DRC: 250,000 Congolese forced to flee and scores of women raped are nothing more than pawns in Nkunda’s game and used as negotiating chips

From London-born Irishman Rob Crilly via From The Frontline, Dec. 01, 2008:

NKUNDA'S AT IT AGAIN

It’s 10 days or so since I left Goma and I see that it remains business as usual. A bunch of thugs are still trying to hold an equally thuggish government to ransom and the media continues to give General Laurent Nkunda far more credit than he’s due…

General Nkunda and UN special envoy, Olusegun Obasanjo

Rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda has threatened war unless the government of DR Congo holds a new round of talks.

He was speaking after a meeting with UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo in the rebel-held eastern town of Jomba.

The 250,000 people forced out of their homes by clashes over the past months, and the scores of women raped, are nothing more than pawns in Nkunda’s game. They are being used as negotiating chips and news reports like this only encourage him.

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Note, Rob's unfair dig at the BBC for reporting Nkunda's warning of war.

Given Rob's statement that "the media continues to give General Laurent Nkunda far more credit than he’s due…" I wonder why Rob labels Nkunda as a thug but respectfully refers to him as a General.

My understanding is that Nkunda is a civilian and a self-appointed General. A thug and terrorist group leader. A General, no.

Surely, respectfully referring to Nkunda as a General gives him far more credit than he's due?

NKUNDA'S MEDIA WAR



Photo: Laurent Nkunda and Olesegun Obasanjo inspect rebel troops (Source: Rob Crilly's report Nkunda's Media War Nov. 17, 2008.