Human Rights Watch latest report on the DRC raises more question about the real intentions of the NGO and shows a clear bias as an active stakeholder in the conflict.
It is obviously tailored to fit only the M23 as a “negative force”.
The sensitization techniques used by HRW are simple and straightforward: Forget the genocidairs and other militias or the Congolese army as elements responsible for committing atrocities against the population, concentrate on Rwanda’s “proxies” … aiming at indicting Rwanda.
If we look at the map that supports the report several comments need to be highlighted:
– The map below is supposed to arbitrarily represent area controlled by the Congolese rebel M23 on September 7th 2012.
– It is signed by the American activist John Emerson, an expert in tactic mapping (influence public opinion by simple representations).
– Note that the border post Kabuhanga is not in rebel hands according to HRW despite what had been announced by many before, including sources close to HRW.
– The area controlled by the M23 progressing towards Rutshuru was monitored until recently 1st September by the joint force FARDC (Congolese army), RDF (Rwandan army).
– This tiny area spreads over only a few tens of km2. We recall to mind that the total national territory is 2.3 million km2 or the size of Europe.
– The number of the rebels is made up of former military FARDC soldiers; they go up to hundreds of fighters, thousand at most.
– HRW is cautiously not mentioning the presence of genocidal militias in the region and attempts to regain control of the Rutshuru area after the withdrawal of the joint FARDC-RDF force.
– HRW consciously misleads the opinion by ignoring other areas controlled by militias responsible for committing atrocities and plunder natural resources (like FDLR).
– The public’s attention is once again focused exclusively on the self-defense force of M23. This technique allows HRW to simplify its communication campaigns to raise millions of dollars for the organization.
– HRW is also pursuing a smear campaign against neighboring Rwanda based on anecdotal evidence, some of which served to support the unfounded accusations of six UN experts.
– It is not explained in the HRW document why the Congolese army has left the door open to the militias after the withdrawal of the joint force.
– It does not explain why the UN has 20,000 men with highly trained commandos Uruguayan and a fleet of Russian helicopters fighting very powerful renounced take control of the area abandoned by force joint FARDC-RDF.
– The new “tactical” map published by HRW raises many more questions than it answers. What are the real intentions of Human Rights Watch in DRC?
As the founder of HRW, Robert L. Bernstein, and former chairman of Human Rights Watch from 1978 to 1998 rightly stated in 2009:
“Only by returning to its founding mission and the spirit of humility that animated it can Human Rights Watch resurrect itself as a moral force. If it fails to do that, its credibility will be seriously undermined and its important role in the world significantly diminished.”
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