DRC treads carefully not to antagonize Uganda

By Moses Muli

Published: July 22,2024 03:32 PM

On July 12, during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Félix Tshisekedi, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defence Guy Kabongo reported that while a humanitarian truce was being put in place, the M23 rebels were “forcibly recruiting young people” while receiving “continuous reinforcements of personnel and equipment” from Rwanda and Uganda.

This was the first time in recent times that the government was accusing Uganda of supporting the M23. But National Assembly Speaker Vital Kamerhe had, on several occasions, cited Uganda as one of Congo’s “aggressors,” but the government in Kinshasa never backed him up.

For several months, some Congolese have been claiming that Kampala has provided support for the rebels, without offering any proof. Only four days after the publication by a United Nations Group of Experts report pointing to Uganda’s alleged role in the current war in eastern DR Congo did Kinshasa voice its accusation.

Uganda People’s Defence Forces rejected the allegations.

According to the UN experts’ report published on July 8, Ugandan military allowed M23 and Rwandan army to transit through Uganda without restrictions.

The report concludes that there was “active support” from certain officers in the Ugandan army and military intelligence.

The report charges that Uganda also opened the doors to M23 leaders who travelled to the country: Sultani Makenga, the military leader of the M23, who has been reported several times this year in Entebbe and Kampala; and Corneille Nangaa, former head of the electoral commission who became a leader of the M23, alleged to have spent time in the Ugandan capital, where meetings were held.

This report came at a particularly sensitive time when M23 have been gaining ground, capturing towns in North Kivu.

For some Congolese military experts, “the UN experts’ report does not add anything that was not already known”.

Nicaise Kibel Bel, a military expert, said: “The alliance between Kigali and Kampala exists and has never been broken. Uganda has been on Congolese territory since the 1990s, accompanying Rwanda. And it did so on the orders of the Americans and the British.”

He, however, warned that a conflict between DRC and Uganda would be ill-advised.

Neither country wants to start an open conflict over a war that is already complex, bloody and costly for the region.

DRC authorities are all the more confused.

“We need to take a look at the situation in Uganda and how to deal with it,” said Government Spokesman Patrick Muyaya.

He added: “Elements addressed in the experts’ report speak of a more or less passive role because there was no mention of a massive arrival of Ugandan soldiers on Congolese soil”.

“We have Ugandan soldiers dying alongside Congolese soldiers in Ituri and North Kivu fighting the ADF, rebels who are originally Ugandans, and, on the other hand, that they are providing support to the rebels.”

Since November 30, 2021, the Ugandan army has been in a joint operation with the Congolese army to track down the ADF rebels, who have been carrying out attacks in the DRC and Uganda.

The joint operation is one of the reasons given by Ugandan army spokesman Brigadier-General Félix Kulayigye for rejecting the UN experts’ report.

He said that Uganda does not serve as a base for the M23 but hosts refugees in accordance with UN policy.

He said that Uganda does not serve as a base for the M23 but hosts refugees in accordance with United Nations policy.

“If these experts are really from the United Nations, they should be supporting regional efforts to find a peaceful solution, rather than accusing us of taking sides. No, our country is not being used as a base by these rebels. On the contrary, our country takes in refugees for their own safety, in line with UN policy. We have very good relations with the DRC government,” he said.

According to the UNHCR, Uganda is the African country that has taken in the largest number of Congolese refugees, almost 500,000.

The DRC government is therefore reluctant to open a conflict front with Uganda. Two years ago, at the height of the conflict with Rwanda and at a time when clashes with the M23 were escalating, Congolese officials asked President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in order to find a solution to the conflict.

In July 2022, then Infrastructure Minister Alexis Gisarowas was sent by President Tshisekedi to Uganda with a Congolese delegation to deliver a message to the Ugandan president.

“Our presence is justified by the fact that we are aware of your influence in the sub-region. We are convinced that it is difficult to find a solution without you. We are here to discuss possible solutions with you,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kinshasa is all for a staggered withdrawal of MONUSCO troops, especially in North Kivu, saying the situation there needs to be “analyzed and not rushed, given the volatile situation with the advance and threat of M23.”

The government wants the UN mission to provide support to the SADC mission to better deal with the M23.