Hutus vs Tutsis: an Op-Ed
This is the most frank appraisal I’ve read of the intersection between politics and ethnic tensions in the the Great Lakes Region (i.e. easter DR Congo and Rwanda.) The history of the area is complicated, and this Op-Ed (by Jan van Eck) reflects that. But it dives straight into the topics that I’ve been unable to get straightforward discussion on, during personal conversations.
Unless the Rwandan government opens up the possibility of Rwandan Hutus exercising what should be a normal democratic right, that is, forming a predominantly Hutu party, the Hutu military and political movements in exile in the eastern DRC will continue to grow — both in determination to liberate their country and in numbers — with more and more politicised Hutus supporting them.
Unless Rwanda liberalises its internal political situation, and allows freedom of political and ethnic expression (as is, for example, the case in neighbouring Burundi), it will remain under threat from politicised Hutus — most of whom are either in eastern DRC or in the diaspora.
If 13 years after the genocide Rwandans still cannot be trusted to not use ethnicity to repeat the genocide, the country is surely in serious trouble. Invading the DRC to root out these Hutus is neither justified nor a solution.
I’m going to send out some emails to see what people I know in Goma think…
Also, here’s a good overview of the current military situation. This is some lazy blogging, but I’m really just caching links…
November 19th, 2007 at 2:24 am
Thanks for the links - I have great respect for Jan van Eck’s views, given his experience in the Great Lakes region (epecially Burundi). I fully agree that a political solution is needed to address ‘the real root causes’, but this is where the complexity sets in, for there are many, and the devil is in the detail. It is simple - and correct, I believe, as far as it goes - to prescribe democratic governance and fair treatment under the law. The question is how to get from A to B when positions (and diverse illegal activities) have become so entrenched.