HRW: US Blocking UN Report on Congo Rebels

Report Said to Implicate Key US Ally Rwanda in Rebel Attacks

by Jason Ditz, June 21, 2012

International watchdog Human Rights Watch says that the United Nations report on the rebels in eastern Congo has been delayed from release at the behest of the United States, with US officials seeking to keep it secret to avoid embarrassing Rwanda.

The report was said to have implicated the Rwanda government, a key US ally in the region, with backing the rebels and violating a UN ban on transferring weaponry to the rebels. Rwanda has denied the allegations.

Diplomats are denying the charge of “blocking” the report, saying that the US is only delaying its release but will eventually allow it to go public. The debate appears to center around the US and Rwanda attempting to have an annex detailing Rwanda’s role removed, with officials apparently arguing that since the evidence implicating them was only discovered after the original report was written.

The Congolese ambassador to France has been pressing for the release of the report and the annex, saying that it is vital for the UN to complete its job and publish a factual report instead of burying the juicy details.

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