RDC: Colonel Sultani Makenga joins rebellion

According to various reports, Col Sultani Makenga joined the CNDP mutiny during the night. This is a significant development, since Makenga was the second highest ranking CNDP officer behind Bosco in the Amani Leo structure as the deputy commander of South Kivu. If confirmed, it will bring a new élan to the mutiny, which had been rocked over the last week by the massive deployment of army troops and attacks on various fronts.

The question then arises: Why would a commander join a rebellion that seems on its last legs? Either it is not on its last legs, there is support that will be forthcoming soon, or Makenga was afraid of being arrested himself. A little bit of all three may be the case; certainly Makenga had already been fingered by the Congolese intelligence service as having been involved in the planning of the mutiny in the first place.

Will other CNDP commanders, such as Col Faustin Muhindo (in Goma) and Col Claude Micho (in Bukavu) now follow? Micho, for example, was recently ordered to reduce his rather large bodyguard; he refused.

The defection comes just hours after a meeting in Gisenyi, Rwanda between the army chiefs of the two countries, Gen. Didier Etumba and Gen. Charles Kayonga. The Rwandan press reported the meeting to be a success. I am sure other interpretations will follow.

6 comments:

Anand said...

Jason - What is the official line from Rwanda as to why they would be involved in these talks at all? I know there are many obvious reasons they would be involved, but these all seem to relate to non public or under the table type of connections. This meeting seems to be very publicized.

May 4, 2012 6:28 AM

blaise said...

It's really sad that we keep coming back to case one over and over again.
I believe that the CNDP should realize that they are keeping the region hostage. People are suffering folks! They had the money and the political cloud, can't they use their resources to change the KIVUS' landscape? All that monolithic view of things will just bring more death. I guess those who are profiting from this mafia can't let go easily. Let's identify them.
It's obvious to me that the government has been handling the whole mess poorly. They don't think hard enough to take away those pretexts. I think it's normal for a soldier to defect if his pairs makes him feel that he doesn't belong and he is a traitor. It's psychological. The EMS should have anticipate this problem. I don't think the guy had the intention to defect in the first place. But probably with those finger pointing, I won't feel secure myself. It's happened before:
- japanese americans in ww2
- Balkars, Crimean Tartars, Karachi, Kalmyks, Meskhetians
All said, the main question still remain : is Joseph Kabila interested in peace or not? Yet again, his acts contradict his words.

May 4, 2012 6:53 AM

Anonymous said...

Well a lot should change over this weekend as its not reported that FARDC are right over the hill from Bosco's farm in Mushaki
@BradLehigh

May 4, 2012 7:39 AM

Anonymous said...

Sorry, *now, not "not"

It IS reported that FARDC are right over the hill

May 4, 2012 7:40 AM

Anonymous said...

@ Brad Lehigh
It remains to be seen if things will really change is Bosco is captured. It seems a bit simplistic to assume that all other problems will be resolved once (and if) Bosco is removed from the scene.

May 4, 2012 7:49 AM

blaise said...

I start to believe that Bosco was just a pretext for the CNDP to rebel. Some of them believes that Bosco betrayed Nkunda. Beside, he had several of their commanders kill. So, just a pretext is my take.

May 4, 2012 8:08 AM

Author:  Jason Stearns at 12:20 AM in  Congo Siasa Blog