Community | November 18, 2008 | 13 comments

Crisis in Congo

source: http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=2806

Vierotchka
Shashank Bengali: The threat of violence is ever-present in Congo. Part 1

Despite Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda’s promise to support a UN backed cease fire, fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues. Government forces battled Laurent Nkunda’s rebel army north of the provincial capital of Goma on the weekend, in a battle that has so far displaced at least 250,000 people since August. The current war is the deadliest since World War II, killing at least 5.4 million people.

Shashank Bengali is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and writes about sub-Saharan Africa. He has reported for McClatchy from more than 25 countries and covered conflicts in Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq and Georgia. Before moving to Africa in 2005, he was a roving correspondent for The Kansas City Star. Originally from the Los Angeles area, Shashank studied at the University of Southern California and at Harvard University, where he earned a Master's degree in public policy. He speaks French and broken Kiswahili.

See Part 2 at: http://current.com/items/89544743/crisis_in_congo.htm
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13 comments // Crisis in Congo

  • oldgerman
    • 0
      oldgerman  

    • I think this french is comparible with the english which is spoken in some countries in the back woods like India or evensomewhere in the USA.
      I was there!!

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • Owlcritic, French is spoken mostly in the cities, and the few people who speak French in the rural and tribal areas speak a French that even the French cannot understand.

      Your solution is wrong, it cannot work.

    • 3 years ago
  • owlcritic
  • lj111
  • owlcritic
  • oldgerman
    • 0
      oldgerman  

    • to brockie: I do not say Mr Bush send your young people into the war in congo; but if I would and tell him theyr is a lot of differnt importand stuff like gold and diamonds and so on he would.
      Even oil is there say some people.

    • 3 years ago
  • Brockie
    • 0
      Brockie  

    • The US does not need t get involved in the congo. Thanks to Bush we have our military forces in battle, and way too many young Americans dying in enough other countries right now. Let someone else worry about the congo. (yes, I know thats cold hearted, but it needed to be said)

    • 3 years ago
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  

    • Owlcritic, do you have the foggiest idea of just how large the Congo is, how large its population is, how difficult the terrain is? In order to do what you suggest, you'd need at least a million troops in the country at a time, and probably twice that much. Then, there are the language barriers - do you know how many different languages are spoken in the different provinces and regions? You'd have to teach these languages to the US troops before sending them in, otherwise they would not be able to accomplish much with regard to the local people - and then there are the different tribal cultures that they would have to understand so as to not make huge mistakes with the population.

    • 3 years ago
  • owlcritic
    • 0
      owlcritic  
    • Vierotchka:

      First off,I do know how large the Congo is,I also know we learned a lot about jungle warefare in Vietnam and Panama,specal forces thrive in that kind of enviorment.Second,One of the predomant lauguages in the deep dark congo is,FRENCH. the launguage barrier has not stoped Doctors Without Borders,or Medecine Sans Fronteirs,or the oil companies that are down in that part of the world. Third,were not fighting wars the way we did in nam,its a whole new ball game.We dont need massive troop build up like we have now in Iraq, but we would need to be an ocupiying force,what we have that their goverment or the rebels dont have, is a highly motivated,well trained and extreemly disaplined military force, all they have are a bunch of ill trained(by our standards any way)are a bunch of low paid men who would rather get drunk and steal and as for the rebels,they are nothing but drunk thugs with no self control and would crap in their pants at the thought of going up aganst U.S. troops.We also have air superiority.If we were to park,just one Nimitz class carrier of the western coast,we would have enough fire power at our disposal to anahilate the Congo,and a good part of western Africa in general.And I did say"let the military" not the politians run it.But the only way now,to deal with this desperate situation,is meet it with no quater military fire power,If the rebels want to resist,we have no choice but to anihalte them,and as for the goverment troops?They need to be disbanned,disarmed or face the same fate.But unless the threat of rebels or a corupt goverment is subduded,and subdude hard,by what ever means nececary,and institute free and open election,The congo,as with most of sub sahara africa,will emplode on itself,and once it is stablized,more counties would be willing to do bussiness there, like oil and mineral companies,hospitals can be built,schools,and the people can live without fear,thats what it would take,oh and to run the U.N out,they havent done a thing,except make it worse

    • 3 years ago
  • owlcritic
    • 0
      owlcritic  

    • Lets face it folks,if the world truly wants to stop this,the gloves must come off. Send in the us troops to either disarm the rebels,or,anihlate them.over take the goverment and disarm those troops,or put them in prison,or if they resist,kill them.Supervise free and open elections,and then stick around to make sure the new and democratic goverment is doing what its suppose to.
      While thats going on,develop medical and educational facilities run by,you guessed it,the U.S. military.Special forces need to infiltrate the country side winning the "hearts and minds" of the non combatants, so they would give up information on oposition to the new goverment,and when they find it,snuff it out with extreem predudice.The only way to deal with a truly desperate situation,is to use desperate means,And somthing has to be done about the influx of soviet type weapons,its not going to happen by "making nice" with the goverment,they are as much to blame as the rebels and the U.N.? hell,they are as useless as tits on a tom cat,they are responsible for atrocities on there own.Bottom line,the utter corruption and lack of care for the country or its inhabitants,will only end when the U.S.makes a true commitment.But unlike Iraq,we will want a precentage of the vast natural rescorces,curently being squandered,and if they dont like that plan?well,wipe our hands and the hell with em.

    • 3 years ago
  • samthesixth
  • oldgerman
    • 0
      oldgerman  

    • Our news say this leader of the rebels want to join the official army of congo, so I think it is better eating this frog instead keep going on to kill people.

    • 3 years ago
  • bedeboop
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