Corruption is the biggest hurdle in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) transition to its first democratic elections since independence in 1960. The legacy of Mobutu Sese Seko, epitomising African klepto-cracy remains disturbingly alive.
This is the view of several European and United Nations officials the Mail & Guardian spoke to in Kinshasa and Goma last week.
President Joseph Kabila’s interim government has managed to drag this evil into the light.
Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota, who led a Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegation inspecting demobilisation bases in central and eastern Congo last week, spent much of his time getting to know his new counter-part Adolphe Onusumba. His predecessor Jean-Pierre Ondekane was sacked in January for corruption. He was one of nine ministers swept away by Kabila in a clean up.
”We needed to see even tougher action,” said an official of the UN peacekeeping force Monuc, speaking on condition of anonymity.
”Ondekane managed in eight months to salt away more than $10-million of money from the UN and the international donor community.
”There are more than 16 000 of us in the DRC now — 1 500 of us from South Africa. This is currently the most expensive UN peacekeeping operation on the globe. When we go to New York for an extension or increase of our mandate, our case is not helped by DRC officials dipping their snouts into the trough.”
Corruption came up at every stop that Lekota and the SADC team made in the DRC.
”We have to be absolutely sure that the money coming into this country is going directly to improve the lives of the Congolese people,” he told Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa.
Addressing more than 3 000 rebels and soldiers of the old DRC forces living and training together at Moshake in the east of the country, Onusumba said: ”Our friends in other countries are helping to give you better equipment and to make your lives better. We must make sure that it is not stolen before it gets to you.”
The first test of his resolve will be distributing â,¬5-million donated by the Dutch government that has been earmarked for uniforms, beds and clean water for the integration and demobilisation camps.
The first soldiers will complete this process within two weeks. They will form the new DRC army’s third brigade. There are elaborate plans to have seven brigades by August.
”It is essential that this process is seen to be working so that others are attracted into it,” said Onusumba.
The Dutch have taken the precaution of channelling the money to the DRC through South Africa.
Britain is standing by to contribute to the reintegration process, but is waiting to see a comprehensive plan.
Concentration is on the commission for demobilisation and integration (Conadair) that reports directly to Onusumba and draws on a $200-million budget provided by the World Bank.
This accommodates fighters — both rebel and army — who have decided to return to civilian life. It provides training in alternative skills, sensitisation and transport home.
This has been a milestone political week for the DRC. The adoption, witnessed by President Thabo Mbeki, of the new Constitution by both houses of Parliament in Kinshasa on Monday, puts the country on the final straight to democratic elections.
Kabila warned that these could not take place at the end of June. Mbeki spent much of his two days in the DRC urging the opposition to show patience and restraint.
At least two people have been killed during riots in the central diamond town of Mbuji Mayi this week as thousands of opposition activists took to the streets in protest at the planned postponement of elections.
A dozen people died in street riots earlier this year provoked by rumours of a delay in elections.