Mandela’s Legacy: Honored to Interact with Ambassador Lyman

“In South Africa, we learned that people don’t need to play the majority and minority game, because what is majority today may not be tomorrow and, is the illiterate majority worth?” (Ambassador E. Rasool)

Thanks N.Bidadanure [ a bit to know about him(p.19)], your email brought me to this discussion.

Audace Machado 

Nobody would say the contrast about the greatness of

Lyman,Roelf,Bhabha & Rasool

Mandela, especially,

First, it is still “the mourning time”. Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman, this is how you started your letter to the audience of the conference.

The key question & Second -and from my point of view-, because Mandela acted unexpectedly. We can elaborate a lot about what and how he 27 years suffered in jail. We can write pages and deliver tones of words about his decision and strategy of an only one presidential term. But my question still: should this huge man, or should every kinds of great figure, despite their law and/or related skills, accept to be involved, as Mandela did, in other countries’ conflicts? (Listen from the 1:27' -the 10 first min.are empty-)It’s a kind of dilemma of mine considering, on one hand, the Human being’s “Responsibility” if I understood well Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool and, on the other hand, the fact that “Each conflict is unique”, witness of Roelf Meyer.

Should Mandela have involved in other countries’ conflicts? I liked, as no one on the stage did answer to my question. Tim Phillips elaborated, in expert, how Tata tried to help in the North Ireland Conflict. Some –me included- just mentioned his work in Israeli & Palestinian conflict. I said a bit more about his work in the Burundi and DRC negotiations. Seeing what’s on in these two countries, I may say that, He –as a person and as an institution-, didn’t end up the job! Does it mean, he failed? The other thing you liked the Man is his philosophy in the South African conflict, “This is our country, and it is our responsibility to resolve its problems.” did you write.

Is Mandela to be blamed in DRC, Burundi, Israel-Palestine or North Ireland? In another conference Roger Meece highlighted the fact that the peace is totally linked to good leadership and to social and economic justice. In DRC, I never understand why people don’t want to see and discuss about the truth: I have - in a last observation- shared a point that demonstrates the Congolese conflict looking not mainly economic, but as a country management problem.     

Mobutu, Tata & Kabila L.

In addition to what Ambassador Meece reported, he tended to simplify things as people in the street do, “The invasion of Kinshasa from the Rwanda”, he said while evoking the collapse of Mobutu. “How can we evaluate the strength of inside and outside influences in a conflict management”, did you, Ambassador Lyman asked. “Zimbabwe is the highly good example”, Mohammed Bhabha skillfully exemplified.  Hereupon, I pretended a “weakness” of Ambassador Meece analyzing the collapse of Mobutu: did Mandela realize that Wa Zabanga was a dying person? In other words, did Tata fancy that the Maréchal was not anymore able to organize and command the Zairian troops to protect his invaded Zaire? Did Ambassador Meece forget the Kabila long and complex fight? Did Nelson forget that the Kabila, as a freedom fighter, was sponsored from far –written analysis name China, Cuba, etc. - and from Zaire neighbors –Rwanda and Tanzania-? I would bring him a ‘friend’ who –still alive-hosted Kabila Mzee and Chegevala in my Burundi, the 1960’s. Otherwise, how do we call the Angolan and allied deeds in Zaire, that time of Kabila’s occupying the “New Congo”?

Dear Ambassador, I know that your colleague Meece knows all these aspects. I know that Madiba and colleagues knew that. But why did he accepted to get in that kind of “Business”? For the visibility of his homeland, may anyone says. 

As Mandela won in Cape Town, he would win in Arusha, as well. Simply said, I suspect the political and business reasons pushing some people to manipulate conflicts. Don’t we say, there is no moral neither in politics nor in business? Don’t we hear that South Africa, since some years, is acting as a ruling country in sub-Sahara? Yes, many wrote about the linkage between countries’ history. Just an anecdotic example: I grew up singing that melody

which is the both the Tanzanian, South African and Zambian National Anthem. Besides, Kikwete’s speech during the Mandela burial ceremonies –Qunu- was also commented as linked to the Tanzania support to “Umkoto we Sizwe” as “Freedom fighter troops. Did you hear that? Last, November 2012, as Tanzania decided to go in Easter DRC, I was in Kampala and covered that summit to just repeat Faulkner, W. “The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past.” And you heard what soon later happened between Rwanda and Tanzania high authorities.

Mpilo was misunderstood in his ‘No Future without Forgiveness”. Can we talk about the enlightened despotism between the Archbishop and his contemporaries and Apartheid combatant-fellows?  If yes, what did Madiba do with Mpilo’s thought? I had observed and listen to Mr. Yalengi at Hopkins. He held the same logic, as that Congolese addressed to Meece: the division has been brought in the great lakes by colonialists, “the Belgians”, he always precise.  “We can’t ignore or deny that Hutu, Tutsi, Congolese speaking Kinyarwanda, etc., exist in the Great Lakes.”, Meece responded. No Belgians are killing great

Pacifique (L), Bish.Tutu

lakes inhabitants, but they -or others- can sponsor those killings for some reasons. One way may be to redefine the people’s identities. Just some examples: I had interview with Makanika, M. and people didn’t call him a Tutsi. Maybe as he has integrated the Congolese reformed army. Nobody call Moise Katumbi a non-Congolese as he stabilizes the Katanga province. But, through 2007-2008, Nkunda was immediately identified as a Rwandese. The same was the M23. (Expert can elaborate about these examples). Oh, just when Kikwete got in troubles with Kagame, people “discovered” his wife being a cousin of late Habyarimana (double check). 

In Burundi, as some rebels were fighting from the Eastern part of Congo, so few denounced J.B. Ndayikengurukiye –for example- as a Burundian, in there. So few wrote about Burundian and Rwandese rebels initiating that crime of raping women in that part of Congo. (…) 

An Ironic turn of fate or where the hope may be: In 2008, as the conflict was open in Goma, a newspaper in Switzerland ordered a report. I started the observation from Bujumbura: a road named “Avenue du Zaire”.  The Rwandese and Congolese embassies are just aside. Across the road, in front the two buildings, there is the “Zairian school” where both Congolese, Burundian and Rwandese children continued to attend classes with no harm. I therefore crossed the border towards Uvira, meeting

Amb.Johnnie Carson

Congolese, especially merchants who, each day, cross the border for their business and banking in Burundi. On the other side, in Bukavu, people were scared. Some killings were reported in the surrounding hills. But in the town and on the border with Rwanda –Kamembe-, life hadn’t changed.  People keep crossing the border for their affairs: young people from Rwandan land going to school in Bukavu and vice-versa. Far in the east, in the Rwandese University town –Butare-, people looked calm, but some news were mixing with rumors. Once in Goma, as in Gisenyi –the opposite town, in Rwanda-, life were normal. I passed the nights in a hotel ‘between’ Goma and Gisenyi, and like every sunset, the migration of people, especially women going to look for “dollars” in the UN staffs stayed unchanged. But you could see UN military trucks patrolling inside Goma. Refugees, especially from Rutshuru and Kiwanja were gathered and surviving at one of the Goma’s Catholic Church.  I ended my report inside the “Camp Zaire”. It’s a slum within Kigali where Congolese lived continuously even through the 1994 genocide. 

                                                                                                   

Dear Ambassador Lyman, for me, these two neighboring countries are illustration of how a non-well defined problem is difficult to find solution. In addition to this conflict management starting point, I have to rely on what Mpilo meant in his famous book: we are not to forget what bad we did to each other. There is no future without truth and justice. And each people has to define what kind of justice appropriate to what crime were committed. Very hard as, “our enemies live with us and are going to stay with us”, focus of M. Bhabha.

Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.  The forgiveness proponed by Tutu is complicated for the two countries which choose the Truth and Reconciliation commission but still fail to start the commission. No way! Ambassador, you said “great idea” when Roef, M. mentioned Mandela’s logic in negotiation, inclusiveness: “We have to help each other to be part of the solution.” This inclusiveness failed either in South African or in Burundian negotiation. “We were disappointed to not seeing

Pres.Buyoya signing

business people involved in Truth & Reconciliation commission. It was largely Africaans and people from the security.” Regarding Mandela and his involvement in the Burundi negotiation, “his” lose may be defined by the fact that “He” wanted only “key political dominant- Key players-” (political parties- G7 or parties representing Hutu, and G10 or parties representing Tutsi- and rebel groups). Forgotten, or minimized were people from the civil society (religious, Non-Government Organizations, youth). For example, one important group which played a big role in the Burundian history is the “Women”. They were not invited as that social and economic actors of the Nation.

In other words, although Mandela was proponent of the UN 1325 Resolution, the 30% female representation in the institutions was negotiated without the concerned. And I agree that lesson learned and defended by Ambassador E. Rasool, “In conflicts, people’s nature rely on what they want to protect from the past”. And that was the case in the peace negotiation between Burundians.

Dear Ambassador, you also mentioned the strength of Mandela influencing his country fellows to stand behind the agreements they made. With reference to his facilitation in the inter-Burundians peace accord, he happened to attire the International community to witness what was on. Among other great personalities, Bill Clinton was in Arusha to witness the peace accord signature. Now –and the case in DRC may count too-, there is a shyness of the international assistance in updating what Burundian signed while they, on their side, accusing each other of trying to manipulate the law for political interests.

If Mandela failed as a mediator, why can’t we learn from that?  Ambassador Lyman, I liked you mentioning it in the end of your letter, “Not all lessons from South Africa are readily transferrable to other conflicts”, what you illustrated with the fail you realized on Mbeki–as the chief Africa Union mediator- in the South-Sudan Conflict.

Not only Mbeki failed, in Sudan & South-Sudan, but also his crew –highly including Pierre Buyoya, key negotiator under –Nyelele- Mandela facilitation in the inter-Burundian negotiation. In addition to these personalities, if we agree the glass of water half full/half empty of chances in Sudan & South-Sudan peace process, institutions – United Nations, African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes, the African Great Lakes Initiative, the Nile Basin Initiative, the East Africa Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, etc.- failed too.

Goma, people celebrate:
a rumor said Kagame was dead

Learning from errors. In the conference you facilitate, M. Bhabha highlighted the South African great issue: “the mindset”. He tried to make the link between that concept and the xenophobia that that one of the African country leader still face. I’d suggest, Mandela and other super influential personalities and Organizations involved in the Burundi peace accord, should help young Burundians to benefit from better education than what they struggle for. The example of Rwanda is really talkative, and this would be the basement of Amb. Rasool that I do back, “Each country still need leadership to evolve and keep its unity.” Besides, we do owe to Mandela, “Education is the most powerful we upon which you can use to change the world.” By the way, I am tortured when I read –just as an example- some online comments about Burundi and DRC, from supposed literate people: verbal ethnic/xenophobia hatred! Where, Lord, these countries head to?

Burundi, Special Re-education for Warrior's Heart : who cares?

Go, and ask every time, why Burundi is becoming expert in sending Troops in conflictual African lands. It’s not the only country to do so, though. Uganda is doing the same in Somalia. Rwanda did the same in Sudan. Can people understand Kenya fighting in Somalia? What about Tanzania doing so in East-DRC? If geopolitics, business and security matter,  humanitarian issues should matter first. Is Burundi preparing its future generation by simply sending its children to new conflict grounds? Why/how different countries are supporting the Burundi Security Institutions? The big issue is, “(...) even though you didn't kill somebody directly, you were involved in that (...): the War Deeds!

Audace Machado

Troops, Panafricanism and business illusions. Nothing else than that. I remember discussing

picture by AP

with my “friend”, late Mamadou Bah. He demonstrated to me how Burundi is benefiting by sending its troops in Somalia - by that time-: “Look, Burundian soldiers’ salary is nothing for someone who won’t stay in that career forever. Economically, at least, some of those guys need to earn a little bit much money to prepare their future.” But, the Ambassador didn’t want to argue more about any country -in such- commitment, in terms of business. Nobody would publicly talk about that ‘business’ as the elder did : “I am not the kind of man who shall argue about Burundi or any other country, renting its military resources- people and military devices or equipment, call that as you want, even the street got its denomination about that”, the Ambassador “joked”. He finished, “I knew N’krumah, Nyelele and others before you; I have more chance to discuss with Mandela or Khadafi than you do, to tell you that African conflicts are mainly to be solved by Africans.”

Is Burundi qualified for the military solution in African Conflicts? I wouldn't like to debate about

P.Buyoya in Mali

Burundi skilled people. You will find them in many international institutions, though. Some even on the top level, despite their home country’s Government still need to work for that international recognition. But, as we talk about Military solution in Africa, we first need to get back on where those “experts” are rooted.

Nobody will tell the opposite : there is no dehumanization by repeating the rape phenomenon developed by some street  children. Early 2000’s, women were raped in public streets and inside the Capital City Bujumbura. The government had failed to fight against that situation till some male who were -also victims of that-decided to ‘eradicate’, themselves, the evil. Reason of that? Who ignored that some South-African troops -since 2002- were known of sodomizing those kids? That was reported in every local media. Here is how Mandela -for example- succeeded for his mother country, but failed in Burundi (another topic).

The danger : perpetuation of war mentality by - I’d go far saying-, acquiring new ways of killing or, positively said, surviving in war time. It’s all about war. Politically, if Kenya is fighting against the Al-Shabab in Somalia, we can call that : offensive strategies. We can base on the geography and history of the Horn of Africa. Again, politically and -only- diplomatically, we can understand Burundian troops in Central Africa.

Here are examples of how culture is formatted: Through 2000’s, each Wednesday afternoon, the local cinema hall -Cinecameo- was opened only to South African and Ethiopian UN Troops in Bujumbura. Also allowed at entrance were females, prostitutes essentially. The same, I am afraid Burundian Troops in Mali watch peace-building movies. Some may not trust me, but a paysant woman -Burundian-went to see her mother-in-law to signify : “since my husband came back from Somalia, he sexually changed. He does me some shameful and strange stuffs.”

Besides, not only those Burundians who survive the war in Somalia, in Central Africa, in Ivory Coast, in Mali, etc., are facing new ways and strategies of killing, but they are also in other nature of conflict. I shouldn't be astonished if Burundi starts another war, a religious one in the future!

First outcome: communication strategies. In a french thought, like the troops' families, I mourned. One day, discussing with Late Ambassador Bah, I suggested that there should be communication strategies stating how those soldiers work and the problems, just some -for strategic reasons- dangers they pass through. I thought we can’t hide things eternally. He replied, “This small and beautiful country still need professional leaders”, he simply replied. Few day, as I was in a mission in Rwanda, I got a call from the defense ministry in Burundi. I was asked if I was interested in going in Somalia with some other journalists in an official delegation. I responded that, such a mission is highly national that it should be jointly planned and executed with media managers/editors, supposingly I was in Burundi to go with them. Since then on some occasions, some Burundi embedded  journalists go in Somalia, which is better than nothing.

Second outcome: Through my studies, Dr Petrun taught me -for example- that “there is no simple response to any problem”. In fact, we are living a complex world than few people realize. December 2013, as Major Bernard Busokoza visited Washington, DC, I reported a few about -in French- : Not only as the Burundi 1st Vice-President- in charge of political, diplomatic and security aspects- but also as instructor at the Burundi military academy, he responded that the powerful countries help Burundi in Intelligence domain. There is nothing secret in that USA, Belgium, China, France, Holland and some Arabic Countries (people see and think : is that true?), are backing the Burundian security institutions. What a diversity in such a secret field! What-as mentioned on her twitter, Dec.19th, 2013- should be/was  asked to Samantha Power as she met Burundi Troops in Central Africa?

Visit of the Secr. of Navy Ray Mabus

Third outcome : Burundi civil society has been concerned by these security aspects, which is normal. In an interview, Marguerite Barankitse suggested me :  “Those young people don’t need to everyday carry guns, seated at each corner of the street. They need to be trained for other development activities even being soldiers or police persons.” I went agree in that dream with her, without forgetting what Dr Sinamenye Mathias had told me some times ago : “Scrubland doesn’t teach to manage people or budget.We need to learn that.” In addition, I had learned from Peter Blau that rebel movements are different from army/military institutions in that way, the first fight for political power. Though Burundi still have to go, and besides economic aspects, back to its troops out in Africa or elsewhere, they need mental and trauma healing. Absolutely. That is what I called special education for those special people. Specialized centers may do better than Governmental institutions. For example, Arche Médical de Kigobe has shown its experiments in rehabilitating injured soldiers. There some other trauma healing centers in that small country that might help in that social and medical service. That healing the warrior’s heart is what I do subscribe to.