Goma under siege: Congolese nationals rally for peace and accountability
The Democratic Republic of Congo community in Cape Town handed a memorandum of grievance that calls for peace to Parliament on Friday afternoon.
This comes after Rwandan and M23 forces took control of the city of Goma and a few areas of South Kivu province.
Numerous people have been killed since the seizure, and a great number of Congolese have fled their homes.
About 150 Congolese nationals marched from Hanover Street to Parliament, where they read their prepared document.
Charles Bisimwa said: “We say no to the way that has been imposed on the Congolese for the last 30 years. Congo has suffered, and we have lost many people, including children; women have been raped and tortured because of the resources that God has blessed Congo with.
“We are saying no to the M23 because we know it has been sent by Rwandan President Paul Kagame. They came to invade and oppress the people of Congo.
“Destroying the lives of people, they have tried to take the land. We can’t remain indifferent to those who remain in Congo.
“We also say no to the complicity of the international community that is supporting the Rwanda regime just to kill the lives of Congolese in the eastern side of the country.”
Another Congolese national, Professor Justin Munyakazi, said there is a narrative about the war that is made and they want to change that.
“It is a big lie in the eyes of the world. The war is not about the persecution and the killing of the Tutsis because they hold many positions in many institutions in the country, including the military.
“We know about this, we are from the DRC, and the presence of many Congolese who are in Cape Town is the result of the genocide.
“Those who are quiet are probably gaining something (from the war). The European Union funds the Rwandan government year in and year out.
“We would like to thank the South African government for assisting our people back home.”
The marchers’ demand:
- Immediate withdrawal of Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) from Congolese soil.
- Accountability for war crimes committed by the RDF, M23, and AFC, including the killing of Congolese civilians and UN peacekeepers in Goma.
- An end to the genocide of Congolese citizens, with stronger action from the international community.
- Decisive action by the United Nations to address Rwanda’s aggression, moving beyond mere reports and condemnations.
- An immediate ban on Rwanda’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions.
- A global ban on the illegal extraction of minerals from the DRC and their exportation through Rwanda.
- An end to military support for Rwanda from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the European Union, and acknowledgement of their complicity in the ongoing violence.
- The launch of investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into crimes against humanity in the DRC.
- Urgent intervention by the African Union, preventing further failures as seen in Libya and Sudan.
Parliament Secretary Masibulele Xaso received the memorandum and promised to hand it over to the National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza.
“I am taking this memorandum, thank you so much. I have taken note of the issues you have raised. This memorandum will be delivered to the Speaker of the National Assembly, who will study it and decide how best to process it,” he addressed the crowd.
“We just want to assure you that our Parliament is a responsive Parliament, the Speaker will see how to best process this.”
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) MP Mzwanele Manyi tried to assist the marchers by taking the memorandum to the Speaker.
“On Monday, we will have a snap debate on DRC matters.
“The MKP wants peace in the region, our understanding of the troops who were sent there, we understood those troops were sent with white flags, to promote peace in the region.
“We don’t want the DRC to become another Ukraine, where it’s a proxy war, where all kinds of imperial forces are imposing themselves through their proxies. We don’t want Africans killing Africans. We are very disturbed by the developments there. We don’t want to take sides, but for peace, we are calling for a political dialogue across all the African countries so they can sort the matter amicably on the table.”
According to reports, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi are expected to attend a summit in Tanzania on Saturday as regional powers try to defuse the crisis.
Fourteen South African National Defence Force members were killed by the M23 troops in January.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za