Exclusive: U.N. Support for Congo Campaign Against Rwanda Rebels in Doubt over Abuses

Reporter II January 31, 2015

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2010—U.S. and DRC in partnership to train model Congolese battalion. (Nicole Dalrymple/U.S. Africa Command/US Army Africa/Flickr/CC)

Michelle Nichols and Aaron Ross, REUTERS

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters)—United Nations support for a planned military operation against Rwandan rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo could be in doubt because Congo named a general accused of rights abuses to head the offensive, diplomats and officials said on Friday.

General Bruno Mandevu was appointed on Sunday to head aCongolese army (FARDC) operation against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which had been jointly planned with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo(MONUSCO).

Western diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mandevu had been placed by MONUSCO on a so-called red list over accusations of 121 rights violations, including summary executions and rapes.

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