Jamada M. Kalinda
Any honest evaluation of the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) points to an egocentric political conflict with tribalistic undertones between Rwanda and the DRC that has evaded multiple conflict resolution options.
In 2012, it took external/Western pressure and a UN-backed mission to push back against the M23 rebels, forcing Rwanda to withdraw its support for the militants. Without such an initiative this time, a passive West, and a Rwanda-friendly East Africa Community (EAC), Congo’s next best alternative was the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which has proven to be ill-equipped to push back in an unfamiliar region.
The ultimate cost of all this is being paid by the tens of thousands of displaced people, and gross violations in the form of executions, gang rapes, and worse.The 2019 edition of the Africa Regional Integration Index ranked the East African Community (EAC) as the most integrated regional bloc among the eight regional economic communities recognised by the African Union.
However, the standoff between Rwanda and the DRC--- members of the EAC, is one of the greatest tests for the East African Community's further integration and the integration of the African continent. In the past, the tariff war between Uganda and Kenya, and the Rwanda-Uganda border closure have shown weakness in the path to East African regional integration.
However, the conflict in Congo has more vividly exposed the region’s weakness in resolving conflict and maintaining peace and security as envisaged in Article 124 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.The DRC’s relationship with the East African Community (EAC) has a complex history, dating back to the 1997 Congo War, involving Rwanda and Uganda.
Despite this, President Félix Tshisekedi’s leadership brought a surprising shift, as Congo officially joined the EAC in 2022, expanding the regional market to 343 million people. However, DR Congo’s relationship with Rwanda worsened in 1998 over allegations of support for the M23 rebels by Rwanda and discrimination against DR Congo’s Tutsi community.
Tensions with Uganda also escalated, leading to a $325m fine for illegal military activities in Congo.The EAC’s efforts in Congo, including maintaining peace by avoiding direct conflict and keeping dialogue open between Rwanda and DRC, align with their mandate. Their refugee reception policy is unparalleled, with Rwanda and Uganda hosting millions of Congolese refugees. Recent attempts at dialogue with SADC show a commitment to regional harmony.
However, the EAC has not successfully ended the conflict. Recent escalations highlight the bloc’s failure to hold its members accountable, as it has not documented violations or imposed sanctions on its members despite multiple UN reports on human rights abuses. This mirrors the failures of other African regional blocs like Ecowas, which has struggled to address unrest and military coups by not enforcing firm consequences.
The underlying failure of these regional blocs is the absence of both moral high ground and the influence of members on each other or the lack of will to exercise that influence. The illegal military activities of Rwanda in Congo documented by UN reports are no different from those of Uganda, and the human rights violations of Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan are no different from abductions in President Willam Ruto’s Kenya. So at the end of the day, any attempt at resolving conflict is foiled by the mutual transgressions. Leaving any hope for a solution in the hands of superior and less tainted external influence.
Author; Jamada M. Kalinda, is a lawyer and International Law Scholar. [email protected]
