I think that us, Africans, should solve our own problems, instead of waiting for some sort of intervention from the west. Jacques Ngidi, Congolese citizen living in UK. This problem can only be solved if outside forces intervene to offer guidance. The only time Congo was stable was during colonial rule.Ndirangu, Kenya

A selection of your emails will be broadcast on Focus on Africa during the 1705 edition on Saturday.

As long as the rich countries are buying the rebel's minerals, war will never end. The same solution applies to Angola. Once the rebels run-out of money to spearhead the armed struggle, then they can negotiate.
Henry Waweru, Kenya

Is it not time to give the people some peace? I just wonder how much suffering you cam lay on your own people. It is not right. No war is worse than others, but to put your own people to do this, it is not right. People should work together for peace, before they forget what peace is. Is it so hard to be nice?
Sigrid, Norway

It's not unusual that when one is propelled by greed they ignore the slightest possibility of bad outcomes. Kagame and Museveni are such characters who judged events from one side of the coin, economic benefits and personal gratification, you know these are power hungry characters and yearn to dominate others yet so selfish. Let's open our eyes here, let's be candid, it's a well known fact that Museveni started this chaos and he is very interested in perpetuating it at whatever cost. I think the war will end if rebel financiers were cut off, if Museveni were to go now those rebels would weaken and be willing to explore other channel of putting their points across.
Isaac Kanyike, Botswana

I think that us, Africans, should solve our own problems, instead of waiting for some sort of intervention from the west. Ugandans and Rwandans rebels should pull out of our beautiful country, and leave president Kabila to do the good work he has intended to do since the day he took power. Everybody, including westerns, want a piece of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It's time we opened our eyes and see who our friends and our enemies are.
Jacques Ngidi, Congolese citizen living in UK.

This is not a civil war as far as none of the 450 Congolese tribes are fighting against each other and as the rebels recognise they have gained no support from the population in the occupied territories. This is a war of past age of humanity with feudal backgrounds of Tutsis (15%) seeking for their past of predominance over their historical servants Hutus (80%).
Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda had never had historical ties with Congo: they were German colonies and put under special statute to be administered by Belgians and British. These countries do not have even geographical ties with DR Congo as they do not belong to the River Congo basin and are turned to Eastern Africa. No common culture.
All these countries are poor, so they cross the border to find out natural resources. Rwanda and Burundi are also overpopulated, so they cross the border to take lands and it is expected that Hutus will be pushed out the hills and relocated on newly conquered lands.
And here is the problem, and there should be the solution: what do Congolese people have to do with this feudalism and culture of violence? How Congolese, especially those from Great Lakes Region could suffer to have their lands and resources taken without their consent? International laws should be applied first. And Now.
ASANI W., Congo DR

The political leaders and parties have to agree to elections (presidential and legislative) prepares and supervises by OAU, UNO, and EU. Independent investigation of human rights abuses since the independence. General amnesty, and indemnisation for victims.
Lionel Akue, USA

The war in DRC depends on the evolution of war in Angola. Were it not the involvement of former Zaire under Mobutu in the Angolan civil by aiding Savimbi, today Kabila would have been forced to sit down and accept all democratic prinples. The involvement of the autocratic Museveni and his friend Kagame of Rwanda to install a puppet government in Kinshasa which was going to be sympathetic to Savimbi, left Angola with no option but move in and try to prevent another Mobutu like source of Savimbi support. If Savimbi loses in Angola and fails the desperate alliance he wants with Uganda and Rwanda, Kagame and Museveni cost on the ground will force them to admit a power sharing deal whose government poses no threat to neighbouring countries. Neither Kabila nor the Uganda supported forces are democrats but both can be forced to realise that War is costly.
Dinho Chingunji, UK

First, it was Clinton who called Uganda and Rwanda Presidents visionaries when he did his historic visit to Africa. It is Uganda and Rwanda that have the vision of resolving conflict by means of war or by invading thy neighbour. In one word, United States foreign policy legitimises Uganda and Rwanda military adventures. Therefore, security threats could be dealt with or resolved among us Africans.
Second, the HIPPOCRITICAL rhetoric of democracy professed by the western powers as key for a solution of the conflicts in Africa, can not be achieved without security in the region. On the other hand, the same western powers support Uganda and Rwanda in a number of ways. A solution for the war should start by the leaders in the region putting their personal feuds aside and work out the existing security problems. Once relative stability is implemented, the western power should promote democracy with the bitter medicine called IMF, WB, and others that have been in the past crucial to maintain dictators in power for long periods of time. I think Kabila is not a problem for the USA, but "yes" a choice for the RDC people.
Alberto Mendes, Angola (Studying in the USA)

I believe that the borders of Africa have to change to ensure peace in any African country. These lines were drawn by the Colonial "masters" of the past who didn't think of the traditional ethnic borders when dividing the riches of this great continent up amongst themselves.
David Minnie, South Africa

The only way out from the war in DR Congo is democracy, free market economy, the elimination of genocide and respect of human rights. As one of major causes of DR Congo's war appears to be the way President Kabila is ruling the country, (i.e. by his own decrees, without Parliament, nor rule of law, as there is no independent Judiciary), the only way out is for Kabila to open up and allow democratic principles to prevail. This is by giving power back to the people to decide because, as Congo belongs to the Congolese people, the latter's right to self determination should be upheld.
T. J. Eyab, LL.M., UK

The only solution is for them to convene a sovereign national conference as being advocated in Nigeria. All the ethnic nationalities involved in this struggle have their loyalty to their people. They all came together, because the Europeans wanted them to at the 1854 Berlin conference. The solution is not Kabila or any other leader, but total autonomy for individual ethnic nationalities within the sovereign Democratic Republic of Congo. A situation similar to that of United States of America. In U.S., every state is autonomous. Autonomy does not mean different countries. This Africans must understand. Prior to the Europeans, we existed together while maintaining our own individualities. This what is needed all over Africa.
Kienuwa Obaseki, Nigeria

The solution to the "aggression" (although surprisingly and unfortunately the BBC has not reported it in such term), is summed by Collette Braeckman, the most independent Western journalist, a senior reporter with the Belgian daily, Le Soir, and an expert in central African issues (she has written many books on the Rwandan genocide, the Mobutu reign and Kabila's take over) in the conclusion of her latest book "L'enjeu Congolais" (The stakes in this aggression) where she says that there will never be peace and prosperity in the Congo as long as the people of Congo are not masters of their own destiny". And that is true. Let the people of Congo organise themselves without interference from Europe and America. Long live Congo's co-operation with the rest of the world that benefit the people of Congo and not leave them destitute notwithstanding the wealth that is in their country. We no longer want others Mobutu and Mobutuists to lead the Congo. They are synonymies of western encroachment, the stooges of global capitalism that sucks all the blood from the poor.
Lokongo, UK

African leaders should realise that we have ethnic groups and affiliations like the rest of the world. Our modern states have been carved out arbitrarily and these have brought about a lot of suffering manipulated by others. I think it is time to sit down and talk about this situation. If every community is given its democratic rights as a people we will not have any problems. Today Africa has a burning dilemma of nations and nationalities
Mohamed Abdi, Ogaden

My country is paying for its own flaws in terms of nation building and civil society. I would suggest fewer inquiries on who are Congolese and more work on exploiting and nurturing the human resources of those who choose Congo as their fatherland. Politically the only way to end the conflict should be, at least for 10 years a U.N mandate Kosovo-like because I think that the common citizen in Congo would appreciate a lot having a secure country in which doing business could be safe
Felix Ndayitabi, DR of Congo

I wish we never had wars. In world of conflicting interests war is unfortunately almost inevitable. The DCR war is no simple matter and the issues are not unique to the Congo. This war has its origins in a number key historical events such as colonial rule by European powers and Mobutu's long dictatorship that left the country in administrative, economic and political chaos.
Uganda was sucked into this mess as a result of its geographical location. It is no secret that the Allied Democratic Front, ADF has been destabilising Uganda using eastern Congo as a rear base with Sudanese sponsorship.
I think Kabila has failed at the strategic level to appreciate the Great Lakes political structure and Africa's as a whole. He had an opportunity to make DRC emerge from chaos but encouraged conflict to continue.
Tony Mukangura, Uganda

This war should not occur. The rebels and their godfathers planned a quick coup d'etat by taking the capital city Kinshasa. They failed and extended the war field. It is now clear that no one wants to implement any agreement of peace.
The only solution - even a cynical one - should be for us to strike back Rwanda and Uganda, just to demonstrate that war is dangerous even for everybody and there is no heaven for war adventurers.
In fact the belligerents Museveni and Kagame are professional warriors who exercise for many years. They just keep their nature. After Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo, what would be their next target? A strike of anger and desperation should be the one way to open eyes for everybody and to push the world policemen to intervene. It is a shame as the OAU first observation mission was just able to hire a small plane to Congo with seats for two.
Victor Ngoy, Congo (expatriate)

You constantly hear about black people complaining of the racism they suffer over here. Although some of it is undoubtedly true it is as nothing compared to the racism that different African ethnic groups inflict on each other. The majority of conflicts in Africa are blatant racist wars fought purely on the grounds of race hate.
Rampant corruption and an unbroken history of medieval despotism that still reigns supreme in most of Africa will just continue the race hate wars. There must come a time when the countries of Africa are FORCED TO BE FREE. External (to Africa) forces must enter uninvited and rebuild the system of government from the ground up and insure it against military (internal) threat. Unfortunately things are so entrenched that Africans are not able to solve their own problems.
Graeme, England

We all know that the architect of this war is the international community mostly UK and US. These are the countries which supported South Africa under apartheid; the 25 years long war in Angola was financed by those countries, still they call themselves the master of human right.
Kabila should fight as long as it is necessary to kick the Tutsi out of the Congo and we are going to do that by all means. We ask the Europeans to leave us alone to shape our own destiny. You (Europeans) looted the Congo from 1965, when Mobotu came to power till 1996, don't you have enough? Do you know at list how many people lost they lives for this diamond, cobalt, gold war? Please in the name of God leave us alone
Kakudji Mwamba, USA

My solution to the invasion of the Congo is to support President Kabila in an invasion and occupation of both Uganda and Rwanda. The dictators of these two countries only respect military force. We should therefore give it to them. They in turn will encourage their economic partners, fighting in the Congo, to have real negotiation for peace in the Congo.
The liberating countries of Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia would then be able to return home triumphantly, saving African dignity against European proxy invasion. Only then will the Congolese people be able to set up a government for themselves, with or without Kabila.
Muenda Obike, Jamaica

This is an indirect war by the United States against Kabila to have control over Congo's resources. Uganda and Rwanda are the so-called democratic countries & US allies are being used by the west to destabilise the great lake region. They are supported by the British and the Americans to overthrow Kabila or to make him back down to the interest of the west.
So, to get a permanent solution to this war first, the Americans should change their foreign policy toward Africa, they can have a good relationship with African countries economically without causing war. This is not 18th century when everything can be solved by gun. In fact as a result of this western policy most African countries are leaning to the east for help because that is the only place they can have normal relationship.
Second, all foreign troops must leave the Congolese territory including Uganda and Rwanda.
TUNA, USA

To resolve the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the following should occur:
1. Restrict the flow of arms to the region.
2. Embargo trade with the DRC. If the resource that is fuelling the war is not constrained, it will be next to impossible to contain the conflict. The situation in Angola is a good example.
The next step would be to have Uganda and Rwanda withdraw from the DRC. An international peacekeeping army should be deployed to ensure that Rwanda and Uganda border claims are accommodated. A genuine dialogue among the warring parties and those of the pro-democracy movement including human rights groups, church leaders, and all sectors of Congolese society come about. The United Nations in close collaboration with the Organisation of African Unity, should take the lead in resolving the crisis in the Congo. After all, the UN was created to secure world peace and certainly the DRC is an important country in Africa which can not be abandoned.
Ezekiel Pajibo, Liberian resident in the USA

Rwanda and Uganda need to get out of my country...Museveni is acting just like Mobutu did for 35 years because he had the support of the west. One thing he does not realise is that the west will stop helping him like it did with Mobutu, that day will be the end of him...We, Congolese will solve our problems...please just leave us alone.
Mbiye Tshiunza, USA

This problem can only be solved if outside forces intervene to offer guidance. The only time Congo was stable was during colonial rule. This goes to other countries in Africa too. Our only chance to take our seat at the world economic table is if co-operate more with our former rulers. We have no way out and it is the truth. There is no chance for unification in the continent unless outside forces take the drivers seat in government.
Ndirangu, Kenya

What is clear is that no one country can survive from a sustaining campaign of destabilisation by means of war, even by simple social troubles. Everybody knows how the superpowers care about terrorism. So is the DR Congo, this country cannot survive from an endless and then barbarous war.
The answer is not about the ruling of Kabila. This man cannot represent the fate of the complete people and used as a pretext to mortgage all of us, and even our future. The key matter is mainly the introducing and the success of a new culture of civil war with poor and small neighbour's imperialism to impose rulers of their obedience.
As far as no African country can afford to be a military superpower, the actual adventure from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi belongs more to the tribal raids of last century than the need to gain any safety. It is ridiculous to speak any more about a genocide perpetrated 5 years ago with Rwandan troops at thousands miles away from their borders. Those who rule the world can and must put an end to this odious play for the respect of the millions of Congolese people who are suffering into their lives, bodies and harts.
Philippe Mutamba, DR Congo

We simply require the international community to acknowledge and encourage the great work done by the only true leader in that conflict, Robert Mugabe who has been able to stop the rebels from forcefully removing the Congo government.
Nqo, UK

I would stop the war in the DRC in the following way. I would convince the UN to send in a peacekeeping force. I would convince the foreign governments to withdraw from the DRC and I would set up a UN led government until elections can be held.
Sadly though, this will never happen because the UN will never make a decision like that because this is Africa and therefore less important than East Timor and Kosovo. Here, people are dying like flies every day. Faceless people who have no-one to fight for them. They will continue to die in hundreds of thousands until the UN decides to intervene.
Zach, South Africa

The United Nations needs to butt out and let these countries determine their own destinies whether it be through peaceful means or civil war. The United Nations is a failed endeavour as it creates more problems than it solves. Bosnia and Kosovo are just two of the many examples of UN mistakes.
Michael J. Nieland, USA

This DRC problem can not stop soon while this world believes that what is good is is always supported by the so-called USA. Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi must withdraw their troops from DRC first then Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe will later withdraw too.
WALYA SHAKAKODI, NAMIBIA

Nkruma once wrote "The new African nations from the very nature of things cannot but be economically weak at the early stages of their nationhood as compared with the older and long established nations of the world...................., they need economic help, but in seeking outside aid they lay themselves open to a grave new danger which not merely threatens but could even destroy their had-won freedom."
This is exactly where we are today in Africa. To solve all these bloody wars in Congo and the rest of Africa, It is the duty of all those involved to sit down and think about the people not themselves to rule with the interest of the people. Stop all the selfishness. You are in power to help not to get rich. If this concept can only prevail, peace will be in Africa.
Joshua M Sulaiman, USA

Mr Blunder Kabila has done so many damages to Zaire that are too many to count. Kabila must go. The only way he can go is by the people who put him in the office, the Tutsi.
Kassa Immanuel Gebrekidan, U S A

It is a pity that the DRC should be today's sickman of Africa. But the problem seems to lie more with the people of that country than with any foreign power. However, foreign intervention in the DRC for personal glory and ill-gotten wealth cannot be tolerated. The international community has looked the other way for too long. Let an international force move into the DRC, drive out the Rwandans, Ugandans, Angolans and Zimbabweans and invite the Congolese to sit down as people of one fatherland to iron out their differences.
The balkanisation of the DRC is not in Africa's interest. Maybe a practicable form of government would be a federation, with the constitution so tailored as to allow for power to rotate between the regions (or whatever appellation may be adopted). It would be shameful for the DRC to enter the 21st millennium at daggers drawn or in open conflict. President Kabila on his part should exercise leadership by agreeing to sit down with all Congolese factions to discuss the future. The DRC has suffered too much and for too long in the unfortunate interest of foreign powers.
ASONGLEFAC NKEMLEKE, Cameroon (now in the U.S.)

What we must realise is that Mr. Kabila is a dictator. An elected president must be sworn into office, and a complete restructuring of the nation must commence; All languages (or at least the ones that are most spoken) must be recognised as official. The boundaries of the national sub-divisions must be re-drawn to provide representation and the basis for a parliamentary democracy, federal democracy, or a federal republic. Then an effective constitution modelled after, for example, their former governing nation of Belgium, and if fate permitted, peace would come, and the DRC would become one of Africa's most liberal democracies.
Shawn Meades, Canada

The DRC civil war is only one piece of the internecine puzzle of the Great Lake region and any solution that is not all encompassing is not likely to stand the test of time. Congo will only have lasting peace when the security concerns of her neighbours are fully addressed, as no guerrilla group could have a prayer of marching on Kinshasa without outside help.
Rwanda for one has an Israel-like security complex, and the promise of the DRC's mineral wealth only served to sweeten the deal. It is unlikely to see them or the Ugandans withdrawing or reining in their rebel allies, if they continue to view any prospective military threat as sneaking across the border from Congo.
Mambu Kawa, Sierra Leone/USA

The war in the Congo, like many wars in Africa, has been caused by the carving up of national boundaries irrespective of distribution of ethnic communities. Many African states consist of two or three ethnic communities that are bitter enemies. Only a radical re-drawing of national borders in Africa will put a stop to all of the fighting and bloodshed on that continent.
Jeff, USA

It has to be said that the time Africa was most peaceful, civilised and prosperous was when they had the guidance of the more civilised nations of western Europe. I know it has an awful lot of stigma attached, but I feel one has to ask was colonialism really such a terrible thing?
Geoffery Buchanan, UK

There is only one sure way of ending conflicts in Africa as a whole; The end of pouring weapons to the continent from the western world. The west must also stop supporting dictators, stop their double standard, and cease giving Africa bad press. They should then aid the continent the same way the United States aided Europe after the end of the second world war.
In any case, the press in the west has made their people naively believe that Africa is a continent of wars, hunger, death and any bad stereotype you may think of. If Africa has got nothing to offer the world, give it a break. Stop pouring your weapons there.
George Alex Mokaya, USA

I fancy that peace in DRC is feasible, even at this late date. My solution is to apportion DRC, so that the insurgents are confined to the North and East, and the Government retains the South and West.
Peter Crawford-Bolton, UK in US

The Africans should sort this out for themselves. The UN could provide guidance and mediation where appropriate. Hard intervention should be avoided. African nations fought long and hard for freedom, now they must learn how to manage it. I'm sure the counsel of Annan, Tutu, and Mandela, would be beneficial. African leaders should solve African problems.
J.R. Mackie, USA

The solution to the Congo crisis is easy if all parties who contributed to the current mess can come together and work out a solution. The route cause of all the troubles are the former Belgian masters who looted the region, divided the population, sowed seeds of hatred especially in Rwanda and Burundi. They must pay reparations for all the suffering they unleashed upon the people.
All the other colonialists that partitioned Africa in Berlin more than a century ago must also pay for the careless way they divided up regions and separated families in different countries. All this DRC trouble stems from this. The Old borders of German East Africa must be restored i.e. Rwanda and Burundi should be part of Tanzania. It's the only way the overcrowded little countries can have a chance at peace and Give the DRC the chance to sort themselves out.
P. Kaitakirwa, S. Africa

I wonder whether any militarily imposed solution would leave the people of the Congo better or worse off than they are now. For most, life during the current civil war is probably not any worse than it was under the Mobutu kleptocracy, and I see no evidence that a Kabila dictatorship would be any better.
If the Congo split up, would that really be worse than the effects of a large-scale Vietnam-style war? Even if foreign governments were willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of their soldiers' lives to save the Congo, there is no reason to believe they could succeed in the task.
James Castro, USA

I am from Zambia the country that is trying to broker peace in the DRC. As others, am deeply concerned that the hard-earned resources are being used to prop-up wars instead of development-a very sad scenario for African countries. My view is that what we are seeing in the DRC is not only an act of greed on the part of Kabila & pals, but also a means of diverting the country's resources into their own pockets just like Mobutu. If these two factors were not the case, Kabila and co would have initiated genuine dialogue between him and his opponents. Only direct engagement in dialogue between warring parties will bring meaningful and sustainable peace in the DRC and other conflict-prone countries in the world. Peace initiated by outsiders without serious and direct talks between the warring parties will never be the solution. It is high time Kabila and his opponents realise this so that the country, bestowed with a wealth of natural resources, can move forward. If they do not come to the table and start talking, then my assumptions that they are greedy and are creating war to steal the country's resources, would be correct.
Osbert Sikazwe, Zambia/Austria

When discussing Africa, it is important not to forget about the colonial legacy left by Europeans and the economic, ethnic, and political divisions created by the arbitrary creation of national boundaries. Problems in the former Zaire are serious indeed, but we should be careful not to resort to any international action that may be construed as colonial. Africans must learn to face these difficult problems with African solutions. The important part the West must play should be limited to neutral financial and technical assistance and not peacekeeping or politics.
Keith Cuiper, USA

Rwanda and Uganda are very poor countries. So they don't have financial capability to wage this war. If the USA and EU cut all funds to Uganda and Rwanda ,the war will end.
Jean Noel Ndjali, USA

The problem with African politics is that it is based on ethnic grounds. Unless Africans learn to accept people from other tribes we will never have a peaceful continent. The problem with Kabila was that after the historical rebellion he thought that he was a natural and God sanctioned leader. He should have organised elections as soon as possible and befriended the opposition. Unless negotiations are conducted with a spirit of brotherhood and reconciliation Congo will turn into another Somalia. Shame on the so-called professors in this country. A government of national Unity with representation from the main rebels seems to me to be the only solution.
Clement Terence Chiwaya, Malawian political science student in USA

UN intervention
Karim Bouchatri, Morocco

The DRC is suffering from a lack of leadership. President Kabila, when he was given the Presidency, had a wonderful opportunity. The country had no real opposition to him. Almost every country around the world wanted him to succeed and would have given any reasonable assistance if asked. Instead he instituted a leadership style like a bad actor trying to be Mobuto himself. I feel deeply for the people of the DRC. I wish them a leader that also wishes the best for them, not for himself. From where the country is now, the only way forward is to negotiate with all parties and to try and for a government that is inclusive of all the factions. Additionally, it is necessary for the country to institute a fair and incorruptible legal system as soon as possible to ensure that the marvellous wealth of the DRC benefits the people of the country and not just a small elite. Additionally, the country must ensure that all its natural resources are exploited in the most beneficial manner and all contracts which can be proven to be allocated on anything other than open tender be annulled
Anthony Ogilvie Thompson UK/South Africa

Uganda and Rwanda must be forced by the International Community to leave the country they invaded against all the applicable international laws. The simple truth is that they are using the Congolese rebels as puppets to steal Congolese land. The last time this happened we had the so called Operation Desert Storm. If countries were allowed to invade their neighbours under all kind of false pretences, where would that lead us? Sure Kabila is not a democrat, what about Museveni, Kagame? The last time I checked there was no majority rule in Rwanda, no multi-partism in Uganda. And these are the same people who want to teach Kabila how to be a democrat? Does anyone believe Kagame and Museveni are planning to have majority rule any time soon in their own countries?
Muana Ndamba, USA

All foreign countries involved in the DRC should withdraw, and a large UN Peace Keeping force (none of the forces should come from countries currently involved in the war) should enter the country and remain there until such a time as is necessary. A referendum should be held in the DRC (if possible) to determine the future of the country, e.g., should it remain so large, or should it be split?
Donal Mac Cormaic, Ireland

Perhaps the only solution, sadly, is for the Congo to be split into various nations along provincial/ethnic lines. It seems the only forces that have held the Congo together were the brutal colonialism of Belgium and Mobutu's equally brutal dictatorship.
Jeremy Cashill, USA

The last time there was a devastating war in Europe, Britain, the US, USSR and the Dominions allied to end it. One way to end this apparently endless war in Africa is for an African led force, backed by British arms and expertise, to go in and separate the combatants, for a generation if necessary. It took fifty years of occupation to sort out Germany, and it will probably take the same to sort out the Congo.
Jon Livesey, USA

Unless you invade the country you won't be able to stop the civil war.
Richard T. Ketchum, USA

The recent threat of the escalation of the civil war does cause great concern to me, an African American-Caribbean. There must be some way to de-escalate these threats, and to solve the various conflicts through negotiations. Only when all else fails then help should be sought from others. Without this problem solved, we will always be faced with wars that are so brutal, so sick, and so devastating, that it scares the human race.
Rudy Christian, USA