The first time I talked to him was in January in Goma during the peace talks. I said the following. When I go into the former British colonies, there is infrastructure and education, but in Congo there is nothing. So if the African countries that were under your control refused continued colonisation even though you were doing something for them, don’t think that you are going to force us to shut our mouths when we have had nothing from colonisation. We are going to fight. It is about freedom. Our president [Joseph Kabila] is robbing the country. He is destroying the economy, destroying minds, because there is no education when teachers are not paid. And yet you ask me not to fight. I said to Doss, bring your tanks and planes because we will fight until we are free. I’ll fight till I die, then my brothers will continue to fight, and my elders, and my son.
Who are your heroes from history?
In South Africa, there is Mandela. When he accepted reconciliation with his former enemies, it was a way of saying that even if apartheid was the wrong way to rule, those rulers did something for the country economically.
In France, my hero is General Charles De Gaulle. De Gaulle refused to accept German rule and went to England; then, with the American General Eisenhower, liberated France. These are the kind of people who are heroes for me. German authority was accepted in France but De Gaulle refused. We are not obliged to accept things we do not believe in.
I can also tell you about the American General McArthur. He said that the army has to protect the nation because if the army loses, the nation will be destroyed. This is the person who told the American army that the mission of the army is to win wars.
Have you heard President-elect Obama’s statement about Congo: that “ethnic strife” is to blame for the conflict? What would you say to Obama about what’s happening here?
Obama has to raise his thinking about Congo. If I could meet him, I would tell him that it is not a matter of ethnic conflict, it is a matter of leadership. These ethnic groups are not being ruled so the majority can overcome the minority and kill. The real fire here is the lack of leadership.
I will ask him: please help Congolese to be Congolese leaders, not ethnic leaders. Train our people for two or three weeks. America showed the world how they understand leadership in the recent election.
The world is talking about a black person in power, but Americans didn’t vote for a black man, they voted for an American showing the capacity to rule. On his identity card, it doesn’t say “black”.
What are your views about Human Rights Watch?
They are writing from the UK and from the US; they are not on the ground. They say they get their information from “reliable sources”, and unfortunately they are trusted. But compare their report to what is happening on the ground. For groups like this to help, they have to come here and report not from “reliable sources” but from live sources. But I think the world wants such sensational stories. They don’t want reality.
Is there anything else you want to say?
What Congo expects from the world is help to be free from the leadership it is under. Instead of foreign troops, we want well-trained and equipped soldiers. Instead of MONUC, we want roads. Instead of experts, we want well-trained Congolese leaders. If the world really wants to help Congo, please help us train leaders and soldiers, and help Congolese leaders to create a vision for the country that is good for the people.
Georgianne Nienaber is an award-winning investigative environmental and political writer living in rural northern Minnesota and New Orleans, Louisiana USA
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