Bertrand Bisimwa M23 Leader Writes To Museveni: Bloody War Is Looming
Below is the M23 president’s letter to Museveni in full:
His Excellency YOWERI MUSEVENI KAGUTA,
President of Republic of Uganda,
Chairman of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region “ICGLR”.
RE: The UN Resolution 2098 of March 28th2013
Your Excellency,
I am respectfully writing to you because, in the ongoing political and security turmoil in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you have chosen to support our country in its quest for peace, and you have agreed to facilitate the mediation between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and MOUVEMENT DU 23 MARS (M23).
As you are aware, after M23 took control of the city of Goma in November 2013, the Heads of States of ICGLR countries encouraged the Movement to withdraw from the city in a bid to allow the possibility of finding a political solution.
Understanding and willing to give a chance to peace within a regional context and support, M23 joined the framework of peace talks in Kampala, after imposing itself a unilateral cease-fire while the DRC government refused to agree for a bilateral cease-fire.
The starting point of contention was the March 23rd Agreement, concluded in 2009, which the DRC government has not fulfilled.
As the negotiations progressed the DRC government delegation showed no willingness to deal with the causes of the crisis and was frustrating the efforts to bringing back peace. Instead, the government delegation flew back to Kinshasa for so called consultations with their officials.
The truth is, as it can be seen today, that the DRC Government was working on a war strategy, which involved a serious implication of the United Nations (UN).
Today, this strategy has resulted into the UN Security Council’s resolution creating belligerent force to wage war on armed groups in Eastern DRC, targeting specifically M23, instead of keeping peace, which is the UN mission. This decision is seriously grave on several accounts mainly the following:
- It violates the regional effort initiated under the mediation of ICGLR, of which you are the current Chairman, making a regional solutionimpossible and despising the effort you country and ICGLR have already invested in the process,
- It initiates a war with an unexpected consequences, particularly on populations that have already suffered greatly,
- It creates a precedent that establishes the victory of force over reason.
Still committed to peace under the regional mediation, M23 is determined to give more chance to peace, and respectfully does request Your Excellency to continue supporting the peace option through a true dialogue which cannot go hand in hand with the military alternative.
While the DRC government, its allies and the UN give preference to the option of war, M23 will work tirelessly for a sustainable peace in the DRC.
Sincerely,
M23 President
Bertrand Bisiimwa
Press Releases: Under Secretary Sonenshine Travel to Ethiopia
04/25/2013 11:39 AM EDT
Under Secretary Sonenshine Travel to Ethiopia
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 25, 2013
Under
Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara D. Sonenshine
will travel to Ethiopia to meet with government officials, local media,
students, and activists to advance shared goals in the areas of press
freedom, education, youth development, and conservation April 27-30.
In Addis Ababa, Under Secretary
Sonenshine will meet with officials from the Federal Democratic Republic
of Ethiopia and the African Union; join a discussion on press freedom
at a roundtable with the Association of Private Publishers; and mark
Global Youth Service Day and Earth Day by participating in a
tree-planting event with Ethiopian National Green Service Volunteers.
April 30, Under Secretary Sonenshine will travel to Ethiopia’s second
largest city, Dire Dawa, where she will speak to students at Dire Dawa
University, one of Ethiopia’s newly established universities.
