decided to side with Rwandese refugees (former defeated army and Interahamwe militia) who had not abandoned their genocidal mentality and were planning to invade Rwanda; he also started supporting rebels opposed to the Ugandan government.
Kabila also expelled the Banyarnulenge, who actually brought him to power, denying them their right to Congolese citizenship; in this move, he actually committed genocide against Rwandophone (Kinyarwanda-speaking) Congolese.
This policy sparked a rebellion that has been backed by Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda for reasons of security and, ultimately, survival.
Following this rebellion, President Kabila appealed to the heads of state of some countries who, motivated by (personal) economic interests rather than political or humanitarian interests, unilaterally decided to give him military support in equipment and men. The countries in this category include Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan.
The conflict has become multinational and requires a multidimensional approach to resolve it.
Associated Problems
As a result of the war in the Great Lakes region, many thousands of people have been killed; others have been displaced or uprooted. Property has been lost. And Tanzania hosts a very large number of refugees. Burundi counts a large number of internally displaced people (refugees in their own homeland!). Those displaced are obviously traumatized by what they have gone through. Disease is on the increase. There is also concern about food supplies. A lot of resources that would otherwise be invested in the countries involved in the conflict are being wasted in the sense that they have been diverted to the war effort.
In Rwanda, although genocide took place almost five years ago, few of those who committed it have been brought to justice. The UN approved an ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal) for Rwanda in Arusha. And yet Tanzania has proved extremely slow in letting it perform its task. As the saying goes: delayed justice is justice denied! The genocide survivors feel let down by the UN, both before and after the genocide. The picture of UN troops being pulled out right at the time they were most badly needed is still fresh in the survivorsÕ memories. It is more especially so when the testimony of General Romeo Dallaire, who was the commander of the UN troops, clearly states that the UN kept quiet despite alarming reports he sent before the genocideÑnamely asking for authority to intervene and stop the slaughter.
In Burundi, the democratization process was set back by the killing of the first elected president in October 1993, after only three months in office. The many refugees who sought asylum in neighboring countries launched repeated attacks from the border. This has been another source of insecurity in the region.
Conflict Resolution Attempts
President Chiluba of Zambia has been trying to mediate in the Congo conflict. The OAU (Organization of African Unity) and the UN have called on the parties involved to put down their arms and enter into negotiation. President Kabila does not accept negotiation because he stubbornly persists in speaking of Òoutside aggressionÓ instead of admitting to the existence of a Congolese rebellion.
The churches have tried to intervene, but the situation is complex. The parties involved stick to their respective positions as a consequence of KabilaÕs unwillingness to face reality. In the meantime, people continue to be killed!
What Can the Network Do?
The churches of the region need support to respond to the many challenges raised in this conflict. Peace building involves change of attitudes and practices. This is a long term process. However, in the shorter term:
The churches in the region need network solidarity and understanding.
The uprooted people (both internal and external) need increased assistance.
The churches need facilitation to continue the process of pursuing peaceful means of conflict resolution.
The sister churches of the North should lobby their respective governments to control the flow of arms to the region. Efforts should also be made to stay in close communication with the churches in the region in order to maintain an accurate picture of the situation and be able to relay unbiased information to the respective governments, local media, and human rights organizations.
Specifically for Burundi. The APJN is pleased to hear of the changes taking place in Burundi, especially that the sanctions which were imposed on Burundi have been suspended and political talks are going on in Arusha, Tazania, as well as in Burundi.
An urgent appeal is made to those fighting to end the war, since innocent people are the most affected by this crisis. Both internal and external dialogues between the government, the parliament, and political parties (Burundians who are both inside the country and those outside) should be encouraged.
It is the mission of the local church in Burundi to continue the role of mediator and to hold seminars on peace, power sharing, and reconciliation.
Specifically for Rwanda. The APJN supports the church in Rwanda in its initiatives toward reconciliation. Ways and means should be sought to enable the church to take a step further and pursue the action on a larger scale.
The church should be assisted financially to take the lead in showing compassion to the needy, especially helpless genocide survivors and other war victims (for instance, victims of landmines).
The necessity to assist the church in responding to the need, for instance, for popular education is recognized; this might, in future, protect the innocent population from manipulation by selfish politicians.
The Anglican UN office should lobby in order to effect some improvement in the ICTR process in Arusha; true justice is a prerequisite to reconciliation.
