DRC war was clean
Sunday Mail Reporter
ZIMBABWE never plundered any resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo
during its four-year military campaign but instead helped that country to defend
its territorial integrity against a foreign invasion, President Mugabe has said.
He added that although Zimbabwe was now out of the DRC, the country's
detractors would not stop their "song" of trying to portray the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces as "unwelcome plunderers of the DRC's wealth".
Speaking yesterday during the DRC Withdrawal Parade at the National Sports
Stadium, President Mugabe said Zimbabwe together with Angola and Namibia
intervened in the conflict after a series of consultative meetings where it was
agreed that the intervention did not amount to individual action undertaken for
ulterior motives.
The DRC government requested assistance from Sadc following an invasion by rebel
groups backed by Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda in 1998.
"At no time was our motive anywhere near the malicious and puerile, or even
libellous, allegations that have been made against us by our detractors. At no
time did we, during our presence in the DRC, seek the plunder of that
country's resources or the unfair exploitation of a war situation to steal
from a sister country.
"At all times, during the entire four years, we remained motivated by the one
and only desire to see the restoration of and respect for the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo," said the
President.
He said as a regional partner, Zimbabwe stood to benefit more from a peaceful
situation in the DRC and in the region as a whole.
"Already, some of our business enterprises have answered the call for new
markets and are benefiting from investments in that country," he said adding
that some people seemed to be "conveniently" forgetting that Zimbabwe gets some
of its electricity from the DRC.
Said President Mugabe: "The detractors will not stop their song because we are
now out of Congo. If anything, they will seek to create doubts about the
rectitude of our mission; they will always seek to belittle your performance
(ZDF) and portray you as unwelcome plunderers of the DRC's wealth.
"And yet I beseech you not to be distracted by these vain and hollow
protestations."
There have been reports in the private media suggesting that some Government
officials were plundering resources in the DRC. All these reports were made
despite a United Nations report that exonerated Zimbabwe from any wrong doing in
the DRC.
President Mugabe said Zimbabwe went into the DRC with its head held high and had
come out with its head still held high.
"The success of the DRC mission was, however, not as easy as many would want to
believe. Following our deployment in the country, fierce and crucial battles
were fought and, at all times, Zimbabwean soldiers, in partnership with their
allies acquitted themselves well.
"It was our swift deployment that prevented the near fall of Kinshasa, and this
successful defence of the capital completely changed the complexion of the
conflict as the enemy was forced to retreat to other positions elsewhere in the
country, especially in the Eastern and Northern districts.
"The Sadc Allied Forces pursued the rebels and invading forces by also deploying
in those parts of the DRC where landmark battles were fought at Kabalo and
Kamina.
"The successes registered by the Allied Forces in those and other epic battles
reduced the enemy's willpower to advance further into our positions. With
time, the rebels and invading forces got ever diminishing returns on their
efforts and, as a result, were forced to change tactics.
"They eventually agreed to negotiate peace, resulting in the signing of the
Lusaka Peace Accord which was brokered by the then Zambian President Frederick
Chiluba. Happily, this and other subsequent peace talks and initiatives have
brought about relative peace to the DRC," said the President.
He said apart from fighting on the battlefront, the Allied Forces also assisted
in turning the Congolese Armed Forces into a professional force through
retraining, re-organisation and formal registration.
"The programme which started in 1998, was completed in July this year. Such
programmes were designed to enhance the fighting capability of the DRC Force so
that it would be able to successfully defend that country's sovereignty
and territorial integrity in the event of future invasions and acts of
aggression of a similar nature," he said.
The President said contrary to the general belief that Zimbabwe had suffered
heavy human and equipment losses, the country had suffered minimal losses during
the war.
He added that the country's participation in the DRC operation had further
strengthened the forces' combat capabilities.
"Our forces have, therefore, gone that extra mile in terms of combat readiness
and would be more than prepared to use their experience and skills in dealing
with aggression either at home or elsewhere, when duty should call," said
President Mugabe. He promised all the forces that had failed to benefit from the
land reform programme because they were on duty in the DRC that they would also
"enjoy the same facility of being resettled under the current phase of the
resettlement programme".
"You have come back to the reclaimed and restored land of your forefathers and
you will, therefore, certainly get your rightful share of that land."
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"Ivinicus factus sum veritabem diceus." ( I have become an enemy for speaking the truth ) St Paul!
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Mitayo Potosi
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