No Winners War
Congo has become the crucible for war in central Africa
Fighting continued in Congo in 1999, despite the peace deal signed and cease-fire of January. Congo has become the crucible for a Central African war motivated by a scramble for resources and ethnic ambitions.
The Tutsi led rebel movement won control of a third of Congo, gains that are largely thanks to Tutsi support from Rwanda and Uganda. Meanwhile, in an extension of Rwanda’s genocidal war, Kabila has been recruiting thousands of Hutus. Exiled here after the 1994 genocide, these refugees are a vicious fighting force. For them it’s a case of unfinished business. On the ground the UN and Amnesty confirm the murder of thousands of ethnic Tutsis. Lifting the tarpaulin off mass graves the evidence is only too plain to see. Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad have all been supporting Kabila’s forces despite his unpopularity at home. It’s a matter of protecting their own interests. The rebels though have also failed to win the hearts and minds of civilians. "We are tired, we have had enough. We do not need a Kabila yesterday, today the rebels and tomorrow somebody else. We have no peace. We cannot develop.” With neighbouring nations openly sponsoring rival factions peace seems a distant hope.
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Produced by Hedgehog Productions