Central African Republic: Africa's Next Rwanda?

Article by Colin Wolfgang

The growing divide between Christians and Muslims in the Central African Republic is nothing new, despite not having received the coverage it deserves over the past several months. However, the violence has swelled in recent weeks, and the world is starting to take notice as a full-blow religious war is on the verge of erupting. The Central African Republic has arguably never had it easy – it was a French colony up until the end of the Cold War and remains one of the poorest nations in the world with a GDP per capita of just $900 – but a large conflict between the nation’s Christian population and its Muslim counterpart could have long-term, devastating effects.

Christians destroy a building in CAR. Courtesy AP.

The rapidly evolving conflict began sometime last year, when a Muslim rebel group seized power of much of the country and began calculated killings of Christians. The Seleka rebel group was in some cases accused of destroying entire villages – something not dissimilar to the acts of the M23 rebel group in neighboring Congo. The leaders of the Seleka group have since stepped down, creating a vacuum for the group which has given rise to Christian militia bands that have begun a mass “ethnic cleansing” of Muslims in retribution.

M23 Rebels Accept Defeat, Surrendering to Uganda

After over a year of conflict, there is likely a sigh of relief today in the Congo as the infamous M23 rebel group and their leader surrendered in Uganda earlier. General Sultani Makenga and approximately 1,700 of his rebel troops surrendered following peace talks that have not been successful in securing a cease-fire – Uganda has been in charge of brokering peace between the Congolese army and the rebels since peace talks began. Most likely, Makenga chose to surrender across the Ugandan border for fear of prosecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with hopes that Uganda would not extradite him. Makenga is subject to numerous UN sanctions, and is considered a wanted man by the United States government for his alleged use of child soldiers in his rebel movement.

Sultani Makenga

M23 began their campaign against the Congolese government in April of last year, and at the height of their power, had taken over several major cities in the Congo. A death toll is uncertain, but what is certain is that, like other similar situations in Africa, this conflict resulted in untold misery for thousands of families all across the region. The conflict even drew the ire of the international community when a UN report alleged that Rwanda had been secretly providing aid in the form of weapons and food to the rebels. M23 is comprised primarily of Tutsis, who were massacred by the Hutu majority in Rwanda in 1994; therefore, the M23 rebels were seen as a significant threat to the wellbeing of the Rwandan government.

On a continent where such rebel groups flourish, often unabated by international forces, the prospect of peace after nearly two years of conflict should be viewed optimistically here. Despite the surrender, both parties must still sign a peace agreement, but that is expected to be relatively painless and come sometime this weekend. The question that remains is how Uganda will deal Makenga – turning him over to the DCR would likely result in a death sentence for him, but he may also face war crimes charges at the ICC should he come into their custody. For now, however, this is good news for a wartorn region – news that is rare and should be celebrated as a peace agreement is forged.

War without End in the Congo

It is a civil war (or rather a series of them) that has led to the deaths of 5.4 million people since 1998. More than 2.6 million people are displaced within the country, and after nearly two decades the conflict is heating up, not abating. Yet the Democratic Republic of the Congo captures few headlines and elicits only low-level diplomatic attention. In one of the world’s only failed states, more than 30 armed groups murder and rape thousands every year, including the March 23 Movement (M23) that is leading the largest offensive against the central government in Kinshasa and is widely believed to be funded and organized by the Rwandan government. The Congolese government itself knows it is involved in a shadow war with neighboring Rwanda, and the extreme levels of sexual violence and the exploitation of conflict minerals are its result.

As was pointed out by Jason Stearns in a recent Foreign Affairs article, outside observers have done little to address the conflict’s roots, instead fueling the fires by providing “over 40 percent of the budgets of Congo and Rwanda.” While conflicts in high-interest areas such as the Middle East (I am of course referring to Syria) are at least paid commensurate high-level diplomatic attention, the conflict in the DRC is swept under the rug and ignored to the degree possible by the international community. This isn’t the first time since 1998 that the rest of the world’s response – or rather lack thereof – has failed the DRC. It should thus come as no surprise to anyone that one of the world’s oldest civil wars has not been halted by multiple peace agreements and elections of 2006.

An M23 rebel displays his munitions. Reuters.