Americans never stop to realize how many wars there are in the world at one time.

It often appears Americans have limited ability to comprehend war in one part of the world. There is a lot going on in the world outside of the Middle East.

In addition to the actual battles being conducted in the Congo, now Rwanda and Tanzania are increasing tensions.

If I am not mistaken the UK just withdrew troops from the area.

August 23 2013 at 01:10pm

Johannesburg

President Jacob Zuma (click here) has informed Parliament that 1 345 soldiers have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the presidency said on Friday.

“Our soldiers are doing exceptionally well in the continent. We congratulate them and assure them of the support of their compatriots as they continue to contribute to the building of a better Africa, as a force for peace,” Zuma said in a statement.

“We are very proud of them and their contribution to African renewal and development.”

The deployment was from June 13, 2013 to March 31, 2014. The expected cost of the deployment was R402 800 000.

The soldiers would be part of a “force intervention brigade”, under the United Nations Monusco peacekeeping force.

Zuma arrived in Luanda, Angola, on Thursday for consultations with Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos and DRC President Joseph Kabila Kabange.

“The three heads of state are expected to discuss a range of issues relating to peace and stability in the region, particularly the current peace efforts in the DRC,” Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement at the time... 

26 August 2013 Last updated at 06:00 ET
 

The UN has opened an investigation (click here) into reports that its troops killed two Congolese civilians during protests in the eastern city of Goma, amid fighting with rebels.

Eyewitnesses told the AFP news agency the two died on Saturday when a crowd tried to storm a UN base and said troops from Uruguay had opened fire.
Uruguay has denied the allegations and blamed the Congolese police.
A new UN intervention brigade is deploying to the area to tackle rebels.
UN troops last week shelled rebel positions just outside Goma.
There has been no official statement on how many people have died in the fighting....

24 August 2013 Last updated at 12:50 ET

UK government staff withdraw from DRC city of Goma (click here)
UN troops in the country have launched an offensive, shelling positions held by rebels near Goma.
The UN was responding to shelling from M23 rebels on Goma on Thursday, a spokesman said.
The Foreign Office said it would review the situation on Sunday.
A "small number" of staff were affected, it added.
It has also updated its travel advice, advising against all travel to some parts of the country.
UK Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, tweeted: "Very concerned by reports of shelling in #Goma and upstart of violence. Vital that tensions are reduced quickly."... 

Kikwete says wants to mend Tanzania's 'shaken' Rwanda relations (click here)

Fumbuka Ng'Wanakilala
August2, 2013

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said on Friday relations with Rwanda had soured because of his efforts to bring peace to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

In his monthly address to the nation, Kikwete said Tanzania nevertheless wanted to continue its historically positive relations with Rwanda while working to bring peace to Congo.
Tanzania leads a newly deployed U.N. intervention brigade in Congo's eastern region where M23 rebels, a group of mostly Tutsi fighters widely believed to be backed by Rwanda, have been fighting the Congolese army and other rebel groups...

In 2003, the USA rolled into Iraq, but, USA arms sales rolled into countries all over the world through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

Bush didn't care about peace ANYWHERE in the world. All this mess only increases the ability to war, escalates the willingness to war and takes tensions where they don't belong for the sake of "Go, ahead, dare me." 

Summary

This report provides background data on U.S. arms sales agreements (click here) with and deliveries to its major purchasers during calendar years 2003-2010, made through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. In a series of data tables, it lists the total dollar values of U.S. government- to-government arms sales agreements with its top five purchasers, and the total dollar values of U.S. arms deliveries to those purchasers, in five specific regions of the world for three specific periods: 2003-2006, 2007-2010, and 2010 alone. In addition, the report provides data tables listing the total dollar values of U.S. government-to-government arms agreements with and deliveries to its top 10 purchasers worldwide for the periods 2003-2006, 2007-2010, and for 2010 alone.

This report is prepared in conjunction with CRS Report R42017, Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2003-2010, by Richard F. Grimmett. That annual report details both U.S. and foreign arms transfer activities globally and provides analysis of arms trade trends. The intent

here is to complement that elaborate worldwide treatment of the international arms trade by focusing exclusively on U.S. arms sales and deliveries, and providing the names of the major U.S. arms customers, by region, together with the total dollar values of their arms purchases or deliveries for the calendar years 2003-2006, 2007-2010, and 2010....

Of all the Democratic leaders that were Senators, President Obama was the only one that wanted peace anywhere. That is his first instinct. Clinton was a hawk and Kerry wanted to add capacity to the USA miltary during his 2004 campaign. The reason was to end the war in Iraq and leave. But, when one looks at the USA's increase in capacity it never ends anything, it only escalates it. Kerry blasts Russia on arm sales to Syria (click here) Cites threat to political settlement By Steven Myers and Michael R. Gordon June 1, 2013 WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday strongly criticized Russia’s pledge to send advanced antiaircraft weapons to Syria, saying that its actions threatened to disrupt efforts to negotiate a political settlement of the Syrian conflict and posed an unacceptable risk to Israel. “Whether it’s an old contract or not, it has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region, and it does put Israel at risk,” Kerry said at the State Department, making his most pointed statement yet about Russia’s arming of the government of President Bashar Assad. Russia’s announcement last week that it would go ahead with the sale of S-300 missiles to Syria — and Assad’s boasts Thursday about the durability of his Russian weapons supply — have added a dangerous new dimension to the civil war, even as Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, have worked to hold an international conference in hopes of finding a way to end the fighting.... The American media likes war. It gives them a lot to do, better ratings and more reason to bring fear and terror to the people. It is like a Steven King novel every moment of everyday. The American people for two Presidential elections have elected a man that is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. I think the American Press has forgotten that. He has removed all troops from Iraq and is ending the USA involvement in Afghanistan. The American people are not going to OPT for a new war in Syria. President Obama has ignited Non-Proliferation talks and peace initiatives in Geneva as well as movement toward a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine. Where is the media these days? Oh, yeah, watching their journalists die on a battlefield the USA is not fighting, nor is it going to. Fine. I wish them well. They really need to park their butts in Geneva and argue to why the peace negotiations are not moving fast enough, because they sure as hell aren't going to lead this nation into war AGAIN. Obama ain't Bush, get over it.