Eye on Africa

At three o’clock in the afternoon I meet the Moroccan convoy at the security check point in front of the UN headquarters. A dozen white Humvees with wide black marks on the side doors and the front hood: UN.

Ali Bouchikhi, a young major I had met earlier in the day, motioned me to join him in the command vehicle. “Bienvenu à bord,” he says, shaking my hand.

The Forces Armées Royales have a long history in Congo. They first got involved in 1960 with ONUC, the UN mission that intervened during the civil war following

Their experience shows. They know Congo’s history. The two countries have maintained close relationship through the years as the late King Hassan II and President Mobutu were good friends. Congolese military officers attended Moroccan academies and the two peoples also enjoyed relative closeness through sports. 

Bunia, City of Hope — June 15, 2006

As is often the case with “infamous” places, I had formed my own perverted image of Bunia before I even set foot there. It was a dangerous place, where Hemas and Lendus killed each other genocide style. A city and district with alarming statistics attached to its history.

Between 1999 and 2003, more than 60,000 people were killed and others maimed or severely mutilated. Another half a million people were internally displaced. Ituri also exposed the weaknesses of the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate. The killings took place while UN troops were headquartered in town. Their limited mandate, small number and inadequate equipment did not allow them to save the civilians.

That situation changed in the summer of 2003 when the European Union deployed a multinational force coded named Artemis to secure the city. As a result, many of the displaced returned to Bunia and normal life slowly resumed.

Yesterday, I got clearance to join a United Nations patrol — I am excited. Since my arrival in Bunia, I have wanted to see action. Hear gunfire and see a fight.

UN troops have been fighting alongside the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) against militiamen farther north from here. Several weeks ago, the militiamen captured eight Nepalese peacekeepers and have been asking a ransom for their release. The UN issued its standard line, “We demand the unconditional release of the peacekeepers.”

The most prominent militia is the Mouvement pour la Révolution du Congo (MRC), a relatively new group (perhaps a year old) supported by Uganda. Most interestingly, the MRC is a collection of several militias that had been previously disarmed.

The UN ran a disarmament and demobilization program, which aimed to help thousands of militiamen return to normal civilian life. They turned in their weapons, received US$110 at the outset and a monthly payment of US$25 for 12 months. Not bad. But, even by Congolese standards, $25 does not buy much. In addition, CONADER, the Congolese agency in charge of the program is plagued with corruption.

On the Way to Ituri — June 14, 2006

When I was a child, I often looked at the map of Zaire and marveled at the size of the country. My gaze would travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. I wondered why Burundi and Rwanda were not part of Zaire. In those days, geography teachers still used colonial maps that bundled le Congo Belge et le Rwanda-Urundi.

Congo is big, the size of Western Europe or the United States east of the Mississippi River. Four times the size of France. The one difference is that Congo lacks an adequate road infrastructure. Most of its airports are in bad shape and the famous railroad Henry Morton Stanley envisioned needs millions of dollars for rehabilitation. “Without a railroad, Congo is not worth a penny,” Stanley said.

Today several airline operators strive to bridge the gap between various cities and towns. But, as is the case with other sectors of the economy, corruption and ineffective leadership paralyze civil aviation. Most of these operators do not meet international civil aviation standards.

Kinshasa Pulse – My Press Credentials — June 13, 2006

Le Congo est un monde à part. Yes, Congo is a world unto itself. This I believe. This country defies Western logic and offers a reasoning system that only Congolese understand. Here 1+1 does not equal 2. It can mean whatever you want: 5, 7 or 15. Most of the time, it works and people get away with it.

On Monday morning I went to apply for my press credentials – US$250. Quite expensive. The adviser to the minister of information said the pass would be ready in the afternoon. I told him I would be traveling to the interior on Wednesday. “Pas de problème, la carte sera prête cet après-midi.”  He asked for my mobile phone number. “To help us reach you quickly when the pass is ready,” he assured me.

I asked whether the press pass would allow me to take pictures at public places without harassment. “No,” the official said. “You will need to go to the Agence Nationale des Renseignements, ANR. They will provide you with a minder.”  A fellow who would follow me everywhere I wanted to take pictures. “Without any ANR agent, you will not be able to take a picture in a public place. It is a matter of national security.”

UDPS – Boycott! Boycott! Boycott! — June 12, 2006

When we reached the Boulevard du 30 Juin this morning, the road was blocked. Demonstrators were marching down the boulevard, paralyzing the already-congested traffic.The boulevard is the largest and longest road in downtown Kinshasa. Whatever jam happens there, affects movement in the business area.

A part of me wanted to get off the car, take my camera and capture the march. After all, these were UDPS sympathizers – Etienne Tshisekedi’s militants. Then again, that was the problem. I lost interest.

L’Union Démocratique pour le Progrès Social (UDPS) burst onto the political scene in the early 80’s when thirteen members of the national assembly demanded that President Mobutu allow other political parties, a constitutional conference and free elections. 

Instead, Mobutu unleashed his repressive machine and inflicted gross human rights violations on them. The dissidents did not relent. A new political party was born, attracting followers by the thousands. Etienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba emerged as a serious threat to the Leopard King. A new sphinx was born.

Welcome to Kinshasa — June 9, 2006

Kinshasa has a way about her. She does not welcome you. In fact, if you arrived at night as we did, you would barely see her; she hides.

No high-tech billboards beckon you to the city. No fancy highways trace her contours. You see no bright city skyline as the jet approaches Ndjili International. None of that.

This is Kinshasa, the old Kin La Belle. She rises out of darkness and envelops you with a hug, sango nini, papa?The heat embraces you as soon as you get off the airplane.

Something is in the air. Yes, something. You cannot miss the changes. Typically an international flight to Kinshasa carries more Congolese than foreigners. Coming from Brussels, however, the flight is full of foreigners; white folk, bazungu, mindele. I overheard them talk about the United Nations Mission in Congo.

The fellow sitting across the aisle from me says he is part of the European Union’s elections monitoring mission. You hear of all kinds elections-related projects; observation, monitoring, consulting, etc.