On May 18, 2021, on the sidelines of an African economic summit organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame, talking to French media, rejected the 2010 UN Mapping Report. The report documents the systematic massacres and acts of genocide committed in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by the Rwandan army and its created, armed and funded militias. Paul Kagame's statements received worldwide condemnations and indignations. Congolese leaders were initially silent. Following massive popular and media pressure, DRC President Felix Tshiskedi reacted with brief, but even more controversial, statements. His statements have created indignations, condamnations and great dismay in DRC and around the World. Following his statetments, activists, journalists, politicians, and others, on social media and other channels, have been wondering how a country like the DRC can have such an apparently "incompetent", "ignorant", and "opportunist" leader.
Before rejecting the UN Mapping Report, Paul Kagame told the French media why no one, including the United States of America and the European Union, has the right to criticize him for appaulling human rights violations, systematic massacres, war crimes, and invasions and looting of other countries (see here:France-Africa Summit: Rwandan Paul Kagame warns the United States and The European Union against Giving him Lessons on Justice and Fairness and Rejects UN Mapping Report ).
"There are also reports that say the complete opposite, ... There were no crimes,[in Eastern DRC], . "Absolutely [not], Paul Kagame reaffirmed when pressed by journalists visibly shocked by his denials of the findings in the UN Mapping Report.
The UN Mapping report documents human rights violations in the DRC between 1993-2003. More than 6 million Congolese civilians and Rwandan refugees were killed, mostly by Paul Kagame's invading troops, by 2003. It is currently estimated that the number of Congolese civilians and Rwandan refugees killed by Rwandan troops and Rwandan military backed, funded and armed militias now amounts to more than 10 million.
Felix Tshisekedi, Viewed as Most Incompetent President of the Potentially Richest Country in the World.
Felix Tshisekedi, under pressure, grudgingly addressed Paul Kagame's controversial statements through the French media.
"I do not want to argue, I do not know what happened, you will need to ask the question [on the massacres, war crimes and genocides documented in UN Mapping Report] to President Kagame," Felix Tshisekedi told AFP in Paris, the day after his participation in a organized in the French capital.
He was being asked for his opinion on the statements by Paul Kagame rejecting the 2010 UN Mapping Reports and the documented crimes.
President Etienne Tshisekedi is not positively viewed by the Congolese people, in general, and other specialists of the region, but his statements have shocked even more obsevers and ordinary Congolese, especially that one of his priorities when he became president was to make a trip to Kigali, Rwanda and visit a memorial of Rwandans killed during the 1990-1994 civil war.
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He told a journalist of AFP: "The UN Mapping report was not produced by the Congolese; it is a report by experts. I assume the experts were objective people, whose goal was not to incriminate people ..."
" My priority is to bring peace to the East; durable peace (...). The (UN Mapping) report was produced by the International Community. It is up to the Internation Community to finish its job ..., " Felix Tshisekedi continued, before adding, refering to himself in plural:
" We, ourselves, will look into it when there is total peace in the East of the country."
Even Rwandan government officials appeared shocked by Felix Tshisekedi's response given that more than 10 million congolese have been killed. Some Rwandan government officials tried to limit the disaster by stating in social media that the controversial statements by Paul Kagame were misinterpreted by ill-intentionned people and journalists, seeking to create conflicts between Paul Kagame and Felix Tshiseked.
In Kinshasa, most congolese contacted by AfroAmerica Network repeated the long running joke about Felix Tshisekedi presidency, that goes like this: "in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is no army. Actually no, there is no professional army. No, that is not true. There is our most tested army, the Nduma Defense of Congo Rwandan Defense Forces (NDC-RDF) sent by General Paul Kagame, the protector of our Toto Felix Tshisekedi, to make sure Toto has his expensive toys during our transition to join our expanding Rwandan Empire." (see here: DR Congo: New President Felix Tshisekedi Facing Serious Dissensions Over Crisis in East and here: DR Congo: New President Felix Tshisekedi Already Showing Serious Shortcomings," Closest Aides Say)
@AfroAmerica Network 2021
