Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania have told off the United Nations over its failure to stop the M23 rebels from capturing the town of Goma in eastern DR Congo.
The two leaders, according to the sources that attended the closed summit of International Conference for Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that took place last week in Kampala, told the UN under Secretary for Field Support, Ms Susana Malccora, in the meeting that the region was disappointed with the UN mission in DR Congo.
Mr Kikwete told Ms Malccora that the regional efforts to form an international neutral force for DR Congo was as a result of frustration caused by the UN’s failure to stop different rebel groups operating in eastern DR Congo.
The UN operates the biggest mission in DR Congo with 17,000 peacekeepers and an annual budget of over $1 billion but critics say the peacekeepers have failed to protect civilians.
Despite this big budget and force, the rebels have continued to operate in the region and hundreds of civilians have been displaced as a result of fighting.
Mr Kikwete reportedly told the meeting that the UN acts “faster and efficiently” when there are crises in parts of the world like Europe but is “slow” when it comes to Africa.
“Go and tell your office that we are frustrated and disappointed with the UN missions in this region. The UN was in Rwanda when the genocide took place. They have been operating in DR Congo since 1960s but nothing has changed. Go and tell them that this is Kikwete’s message,” he told Ms Malccora.
Mr Kikwete, who is known to be non-combative in such meetings like his Ugandan and Rwandan counterparts, was described by sources as “passionate and argumentative”.
After Mr Kikwete’s presentation, Mr Museveni told the meeting that he had had a meeting with Ms Malccora on Friday night and registered the same frustration. “By the way, there are things I told her last night which you haven’t told her,” Mr Museveni reportedly told Mr Kikwete.
In response, Ms Malccora said the UN mandate does not allow the peacekeepers to engage the rebels and contributing countries will pull out if the mandate is changed to peace enforcement.
But Mr Museveni reportedly said, “let them withdraw” and pledged he would deploy UPDF as long as they are funded.
The M23 rebels captured Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital last week but have pledged to withdraw after holding talks with President Museveni in Kampala.
Other presidents who attended the meeting were Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki and DR Congo’s Joseph Kabila. Mr Paul Kagame, who has been accused by the UN of supporting M23 did not attend and was represented by his Foreign Affairs minister, Ms Louis Mwishikiwabo.
NMG
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