Regarding Amnesty's Post: "We Said Never Again..."

Dear Loved Ones,

Thank you for your email. Yes, things are desperate in eastern Congo. But unfortunately, the trouble is being caused by an invasion of soldiers from Rwanda, not the things listed in the Amnesty International article you have attached. (See article below...)

If you will remember the news broadcasts at the beginning of this present crisis, the Rwanda general in Kivu North Province was pushing at the government and U.N. soldiers because the Chinese have made agreements with the Congo government about resources in northeast Congo.

After the Tutsis took over the government of Rwanda, they sent two battalions into Congo. One went to insure the security (take over) the Tutsis who have been living in exile in the mountains over Uvira on the border with Burundi since independence in 1964. The other, supposedly went to North Kivu to "guard" the Tutusis who were living there in exile since Independence.

However, the real purpose was to mine the mineral resources and send them back to Rwanda. With these resources they have made beautiful streets and avenues in the capital Kigali, and rebuilt most of the highways in the whole country, and repaired the destruction caused by the genocide.

Rwanda has received awards from the U.S. and Britain for investing these resources in the country instead of the leaders of the country putting this money in Swiss bank accounts like so many other African leaders.

In fact, it makes one wonder why Congo itself is in the back ward state that it is when they have the resources from the rest of the country and there does not seem to be any development. Of course, there is the cost of eight years of civil war, and war ever since in North Kivu.

Of course Amnesty International is doing a valid work. But if any of you are motivated to support the work of God, and the hundreds of thousands of Christians who are suffering in North Kivu, please channel your support through Open Word, and other like-minded ministries. We are in contact with pastors on the ground who are struggling to provide aid for their Christians.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Willner

Open Word Ministries P.O. Box 5001, Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A. 65801

P.O. Box 625, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada L2E 6V5

phone: (419) 649-6022, fax: 419 222-1340

email: www.openwordmin@wcoil.comweb: www.openwordministries.com

Article from Amnesty International

"Crisis in Congo: We said 'Never again'"

We said “never again” after the slaughter in Rwanda. But it’s happening again, right before our eyes. Right now, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), women are being raped as a weapon of war in a bloody conflict that has taken 5 million lives over the past decade. Boys and girls are being taken from their homes and trained to work as child soldiers. A quarter of a million people are fleeing renewed violence, while the world watches.

Why can’t we act to save the lives of millions of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Are we indifferent to yet another war in Africa? Are we too distracted by the economic crisis in the West? Or are we simply made numb by the absolutely staggering death toll?

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is complex.It’s rooted in ethnic rivalries and bitterness held over from the genocide in Rwanda, longstanding economic imbalances from colonial times, internal power struggles over control of key resources like the coltan needed to make our cellphones and electronic games, and interference from neighbouring countries.

But what I’m asking you to do is simple:

1. Urge our leaders to take responsibility. Send a message to Prime Minister Harper asking him to ensure greater protection for the civilians caught up on the DRC conflict.

2. Make a donation today to help Amnesty protect the civilians who are most at risk because of this violent conflict...

et all...

Amnesty International Ruwanda Report 2008 (reference link not found)