Open Letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations,
New-York/USA

Re: Murders in Goma, D.R.Congo, meant to prompt the involvement of the United Nations in combats.

Mr. Secretary General :

We hereby bring to your attention the fact that the Congolese Government has committed a series of murders against the inhabitants of Goma with the only intention of prompting the Intervention Brigade recently created by UN for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to attack our forces.

Indeed, as it took the initiative to open the hostilities on Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 (hostilities still unfolding at present), the army of the Congolese government, allied with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), fired mortar shells into the city of Goma causing fatalities and creating a climate of desolation among the inhabitants of the city.

The murderous initiative of the government was decisive because immediately the Governor of Nord-Kivu passed on the media to call for MONUSCO’s response, which swiftly came through Mr. Martin KOBLER's communiqué of Thursday, August 22nd, 2013.

The Congolese government badly wanted this decision enabling them to vigorously induce the alteration of the international community’s stand on the current crisis in our country after the failure of its militaristic diplomacy.

Besides these murders, the Congolese Government paid themselves the luxury to commit other illegal acts like deliberately repainting its combat helicopters in white color to pass them off as those of the United Nations during the operations against our forces.

This initiative is very dangerous because it could endanger the United Nations war planes facing our artillery. This is being skillfully planned by the Congolese Government to impute us the responsibility.

Mr. Secretary General :

This war which is being imposed on us by the Congolese Government and we have ample proof for that. It was preceded by the routing through last week on the frontlines of new reinforcements in men and in war material from Kisangani and from Lubumbashi.

Then, on August 20th, 2013, the day before the military offensive, a war planning meeting brought together around the same table at the FARDC Operations Command Headquarters, General MWAKIBOLWA, his Tanzanian colleagues, FARDC officers and those of their FDLR allies.

At the end of this meeting, these officers went to the frontline on a reconnaissance mission, to inspect our positions and those of the FARDC.

And in the evening of the next day, on August 21st, 2013, the decided offensive was launched against positions held by our army on the KANYARUCINYA-KIBATI axis and in the sector of MWARO at approximately 18 km from the city of Goma.

Mr. Secretary General:

In spite of the advantage of our forces on the enemy and in a sign of respect for the Declaration of the Heads of State of the member countries of the CIRGL on November 24th, 2012, our Movement refrained from occupying areas vacated by the government’s army and its allies in their flight, given that we believe, following the example of the international community, in a negotiated solution to put an end to the current crisis.

Our delegation remains present in Kampala for that purpose, in spite of the provocative attitudes of the government’s army.

It is for that reason, Mr. Secretary General , that we request you to set up an independent investigation mission to sort out the events of these days in this part of the country and establish the responsibilities, because we have the firm conviction that the Congolese Government resorts to prohibited methods to induce once again the whole international community in error.

Mr. Secretary General:

Anticipating our gratitude to you for your diligent attention to our request, we seize this opportunity to reiterate the assurance of our highest consideration as well as our admiration for your efforts to secure a lasting peace in our Country in particular and in the Region of the Great Lakes in general.

The Chairman of the 23 March Movement.

Bertrand BISIMWA