Nkunda is accused of multiple war crimes and crimes against humanity of which most cases are well documented by various human right organzations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. In September 2005, the Congolese government issued an arrest warrant for Nkunda, accusing him of numerous war crimes and crimes against human rights. Human Rights Watch, for example, which has been calling for his arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity since February 2006 has documented summary executions, torture and rape committed by soldiers under the command of Nkunda in Bukavu in 2004 and in Kisangani in 2002. Also armed groups loyal to warlord Nkunda have been repeatedly accused of using rape as a weapon of war and the recruitment of child soldiers, some as young as 12 after the abduction from their homes.

According to Mr. Kyubwa, NKunda continues to be involved in the committing of crimes in DRC, and in particular in the province of North Kivu, where again groups armed acting under his command are reportedly responsible for killing civilian systematically in the town of Kiwanja. The continuing horrific killing of civilians testifies that Human Rights Watch was absolutely reasonable in its warning then in 2006 and it’s today. “So long as Nkunda is at large, the civilian population remains at grave risk”

The website http://www.arrestNKUNDAnow.org encourages concerned people around the world to sign a petition to demand that MONUC immediately arrest Nkunda for war crimes and crimes against humanity. For more information please call the project coordinator in the United States , Amede Kyubwa at (916) 753 5717 or email: arrestkundanow@hotmail.com

However, this subject is so totally misrepresented that I will put a little effort into it. I won’t respond point by point. Instead I’ll just pick on what comes to mind in no particular order.

First though, I want to say I’m a big fan of Gary’s work. There’s plenty of stuff I disagree with, but nothing is as badly off the mark as this. One thing I really like about his work is that he usually doesn’t fall for the bullshit. Sadly in this case he’s gone tonsil deep in it.

First point, the so-called independent report about what the French forces did. This report was commissioned by the Rwandan goverment, which is led by the virtually dictatorial Paul Kagame, erstwhile leader of the RPF/RPA. Last year, a French judge issued arrest warants for Kagame and several others for the murders of the Rwandan and Burundi presidents in April 1994 which triggered the ‘genocide.’ This year, they just happen to come up with this ‘independent’ report? For details of the charges against Kagame you can google Jean-Louis Bruguière. For info about a UN knobbled ICTR investigation into tha same google Michael Hourigan Rwanda.

Second, Gary said the RPF raised a small army in response to the Hutu’s genocidal rampage. This is absolute crap. The RPA, which is the military wing of the RPF, invaded Rwanda on Oct 1, 1990, and occupied the northwest of the country, committing massacres and ethnic cleansing. So many Hutus were forced of their land and made internal refugees that it almost crippled the Rwandan economy. The RPA was a ‘breakaway faction’ of the Ugandan military, led by Kagame who had been a high level intelligence officer. Under the guise of the Ugandan military they’d received training and assistance from…the US military. And remember this all kicked off right about the time that Bush Snr was telling the world we must not let naked aggression stand. Of course he was referring to Saddam Husseins naked aggression.

So three and a half years later the RPF murders the president of Rwanda and Brecher either isn’t aware of the history, a war nerd sin, or is aware but chooses to ignore it, intellectual dishonesty. So rather than the Hutu’s reacting to a historical situation, Gary puts their violent rampage down to a savage bloodlust. That’s inexcusable.

Believe me, what I’ve mentioned here only barely scratches the surface of the historical context.

I’ll leave it there. If you’re interested in more details, check out http://www.taylor-report.com/, particularly the translation of Robin Philpott’s book and the interviews with and articles by Paul Rusesabagina, the real manager of the ‘Hotel Rwanda’. Also see more articles at http://cirqueminime.blogcollective.com and google Keith Harmon Snow.