Obama Administration Accused of Blocking UN Report on Congo Rebels to Protect Dictator Ally

Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
All Gov.com
June 24, 2012

A United Nations Group of Experts has uncovered information revealing Rwanda’s support for a Congolese rebel leader who is wanted internationally for using child soldiers. But the UN report, completed earlier this month, has not been released because of the section about the Rwandan involvement. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has been accused of applying pressure at the Security Council in order to protect the United States’ Rwandan ally, President Paul Kagame. Kagame was reelected president in 2010 with 93% of the vote.

At the center of the controversy is Bosco Ntaganda (aka “Terminator”), a former general fighting the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government. Wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2006 on charges of forcibly recruiting children as soldiers, Ntaganda and his forces have been aided by the Rwandan military, which has provided safe haven, as well military supplies, to the rebel army.

The assistance by Rwanda represents a violation of UN sanctions imposed against the providing arms to rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwandan government denies the charges.

Read full article

This article was posted: Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 4:01 pm

Tags: foreign affairs, government corruption, terrorism, war

---

---

---

---