Death in the Congo

[YogsVR4]

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...30/wcong30.xml

From her hiding place in the woods outside the Congolese town of Bunia, Ruta Bonabingi watched as militiamen roasted and then ate the severed arms of her dying daughters. It was the horrifying finale to 48 hours of terror for Ruta and her family.

Three weeks after ethnic violence engulfed Bunia and the surrounding Ituri province, crazed gunmen stormed Shar, five miles outside the town. Shooting or hacking to death anyone they came across, they torched every home in the village.

Ruta managed to escape with most of her family, although two of her brothers were killed before they reached safety in the nearby forest.

After pressing deeper into the woods for two days without food and water, she thought she had finally reached safety when out of nowhere the militiamen, from the Lendu tribe, struck again.

With bullets flying everywhere in the hail of gunfire that ensued Ruta became separated from two of her daughters, Mateso, aged 12, and Michelle, who had just turned two.

After securing the rest of her family in another hiding place, Ruta crept back to the clearing to try to rescue the girls.

"There were many people wounded from bullets lying on the ground," she said.

"The Lendu were going about with machetes, chopping off one arm from the shoulder and then the other. Some people were screaming but most were silent. Then I saw them. Their arms had already been cut off."

The militiamen calmly cooked the flesh over an open fire before throwing their victims, some of whom were still alive, into the flames. "They were both moving, although very weakly," Ruta said. It is accounts like this that have galvanised the horrified world into action.

The United Nations Security Council meets today to finalise plans for a rapid reaction force, led by France, which could be in Bunia by as early as next week. Tony Blair has hinted that Britain could send several hundred soldiers to the region later.

The latest violence in one of the Democratic Republic of Congo's bloodiest provinces erupted in the first week of May as Uganda withdrew its troops in compliance with a peace plan to end the five-year war.

Despite the presence of the 700 UN peacekeepers already in Bunia to monitor the withdrawal, rival Hema and Lendu tribesmen fought viciously for supremacy in the town.

The peacekeepers had repeatedly warned the UN that a bloodbath was likely and requested reinforcements.

They were ignored. Lacking the firepower, equipment or mandate to intervene, they retreated powerless to their compound and watched.

No one knows how many have died. The Red Cross has found 415 bodies on the streets or in mass graves, and may just be the tip of the iceberg. There are fears that thousands more were killed in outlying villages. At least 50,000 people have been victims of violence in Ituri since 1998.

The Congo conflict has claimed between 3.1 and 4.7 million lives, mainly from war-related hunger and disease, since it began, making it the world's deadliest war since 1945.

Bunia itself was relatively calm yesterday although an occasional explosion, possibly caused by landmines, rocked the outskirts of the town. Few dared to venture out on to the streets, however. The town is virtually empty after Lendus, who made up the majority of the population, fled into the hills following the Hema capture of the town last week.

Along the town's main street shop doors hung drunkenly from their hinges. Windows on many buildings were smashed, their contents looted. The few establishments that escaped pillaging were firmly shuttered. A Hema boy, aged no more than eight or nine, sauntered down the street dressed in a ridiculously oversized military uniform, his camouflage jacket flapping about his calves.

He disappeared into a building for a moment and re-emerged casually swinging an AK47 from his hip.

A pick-up truck filled with grim-faced Hema soldiers and mounted with a fearsomely large machinegun roared down the street.

At the top of the road, two armoured personnel carriers manned by Uruguayan soldiers guarded the UN compound, barely visible behind 8ft-high protective barriers of razor wire.

Hundreds of Bunia's terrified residents, both Hema and to a lesser extent Lendu, remain in the compound where they fled when the fighting erupted.

Alarmingly, the town's radio station, now in Hema hands, gave warning this week that anyone who did not leave the camp immediately would be treated as "an enemy of state", according to UN officials.

The move has chilling echoes of hate radio during Rwanda's 1994 genocide when broadcasts urged Hutus to fill up the half-empty graves.

Many appear to have heeded the call, but Basara Mateso prefers to take his chances with the UN. He fled to the compound when the Lendu attacked his predominantly Hema suburb two weeks ago.

As he fled, he became separated from two of his seven children. When he ventured back a few hours later he found the bodies of both his teenage daughters, hacked to death with machetes.

"Ngathi was cut across the chest," he said. "Mami's head was missing. Both of them were without their hearts and their livers. Their bellies had been cut open."

Missionaries, Catholic priests and foreign aid workers have all confirmed that some Lendu militiamen have been eating their victims' hearts and livers, apparently in the superstitious belief that it would make them invincible.

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Pretty damn savage. If France sends in troops to try and restore order, then I wish them luck.

[freakray]

Unfortunately this kind of violence is not uncommon and has been going on in the Congo region for literally years now, it's just not often enough the rest of the world hears about it.

It's not so much political violence as tribal violence, it is the nature of Africa......

[YogsVR4]

Originally posted by freakray
It's not so much political violence as tribal violence, it is the nature of Africa......

Maybe in that region. Don't here of this style of violence in the northern parts like Egypt

[freakray]

Originally posted by YogsVR4


Maybe in that region. Don't here of this style of violence in the northern parts like Egypt

No, but you have to remember that Congo is central Africa, North Africa has its own history of violence too, but Central Africa and Southern Africa is still very tribal and is still very torn by tribal warfare.

In the area Dave(Toksin) is from there is a lot of tribal rivalry between the Zulu and Xhosa people, it is not uncommon to hear of villages fighting between each other in the rural areas.
I have worked in factorys with Xhosa labor and Zulu security, the Xhosa are scared of the Zulu, not only that, but you can see the tribal hatred between them.

Another thing I hate to point out Yogs, you only actually hear the worst cases in the news, have you ever wondered how often this kind of heathen violence really is taking place?
You would be horrified.

[YogsVR4]

I've quite often used the violence in Africa to point out how inneffective the UN has been. No real surprises there.

[Toksin]

Ray's right. The Zulu are probably the most violent and strongest tribe in South Africa. They were the warriors. Although nowadays its expanded into political violence, with the ANC supporters which are mostly Xhosa I believe usually fighting the IFP supporters which are mostly Zulu. My dad covered a case a few years back in which about 25 people were massacred on Christmas day in their village.

Africa is fuxx0red

[taranaki]

Originally posted by YogsVR4
I've quite often used the violence in Africa to point out how inneffective the UN has been. No real surprises there.

If your defitnition of 'ineffective' is 'not doing as America wants',then yes,the U.N.is pretty toothless,thank God.I don't see it as the role of the U.N.to dictate who may or may not run a country,what system of governance should be used,or which countries get the right to exploit the lesser nations.Perhaps it is time that American foreign policy matured,and showed some respect for the internal affairs of other countries.

It is time to accept that the world does not revolve around the U.S.A.,and no amount of force can change cultures.Didn't you learn anything from Vietnam?

The U.N. does great work in the humanitarian field,and in the prevention of international warfare.Or at least,it tries to in the face of supreme arrogance from fascists like George W. Bush.

[freakray]

It's also difficult for the UN to be effective in a country where the goverment won't allow them free and safe passage.

Remember Somalia, that is what Africa is Yogs, believe me, if you watched Black Hawk Down, it does not do the continent justice, the brutality of the people can be mind-blowing.

Dave is right in adding that about the Zulu, they are a strong and proud people who are brutal in fighting.
I have seen Zulus stick-fighting (a practice they use to hone fighting technique) for fun, they don't even have mercy in a fighting form considered a game, but it is an art to watch, truely amazing to see the speed they can move at!
He is also right about the political side, that is a whole separate issue.

Dave, not cool that your Dad had to cover that case, it was awful what happened, and that is not the last time it has happened either.

Kev, Americans don't believe the world revolves around the USA, the common misconception is the universe revolves around the USA

[taranaki]

The U.N. has approved a peacekeeping force be sent.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissin...43&sid=3891576

[YogsVR4]

Originally posted by taranaki


If your defitnition of 'ineffective' is 'not doing as America wants',then yes,the U.N.is pretty toothless,thank God.I don't see it as the role of the U.N.to dictate who may or may not run a country,what system of governance should be used,or which countries get the right to exploit the lesser nations.Perhaps it is time that American foreign policy matured,and showed some respect for the internal affairs of other countries.

It is time to accept that the world does not revolve around the U.S.A.,and no amount of force can change cultures.Didn't you learn anything from Vietnam?

The U.N. does great work in the humanitarian field,and in the prevention of international warfare.Or at least,it tries to in the face of supreme arrogance from fascists like George W. Bush.

You are the one claiming that the UN needs to do as the US demands. The UN is an inneffective waste of money. I only point out Africa as one of the many (see nearly all) failures that the UN has become.

The UN is run by fuck ups and third world dictators. The exact people who are slaughtering people in Africa. Your hatred of the US government is nearly matches my disdain for the UN and the imbeciles who run it. I hope confidence in that pathetic organization keeps deteriorating here and will eventually be relegated to the shit pile it belongs.

We learned plenty from Vietnam. I’d say those lessons were learned. You don’t fight a war half assed. You know what you want to do and you go in there and blow the other guys army and equipment to its composite molecules. What you should be asking has the UN learned nothing from Rwanda, Nigeria or Yugoslavia? Of course they didn’t.

Maybe its time to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around the UN either.

[freakray]

Originally posted by taranaki
The U.N. has approved a peacekeeping force be sent.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissin...43&sid=3891576

And what good is this peace-keeping force?

United Nations peacekeepers are in the region but do not have the political mandate or the weaponry to halt the fighting.

It's useless when they are present but not allowed to do anything, they may as well be ringside spectators:o


http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa...ide/index.html

[Sierra Six]

Originally posted by Toksin
... in which about 25 people were massacred on Christmas day in their village.

Theres Christmas spirt for ya.

[freakray]

Originally posted by Sierra Six


Theres Christmas spirt for ya.

You need to spend more time with Dave learning about South Africa.....

The people that do these things don't care about Christmas, they care about tribal differences....

[Sierra Six]

Funnily enough I have been learning about SA , but nothing of the tribes and such. Ill have to have a chat with Dave about that.

One of the supers at work is from SA, Durban actually (like you El Davo).

Theres a book Im going to order too, Prime Evil, about the Security Service just after the end of arparthid.

[freakray]

Dave is from Pietermaritzburg, close to Durban, but not quite....I suppose it is easier for him to tell people he's from Durban than PMB since the association is easier and they are close enough.

PMB is an awesome area, I was there in 1999 to compete in the African Continental Championship for mountain bike racing.....

Ask the super about the Zulu-Xhosa love for each other.....

I am from Port Elizabeth myself.