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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Congo: Mighty Uruguayans flee, Indian peacekeepers to face rebel advance on Goma |
| 2008-10-31 |
| The Indian Army has reacted to the Indian soldiers being caught in the middle of the escalating conflict in war-torn Congo saying that they have intimated the United Nations mission and its upto them to take action. Lt. Gen SPS Dhillon, Deputy COAS, said, “The attack on our soldiers in Congo has been taken note of at the highest level. We have informed the United Nations Security Council as well. We are awaiting a decision from the UN. This is their mission and we cannot influence our soldiers.” Meanwhile, a Lt Colonel and two other personnel of Indian Army on a peace mission in Congo were injured when a contingent of UN troops came under attack in Congo. An Indian battalion deployed in UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) for peacekeeping in that nation came under attack in northern Kivu province during a battle between government and rebel forces, sources said in New Delhi. Five rockets were fired on two armoured personnel carriers belonging to the Indian troops while they were maintaining security for civilians, resulting in injuries to a Lt Col and two other personnel, they said. In the wake of fighting between the government forces and rebels, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued an urgent appeal for an end to the conflict. UN envoy in Congo Alan Doss has demanded more troops to be deployed in the region after heavy fighting between rebels and government forces in eastern Congo, close to the regional capital Goma. Indian Army, which is the largest contributor to the 17,000-strong UN force, is expected to stop any advance by rebels, who have made significant progress in the last two days. Indian troops were asked to deploy themselves from Goma to adjoining North Kivu province, after the Uruguayan battalion deployed in the region fled. "After the Uruguayan battalion fled, Senegalese troops were deployed there but they also refused. After their refusal, we were asked to go there," the sources said. The government and rebel forces in Congo are locked in an intense artillery barrage just 30-km short of Goma, where government troops are blocking access to the road. The Congolese Army has alleged that it is being attacked by the neighbouring Rwandan army. Indian Air Force's Mi-35 helicopter gunship’s, under MONUC mission, are also taking part in operations in support of the Congolese national Army’s military operations. Thousands of internally displaced people are rushing towards Goma from places where fighting is going on. MONUC compound also came under attack on Monday from demonstrators, who pelted stones vehicles destroying United Nations property. One civilian was killed during these violent demonstrations. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #8 CHINESE MIL FORUM/DRUDGE > US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF SEES NEW POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE CONFLICT [Regional-World War]. POSTER - One Poster believes there will be a drive for stronger MilPol Alliances, wid conflict/war occurring ala the CHINA + RUSSIA versus USA-EU-JAPAN-SOKOR-INDIA, over CONTROL OF SOUTH ASIA, SE ASIA, + EAST ASIA. Also believes that INDIA'S HINDUS will NOT allow local MAOISTS to ever gain power, that India will come to threaten CHINA over Himalayan Water [India's primary source], and that INDIA'S RISING AND SEEMINGLY UNCONTROLLED POPULATION GROWTHS WILL ALSO COME TO COMPETE AND THREATEN ITS REGIONAL NEIGHBORS AND CHINA AGAIN??? OTHER > SINO-INDIAN COMPETITION AND CONFLICT VEE MAOISM/MAOIST SOCIALISM WILL DETERMINE WHOM WILL DOMINATE THE FUTURE PAN-ASIAN "POLE POSITION" VEE THE US-WEST + 21st "ASIA-PACIFIC" CENTURY [Asia proper]. RUSSIA > still be locally important but in a REDUCED ROLE = ASIA-GLOBAL "ALSO-RAN"??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-10-31 21:09 |
| #7 I think the deathtoll since 1993 in the congo-rwanda area is about 3+, maybe 4 millions dead through war, disease and famine. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-10-31 13:20 |
| #6 *Cough* *Cough* "Rwanda" *Cough* |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-31 13:15 |
| #5 Tu is 100% spot on; leasing peacekeepers is a gigantic racket that allows for many third world countries to siphon off UN (read western) money, with the added benefit of sometimes giving some "geopolitical stature" to countries that don't deserve it, like pakistan. Downside is the soldiers often are left standing out in the water (the money paid to the gvt is not used to fund them sufficiently for them to be useful or even self-sufficient), AND, since the armies are third world armies, this brings along many "unpleasant" characteristics, like the sexual exploitation of the very peopel they're supposed to protect, or brutality and/or corruption. I wouldn't even be so hard on the Mighty Uruguyans, I doubt they're the worse of the lot, and regarding the fighting, it's not clear 1) they have the means to fight effectively, and 2) the motivation to fight (would you be ok to risk your life for the UN, in a foreign land you have zero link with, for population you have zero affinity with???). |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-10-31 12:56 |
| #4 But the ones who do would understand what is expected of them. Right now, the primary mission of armies like the Uruguayan and the Senegalese is probably to get their governments paid big UN peacekeeping bucks. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-31 12:48 |
| #3 What is the capability of the Indian army in a jungle scenario? Counterinsurgency and Jungle Warfare School |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-10-31 12:22 |
| #2 Send the Uruguayans home. Do so in a public and humiliating way. Announce that they won't be permitted to do peacekeeping for the UN in the future. Ditto for the Senegalese troops. Shame them and their military forces. Name their commanding officers. It may well turn out that other countries would decide not to do peacekeeping missions in the future. But the ones who do would understand what is expected of them. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-10-31 12:15 |
| #1 What is the capability of the Indian army in a jungle scenario? |
| Posted by: bman 2008-10-31 11:52 |