DRC rejects UN ultimatum

Kinshasa – {The Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday rejected a United Nations ultimatum for two tainted generals leading an offensive against Rwandan rebels in the country’s east to be replaced.}

“For us, we would only replace someone in the [army high] command if that person had been convicted by our military courts. Yet, no such thing has happened,” government spokesperson Lambert Mende told a press conference in Kinshasa.

The UN’s 20 000-strong Monusco force had been working with Congo’s army on a plan of attack against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu militia based in eastern Congo for more than two decades.

But in a surprise move, the army unilaterally announced last week the launch of operations, without the UN troops.

The army also announced that Generals Bruno Mandevu and Sikabwe Fall would be leading the offensive, despite being on a UN “red” list of known human rights violators.
{{
Source: AFP}}