Just the other day , President William Ruto flagged off a contingent of Kenya Defence Forces (KDFs) to DRM stabilization mission under the banner of East Africa Community Regional Force (EACRF). The reason why Kenya is contributing our forces there is because, DRC is the new member of the EAC block. For decades , that mineral rich Nation has been facing political instability and militia groups in the Eastern region of the North Kivu and Goma regions. This is where rebe movements have created a haven and bastion of conducting their businesses of mining lucrative minerals such as diamonds, copper , coltan etc. This is a region where , women and children and also men have lost their lives , inflicted with severe injuries meted on them by militia through bullets , machetes and rape. It is one of the most dangerous places to live in this World. The topography favours this rebels who have overwhelmed the DRC military forces. The place is mountainous and the Equitorial forest covers millions of hectares of space.
Democratic Republic of Congo has been in conflict for long. The former Belgian colony has been home for many Western and European multinational corporations especially those involved in mining exploration. They are accused of formenting chaos so that ,as the Congolese are butchering each other , they are busy looting their mineral resources. DRC is categorized as one of the most poorest economies in the sub Saharan Africa. It has arable land large enough to feed Africa for the next 50 years if we'll exploited. Its mineral resources deposits if they are exploited and the revenues generated to be expatriated to grow that Country's economy, then, it can be competing with Nigeria and South Africa. But as we speak, DRC gets food relief from UN's WFP. It is also plagued with dangerous diseases like Ebola. HIV/Aids prevalence is in astronomical levels. Malaria is still wrecking havoc to marternal mothers and infacts. If you can tentatively comb yourself with this Country's history since independence from Belgium in 1960 , it is horrifying. Child soldiers are many because, majority drop out of school at a tender age and are recruited in the rebel movements with a promise of a better life. Young girls too aren't spared since , they are too incorporated in this militia groups and are used as sex objects by this rebels. If the hell the bible speaks about in real , then , I see one in DRC.
President Felix Tshiekedi , the son of the doyen of opposition politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo , Henry Tshiekedi took over power from the long serving President Joseph Kabila, the son of the late President Laurent Desire Kabila. It is said that , Felix is in a collision path with fellow EAC presidents especially South Sudan strong man Salva Kiir Mayardit , Ugandan dictator Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Rwandan military president Paul Kagame. The 3 president have their own rebel movements in Eastern DRC. That's why , they have been aborting any efforts of brokering peace in that region. They have partitioned the region into different fiefdoms which their militias operate with no conflict inorder not to attract the attention of the international community. By doing this , they extract minerals with alot of impunity. Even the DRC forces cannot set their feet in that region. In short, they don't count it as part of their expansive Country. President Tshiekedi joined the EAC with one aim , to plead with the member Countries especially Kenya , Tanzania and Burundi to help engineer a process of bringing lasting peace in his Country. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta ensured before his term has expired that DRC officially joins the EAC while in power. He has too been keeping the political situation in DRC cross to his chest. We have seen corporates like Equity Bank, Brookside Dairies , NCBA , Telecommucations companies setting their camps in the DRC economy. We're it not for the political instability , that Country's is said to be a fast growing one and by them joining the EAC , the biggest beneficiary will be Kenya.
The fear I have with our KDF soldiers is that, them and those of Burundi are the only greenhorns in this conflict , together with those of Tanzania. I found that , Tanzania was reluctant to send their troops in DRC and if they do it , it will be in small numbers. The target here will be Kenya. Why?? The reason why I feel so is , the other EAC counterparts have been viewing us with mean eyes. They have been telling their people that , Kenya, is the big brother of the EAC because it exploits them. No Wonder, when we are facing shortage of maize and Uganda and Tanzania have it in plenty , they refuse to sell it to us and when they decide to do it , they sell it at exorbitant prices way above the market price. It is an regional integration body with members who wears clench fists even when they are engaging in mellow moods. Hypocrisy is the fodder.
Rwanda didn't send their forces in DRC to engage in peace stabilization effits especially in Eastern DRC. The reason is , it has been accused of arming the M23 rebels. The rebel is made up of the Congolese Tutsis who have been holding brief for Rwanda by annihilating the Hutu interrahamwe militia which have been attacking the Rwanda forces in ambush attacks especially in their eastern border with the DRC. President Kagame has been denying those accusations but Kinshasa has been maintaining that , there is a very strong nexus between Kagame and the M23 rebels. The diplomatic relations between Kigali and Kinshasa soured beyond measure the other day after , Kinshasa gave Kigali ambassador to DRC to vacate within 48 hours. Asked by his EAC counterparts why Rwanda won't send forces in DRC , Kagame maintained that , he sees no need to do it. He will station a platoon along his Country's border with DRC. Even a senile person can draw conclusions that , how can Rwanda send forces to fight itself?
South Sudan and Uganda have send their forces there as part of EARF. Theost interesting thing is , both Countries too have huge interests with the ongoing conflict. They are too beneficiaries and they aren't doing it in good faith. They are seeing Burundi and KENYA as spoilers and more so Kenya. The reason is , Kenya is investing heavily in DRC is virtually all sectors of that Country's Economy. They may try very hard to be giving the rebels refined intelligence of where our KDF soldiers are and their movements. We are together in a peace mission with troops from other EAC counterparts who are planning nasty things on us. As I have said , even the most equipped and trained military force , which is engaging in a conventional and non-conventional warfare with an enemy is a strange environment , chances of suffering severe casualties is always high. The reason is , the topography always disadvantages you. The gathering of intelligence information also becomes a difficult and your colleagues in the mission especially from members States that have no goodwill on the mission may contribute to your downfall so that , they abort the mission after the public outcry due to the number of fatalities their forces are incurring. It is high time KDF to be very cautious. I hope the DRC forces which are also accused of having alot of M23 rebels sympathizers who get a huge share of revenue generated from the sale of minerals extracted from the North Kivu province. With search elements in the military and especially holding high ranking positions , they can share gutter intelligence to our soldiers and let them to their death traps. This is the fear I have and so should be you who is a patriotic Kenyan. Those are our brothers and sisters. Unlike Al shabab that poses grat danger to Kenya , the M23 rebels don't pose one on one danger to our Country. So , if our KDF troops will be ambushed by M23 rebels through an act of betrayal by their colleagues in the East Africa Community Regional Forces , why should they be losing their life defending?
I don't trust Rwanda , South Sudan and Uganda in this whole business of keeping peace in the Eastern flank of the DRC. So far , the M23 rebels are making serious advances in Goma region. They are capturing swaths of lands. They are mobilizing conscripts especially men and children in their movements. The most disheartening thing is , Rwanda is accused of giving this rebel movement timely intelligence information. This is the most lethal weapon in a war. Because, even with unsophisticated weapons, with timely intelligence , you can easily overrun a platoon with sophisticated weapons with ZERO intelligence on the ground. That's what might happen in DRC tomour KDF soldiers. Winning a battle and winning a war are totally different things. You may win one and lose the other. You may too lose both or win both. This is is a peace mission that Kenya should trend with alot of care. Brains must be put in place. There are wars and battles you win without firing a single shot and this one of DRC should be one or else , the ghosts of El Added may come knocking.
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