Ciaran’s Peculier [sic] Blog

As the world’s leaders comfortably ponder what to do about the situation in the east of the NSDR Congo (Not-so-Democratic Republic) of Congo, hundreds of thousands of people are stuck without access to shelter, clean water, food, and security. Strange that the largest UN mission in the world, MONUC, is already based in the area, and seems incapable of doing anything. Even if they had more realisitic terms of engagement it is hard to see what they can do apart from protecting aid convoys and important installations.

If the world’s leaders wanted to put a stop to events like those unfulding in Nord Kivu they would do well to remember that “General” Laurent Nkunda, the head of the rebels who have supposedly started the problem, does not fight with bows and arrows, but with state-of-the art weaponry supplied by, well, who is supplying the weapons? Shouldn”t such merchants of misery be stopped in their tracks and presented as the pariahs they are? This is unlikely to happen, especially as arms dealers are such generous contributors to the warchests of western politicians.