Conflicts in Kinshasa: The when, how and why, from M&M perspective. Disagreement (respectful and not) are invited in the comments section.
Back when the GLC made it’s Super Safari Extravaganza in March 2007, we ended a great trip only to receive frantic emails and phone calls from FINCA in Kinshasa. (Well, Frank’s messages were actually rather dower, but he’s Dutch.) Kinshasa’s political tensions had exploded once again, this time when no one expected it, at 11am on a workday. While the GLC enjoyed iced lattes at the Nakumat Junction in Nairobi, Mike, the director of FINCA, spent all day at the free Internet cafe (much to the chagrin of the wait staff) trying to monitor the situation. His parents, Fred & Joan were very understanding. And the FINCA staff in Kinshasa that were stuck in the office for two days, under heavy fire, along with 2 Kenya trainers, and no food or water…….well they get a standing ovation.
Horror of horrors, F&J were also scheduled to return to Kinshasa with Mike and fly home from there. They could not rebook their tickets to fly out of Nairobi instead, and the best that could be done was to kick it at a hotel then tenderfoot it back to Kinshasa. I was already on my way out of Nairobi to FINCA Tajikistan, and couldn’t be of any use to anyone.
Long story short, the fighting died down after two days. The GLC eventually made it into Kin and found the city getting back to business as usual. F&J enjoyed their stay in Kin, and ended up liking Congo, mostly because of the brave face put on by FINCA staff, (insert 2nd standing ovation here).
This was the 3rd street battle in Kinshasa in 9 months. The first round of fighting started in August 2006 on the same day I began a master’s degree program at the Fletcher School. It lasted for 3 days, (the fighting, not the Master’s Degree). Coincidentally, there was also another student in the program in Kinshasa at the time, and lucky for me he was an information officer at the UN. That was handy.
The second round was in November 2006 and only lasted one day, but was much heavier. Each time was centered around the neighborhood that we live in. Mike and I found ourselves on the floor of the hallway, away from windows in case something came through. The most interesting part was being on the telephone with an army officer, who explained the different weapons going off by their sound. The worst was the 2nd time, after it was already quiet, and we heard a shot, a scream, and two more shots. Two hours later we watched the police pull the bodies away from the front of our house. We don’t know who shot them, but they were civilians.
Our house, in front of the Interior Minister’s house, inside the intersection of two main boulevards, and 4 blocks from the opposition headquarters, isn’t in the best location. Frank and his wife Joy also live in the area. For perspective, we’re also next to the golf course, country club, and Belgium & Chinese Diplomats, and the local youth soccer league. So go figure. It’s been tough luck for a lot of good people to live in this neighborhood. Why not move? Because 1) This couldn’t possibly happen again (we say this each time), 2) YOU try finding a decent house/apartment in Gombe! You got no where else to go!
Our street survived relatively unscathed this last time around. Although we were on safari, there was a security guard and the gardener trapped at the house (applause to them as well). Our neighbor’s house was overrun by military “searching for someone” but the only disturbance at our house were some shegue trying to climb the wall.
The same cannot be said up at Frank & Joy’s apartment building, which is a block away and although in tact, bears a resemblance to Swiss cheese. It is next to the church of Pastor Ngoy, a controversial opposition figure, which was burned to the ground. The entire area one block above our house is peppered with bullet holes, and yesterday I found shell casings still in the street one month later. Poor Jane, the housekeeper we share with Frank & Joy, was trapped at their place for two days before it was safe enough to go home. Luckily, they had plenty of food, water, internet and satellite tv. (3rd standing ovation for the FINCA employees trapped in the office)
The bad stuff:
A stray bullet came through the window of Mike’s office at FINCA. Luckily, no one was in it, and Mike was with the GLC sipping iced lattes. I don’t care to venture into “what if” territory.
The sad stuff:
The brother of our IT manager, an employee at the BIAC (Bank) along the Boulevard, was killed when the building was bombarded. The same building also housed Unicef offices. The story (unconfirmed) is that during the fighting, after hiding for some time in the shelter under the building, he ventured up to get some coffee, and switched on the lights……………….
Good stuff:
The Congolese military has been pulled out of most Kinshasa posts. Thank God. The RPGs, guns, and marijuana smoke on the corner was pretty freaky. This likely means that Bemba’s militia are gone, or at least in hiding.
More good stuff for the moment:
The opposition has returned to government after it suspended participation saying it was being harassed. In addition, prominent opposition leaders jailed last year for “inciting violence” after the 2nd urban battle have been freed. Baby steps, people, baby steps.
The causes?
Politics as usual - Congo style. Kabila, the president, and Bemba, a former VP under a coalition govt, went head to head in the 2006 presidential elections. Both men can call hundreds of militia fighters to their cause. Kabila, as the elected president (and former interim president) has a more legitimate claim to military support, and he’s supposedly allowed 12k-15k presidential guards (sources vary). Bemba, no longer a VP but now an elected Senator, cannot legally claim a militia for his protection bu twas allotted 12 men. Both men come from families with shady mafia-like background, both men are smart, educated, wealthy, and have an extreme sense of entitlement. The govt has been pushing Bemba to disarm his militia and there were peace-talks going on up to point of the 3rd fight.
The clashes in the street are generally between Bemba’s guys and Kabila’s guys, although, Kabila’s guys are now the Presidential Guard, police, and military. So after this third round, the govt (a majority coalition of Kabila supporters) issued an arrest warrant for Bemba. Bemba sought shelter in the South African Embassy, and was allowed to go to Portugal for medical treatment. He broke his leg in December and now needs treatment……….in April, in Portugal.
Perspective:
The main thing to note is that this is a spillover of old animosities from the civil war that technically ended with an interim government in 2003. We haven’t seen mass uprisings and demonstrations of support for either Kabila or Bemba, (surprisingly, since Bemba can claim Kinshasa as a stronghold). There is real battle fatigue in Kinshasa. Nor are foreigners deliberately targeted or blamed for this particular conflict. Civilians are unfortunately among the casualties, due to the unrestricted and undisciplined ways of the troops. This doesn’t say a lot for the strength of the Congolese govt. It also doesn't say a lot for the United Nations, which has sent here the largest peacekeeping force in the world since 2003.
If anyone pushes Kinshasa through the mess, it will be the Kinois themselves. They show a desire to move forward. First with patience over delayed elections, then with a constitutional referendum that was not clarified, then peaceful voting and strong voter turnout. Right now the subconscious consensus is to move on already, and see what the future holds. And that’s what makes us feel like the DRC is still worthwhile.
Back when the GLC made it’s Super Safari Extravaganza in March 2007, we ended a great trip only to receive frantic emails and phone calls from FINCA in Kinshasa. (Well, Frank’s messages were actually rather dower, but he’s Dutch.) Kinshasa’s political tensions had exploded once again, this time when no one expected it, at 11am on a workday. While the GLC enjoyed iced lattes at the Nakumat Junction in Nairobi, Mike, the director of FINCA, spent all day at the free Internet cafe (much to the chagrin of the wait staff) trying to monitor the situation. His parents, Fred & Joan were very understanding. And the FINCA staff in Kinshasa that were stuck in the office for two days, under heavy fire, along with 2 Kenya trainers, and no food or water…….well they get a standing ovation.
Horror of horrors, F&J were also scheduled to return to Kinshasa with Mike and fly home from there. They could not rebook their tickets to fly out of Nairobi instead, and the best that could be done was to kick it at a hotel then tenderfoot it back to Kinshasa. I was already on my way out of Nairobi to FINCA Tajikistan, and couldn’t be of any use to anyone.
Long story short, the fighting died down after two days. The GLC eventually made it into Kin and found the city getting back to business as usual. F&J enjoyed their stay in Kin, and ended up liking Congo, mostly because of the brave face put on by FINCA staff, (insert 2nd standing ovation here).
This was the 3rd street battle in Kinshasa in 9 months. The first round of fighting started in August 2006 on the same day I began a master’s degree program at the Fletcher School. It lasted for 3 days, (the fighting, not the Master’s Degree). Coincidentally, there was also another student in the program in Kinshasa at the time, and lucky for me he was an information officer at the UN. That was handy.
The second round was in November 2006 and only lasted one day, but was much heavier. Each time was centered around the neighborhood that we live in. Mike and I found ourselves on the floor of the hallway, away from windows in case something came through. The most interesting part was being on the telephone with an army officer, who explained the different weapons going off by their sound. The worst was the 2nd time, after it was already quiet, and we heard a shot, a scream, and two more shots. Two hours later we watched the police pull the bodies away from the front of our house. We don’t know who shot them, but they were civilians.
Our house, in front of the Interior Minister’s house, inside the intersection of two main boulevards, and 4 blocks from the opposition headquarters, isn’t in the best location. Frank and his wife Joy also live in the area. For perspective, we’re also next to the golf course, country club, and Belgium & Chinese Diplomats, and the local youth soccer league. So go figure. It’s been tough luck for a lot of good people to live in this neighborhood. Why not move? Because 1) This couldn’t possibly happen again (we say this each time), 2) YOU try finding a decent house/apartment in Gombe! You got no where else to go!
Our street survived relatively unscathed this last time around. Although we were on safari, there was a security guard and the gardener trapped at the house (applause to them as well). Our neighbor’s house was overrun by military “searching for someone” but the only disturbance at our house were some shegue trying to climb the wall.
The same cannot be said up at Frank & Joy’s apartment building, which is a block away and although in tact, bears a resemblance to Swiss cheese. It is next to the church of Pastor Ngoy, a controversial opposition figure, which was burned to the ground. The entire area one block above our house is peppered with bullet holes, and yesterday I found shell casings still in the street one month later. Poor Jane, the housekeeper we share with Frank & Joy, was trapped at their place for two days before it was safe enough to go home. Luckily, they had plenty of food, water, internet and satellite tv. (3rd standing ovation for the FINCA employees trapped in the office)
The bad stuff:
A stray bullet came through the window of Mike’s office at FINCA. Luckily, no one was in it, and Mike was with the GLC sipping iced lattes. I don’t care to venture into “what if” territory.
The sad stuff:
The brother of our IT manager, an employee at the BIAC (Bank) along the Boulevard, was killed when the building was bombarded. The same building also housed Unicef offices. The story (unconfirmed) is that during the fighting, after hiding for some time in the shelter under the building, he ventured up to get some coffee, and switched on the lights……………….
Good stuff:
The Congolese military has been pulled out of most Kinshasa posts. Thank God. The RPGs, guns, and marijuana smoke on the corner was pretty freaky. This likely means that Bemba’s militia are gone, or at least in hiding.
More good stuff for the moment:
The opposition has returned to government after it suspended participation saying it was being harassed. In addition, prominent opposition leaders jailed last year for “inciting violence” after the 2nd urban battle have been freed. Baby steps, people, baby steps.
The causes?
Politics as usual - Congo style. Kabila, the president, and Bemba, a former VP under a coalition govt, went head to head in the 2006 presidential elections. Both men can call hundreds of militia fighters to their cause. Kabila, as the elected president (and former interim president) has a more legitimate claim to military support, and he’s supposedly allowed 12k-15k presidential guards (sources vary). Bemba, no longer a VP but now an elected Senator, cannot legally claim a militia for his protection bu twas allotted 12 men. Both men come from families with shady mafia-like background, both men are smart, educated, wealthy, and have an extreme sense of entitlement. The govt has been pushing Bemba to disarm his militia and there were peace-talks going on up to point of the 3rd fight.
The clashes in the street are generally between Bemba’s guys and Kabila’s guys, although, Kabila’s guys are now the Presidential Guard, police, and military. So after this third round, the govt (a majority coalition of Kabila supporters) issued an arrest warrant for Bemba. Bemba sought shelter in the South African Embassy, and was allowed to go to Portugal for medical treatment. He broke his leg in December and now needs treatment……….in April, in Portugal.
Perspective:
The main thing to note is that this is a spillover of old animosities from the civil war that technically ended with an interim government in 2003. We haven’t seen mass uprisings and demonstrations of support for either Kabila or Bemba, (surprisingly, since Bemba can claim Kinshasa as a stronghold). There is real battle fatigue in Kinshasa. Nor are foreigners deliberately targeted or blamed for this particular conflict. Civilians are unfortunately among the casualties, due to the unrestricted and undisciplined ways of the troops. This doesn’t say a lot for the strength of the Congolese govt. It also doesn't say a lot for the United Nations, which has sent here the largest peacekeeping force in the world since 2003.
If anyone pushes Kinshasa through the mess, it will be the Kinois themselves. They show a desire to move forward. First with patience over delayed elections, then with a constitutional referendum that was not clarified, then peaceful voting and strong voter turnout. Right now the subconscious consensus is to move on already, and see what the future holds. And that’s what makes us feel like the DRC is still worthwhile.
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