M23 warns Tanzania not to send troops in DRC, saying they have “prevailed over much larger and better equipped forces”

Bunagana, April 11 st 2013

Réf: 0012/Prés. – M23/2013

To the Attention of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Tanzanian People
Honorable Speaker
Honorable Senators
Honorable Members of Parliament
RE: Request for the cancellation of the decision to deploy Tanzanian Armed
Forces to wage war in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The M23 has taken note of the UN Resolution 2098, of March 28 2013 that
transforms the UN Peacekeeping Mission to DRC into a belligerent force with the
mandate to carry out offensive operations against Congolese citizens. In doing so,
the UN will in effect come to the rescue of one of the most corrupt regimes in the
world and will contribute to extending the reign of an army that is infamous for
rampant rape and other atrocities that it wantonly and habitually inflicts on the
Congolese population.
It is ironical that contained in the same UN Resolution 2098, are the UN Secretary
General’s own words stating that corruption is the main cause of the failure of the
DRC Government.
It is particularly shocking to note that the UN resolution creating a force with a
mandate to wage war and to kill, comes at the time when negotiations are taking
place in the Ugandan capital of Kampala between the DRC Government and the
March 23 Movement, on the recommendation of the 11 countries of the Great Lakes
Region and under the mediation of his Excellency President Yoweri Museveni of
Uganda, Chairman of the International conference of the Great Lakes Region
“ICGLR”.
It is also worth noting that the DRC Government Minister of Foreign Affairs, Raymond
Tshibanda, said during an interview on April 2nd 2013 that “Countries (South Africa,
Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique) who have contributed militarily to the UN
intervention brigade have accepted that their soldiers might be killed on Congolese
land.
In taking a decision to engage in war in DRC, the same countries give a defacto
mandate to the oppressed forces of M23 to retaliate and inflict fatalities upon the
soldiers of the Intervention Brigade as the M23 defend themselves and the
population under their protection.
The M23 takes this opportunity to stress to the brotherly people of Tanzania that the
Movement bears no responsibility in the event of a massacre which appears to be on
the horizon at the instigation of those who, sitting in their air-conditioned skyscrapers
in New York and other Western cities, have nothing but contempt for the lives of
African soldiers ignoring everything with regard to our values and our Pan-African
beliefs.
The mistake should not be made of assuming that the M23 forces will stand by idle
as illegitimate business interests, political corruption and social injustice result in the
imposition of might over the logic of reason in the Eastern DRC and beyond.
Our valiant and determined combatants have consistently prevailed over much larger
and better equipped forces. The same will happen to the Intervention Brigade if your
wisdom does not prevail to intervene and stop this dangerous adventure in its tracks.
For this reason the M23 invites the Parliament and the people of Tanzania to
carefully re-consider this situation and prevail upon the Tanzanian Government, a
current member of the ICGLR, not to send the sons and daughters of this noble
nation to engage in an absurd war against their Congolese brothers.
The circumstances surrounding this absurd decision to send forces to wage war in
Eastern DRC, reminds us with regret about the absence of the late Professor Julius
Nyerere whose visionary leadership, wisdom and philosophy of “UJAMAA” stood in
total contrast with the amateurish trigger-happiness of some of the present day
leaders on our continent. “BINADAMU WOTE NI NDUGU ZANGU” said Mwalimu who, the M23 freedom
fighters, like many of our African brothers and sisters across the continent consider
as our father and role model.
We take this opportunity to express our respect for the people of the United Republic
of Tanzania as we wait to learn of your decision with regard to this matter