MONUSCO's Maman Sidikou briefing the UN Security Council on Jan 14, 2016

“Given the very real risks of civil unrest and violence related to the electoral process, it is critical that all efforts be made to rebuild confidence among the stakeholders to find a way forward," Maman Sidikou, Head of UN Peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said on Thursday, January 14, 2016 while briefing the UN Security Council.

Miriki Village, Lubero, North-Kivu, DRC

In the night of January 6th  to 7th, unidentified assailants attacked the sleepy village of Miriki, in South Lubero, North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and massacred 18 people with machetes. The targeted massacres appeared well coordinated and with seemingly political undertones. Most of the killed are family members and relatives of traditional chiefs from the Nande tribe. The local authorities and the United Nations peacekeeping forces, MONUSCO, were quick to accuse the Rwandan rebels of the FDLR  and Congolese Hutus of being behind the attacks. However, the population rather accused members of FARDC troops of being behind the attacks, with the help from the Congolese refugees, affiliated with the former Congolese rebel movement, CNDP, resettled in camps of Luofu, in South Lubero.  Given the conflicting accounts, AfroAmerica has tried to dig deeper, with informations from MONUSCO staff, Congolese leaders, and the local population.  Based on the information, AfroAmerica has reconstructed the scenario of what may have happened.

Troops of RUD-Urunana and RPR-Inkeragutabara on a position in Kasiki Village, Lubero, North-Kivu

A coalition of the troops of Congolese rebel General Kakulu Sikuli Vasaka Lafontaine's UPCP and Rwandan rebels of  RUD-Urunana and RPR-Inkeragutabara have been battling fighters of Cheka's Nduma Defense Forces in Kasiki, Lubero, Noth-Kivu Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sources in the area have told AfroAmerica Network

On December 25, 2015,  the fighters of the Congolese warlord Cheka Ntabo Ntaberi, known as Nduma Defense of Congo (NDC),

Rwandan General Paul Kagame Voting for Constitutional Change to Allow Himself Another 17 years

"What do you do when a country's democracy is being dismantled by its own people? Paul Kagame has been President of Rwanda for 14 years. He could serve up to 17 years more. Rwandans have voted overwhelmingly to change the constitution, to let him run again and again. The White House immediately criticized the referendum. President Obama has been consistent in his call for African leaders to adhere to term limits. But Rwanda's approach — using a referendum to give voters the power to support a constitutional amendment — may be one of the trickiest to counter, " United States National Public Radio (NPR) correspondent Gregory Warner said (see NPR here), while reporting on the sham referendum that just happened in Rwanda to allow the Rwandan dictator to remain in power.  NPR is a US-based privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization.

Burundian Pierre Nkurunziza and Rwandan Paul Kagame in "soccer buddies" days

The small and impoverished country of Burundi, located in the heart of African Great Lakes Region, is slowly and steadily sliding into the chaos and human tragedy, with unpredictable consequences. unknown/abyss but Rwanda, another small impoverished country to the North may  not be far behind.

Recent news coming from the landlocked country of Burundi have been alarming to say the least. Few days ago there were media reports of insurgents coordinated attacks against three main military compounds in the Capital City of Bujumbura. Score of assailants were killed. Based on  official accounts, 87 people, including 9 from the Burundian security forces  were killed in the attacks. However, several sources in Bujumbura affirm that hundreds of people, including insurgents, civilians and government soldiers were killed, just in one day.  A few days  earlier,

Protests in Burundi against Pierre Nkurunziza seeking third term

“We know that there are people who tell those lies in order to obtain special protection. I wanted to tell you that although these international NGOs operate in confidentiality we have the means to know everything you tell them. For public interest reasons we will convoke those people and ask them about their false statements. That’s why I ask all those who have lied to go back to those NGOs and change their statements, ” Rwandan Disaster Minister Seraphine Mukantabana  said on October 23, 2015, in a speech delivered to Burundian Refugees in camps inside Rwanda. She was threatening refugees after reports that Rwandan Security services were recruiting  Burundian refugees, including children,  funding, arming and training them with the purpose of launching military attacks back inside Burundi.  It is two of such attacks that led, over the week-end,  to 87 deaths, including 8 members of the Burundian security forces,  in the Capital Bujumbura, according to Burundian military spokesperson.