Rebel rousing

Here’s a way to end wars. You invite the protagonists to a luxury hotel, put them and their huge retinues in the best rooms, and feed and drink them without stint. This is what Uganda has been doing with the Congolese Government and the M23 rebels.

This treatment does not accelerate peace, of course: in fact it puts everything on hold, because the fighting factions would much rather be in the grand hotel than roughing it in the bush.

However, according to a rumour from a normally reliable source a couple of weeks ago the whole deal started to become unstuck. The rebels allegedly demanded “per diems” failing which they would leave Kampala and go back to fight. In other words not satisfied with the fact that they were being housed and fed, they also wanted pocket money for wine, women and song. In the circles in which I move such per diems would be in the region of $20 - $40 a day. A modest allowance for minor expenditure. In those circles, I’m sure that $200 a day would be considered more appropriate.

Uganda was not, apparently, pleased. But a few days later talks resumed, and within a few days the parties had even signed an agreement acknowledging that there was wrong on both sides and they promised to try and settle their differences. That’s the most progress we’ve seen since early December. Viva the per diem – saviour of the Congo!