13 09 13 Congo Siasa – A Political Solution––Yes, But…
recent days, the UN Special Envoy Mary Robinson has repeatedly called
for the efforts to shift from the military to the political, apparently
confirming the fear in the minds of some Congolese that she is legitimizing the
M23 rebellion right at the moment when the Congolese army is finally appearing
to redeem itself. The UN Special Envoy Martin Kobler, while congratulating the
Congolese army, has made similar statements
in the press.
The problem is that the only political process are the
Kampala talks, which––despite today's statement
by the ICGLR––are still deadlocked. The M23 said
on 8 September that they would only put down their weapons if the FDLR are
neutralized and Congolese refugees are allowed to return to the Congo, two goals
that will take years to fully achieve. On the other side of the table, the
Congolese government has issued arrest warrants for Colonel Makenga, Kayna, and
Kazarama––the number one and two of the M23, as well as their spokesperson,
respectively. It is difficult to see the Kinshasa delegation, or international
observers for that matter, accepting an amnesty for these top officials, which
would mean that the M23 would have to accept excluding its top
leadership.
So what do we mean by a political solution? There is no doubt
that the problems of state weakness, exclusion, and meddling by the region are
political in nature. But by emphasizing that we need to respect the political
process when the only such venue in town appears dead-ended is vexing. That the
FDLR needs to be dealt with, that Congolese refugees need to return––absolutely.
That some of the top M23 leadership will not be able to be integrated in the
Congolese army––most likely. But these are compromises that have to be hammered
out between the Congolese government and its Rwandan counterpart, not the M23
leaders.