From what I can gather... no one is really sure...
If Nkunda has infact been arrested in Rwanda and it's not all a smoke screen then his extradition to DRC should come in short order if not, "that will be a clear sign that this is part of the shell game that Rwanda has been playing for the past 12 years, a period during which they replaced one proxy leader with another while they continued to occupy Eastern Congo. (Friends of the Congo).
I further agree with Friends of the Congo that this shouldn’t be used to prove Nkunda + Rwanda aren’t it bed together or that things are beginning to improve in the region. The Goma Peace Agreement of '07 (I think) proved to be meaningless in stopping violence or bringing peace to the region. Too many times we take things at face value and ignore the shuffling of people/assists/weapons/coltan in the background…
The idea that Kabila & the DRC government is going to call on Kagame and Rwanda to come help take out Nkunda when most Congolese want all Rwandans out of their country is insane. And the idea that these troops are going to impact the Hutu population in the DRC is unrealistic. That would be like inviting Hamas into the Israel to help round up all Palestinians and then expecting none of them to stay. In fact, Rwanda occupied the DRC for six years and couldn’t round up the Hutus. This is a lie Rwanda keeps using to stay in the DRC and pursue its real interest (money, power, resources).
Former Secretary of State for African Affairs, Herman Cohen says it best when he notes “Having controlled the Kivu provinces for 12 years, Rwanda will not relinquish access to resources that constitute a significant percentage of its gross national product”. (Ibid)
I will go out on a limb and say nothing good can come from this. Why would you open your door to a group of people you want out? Kabila did not consult his congress before allowing Rwandan troops in. There will be more pillaging of resources, more rape, more displacement… What does Kabila think he can tell Rwanda when to leave? K, thanks guys… um, get out!! All he’s done is allowed a group in the DRC to reinforce itself and change one ruthless leader for another (oh yeah, Nkunda’s next in line, Jean-Bosco Ntaganda, is also wanted by the International Criminal Court…
