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The more reliable estimates of the mutineers' strength rangebetween 300 and 800. For some perspective, that should be comparedwith the 6,000 soldiers from the CNDP militia that integrated withthe army in 2009. The group is officially led by Col. SultaniMakenga, the former deputy commander of military operations inSouth Kivu. Gen. Bosco Ntaganda's whereabouts are the subject ofmuch speculation - every hour a new rumor pops up - but themutineers still deny they are collaborating with him. The Congolese army, on the other hand, has deployed severalthousand troops in the area, along with tanks, artillery, andattack helicopters. The United Nations blue helmets, who helped theCongolese army defend against a crucial attack in Masisi last week,are not currently participating in the fighting. Given the mutineers' position on a small patch of land next to thenational park, it is unclear how long they can hold out withoutsupplies of food and ammunition. They were reported to have dug upan arms cache when they first arrived there, which may sustainthem. However, unless they are able to conduct raids into thesurrounding villages, or establish supply routes through Rwanda,they could soon run out of supplies. Meanwhile, talks have been ongoing in Rubavu and Kigali between theCongolese and Rwandan governments. The Congolese have beenrepresented by Kalev Mutond (the head of intelligence), Col.Jean-Claude Yav (the head of presidential security), Gen. DidierEtumba (the commander of the army), and the new defense minister,Alexandre Luba. Officially, the talks are only consultations, giventhe Rwandan government's role in bringing about the integration ofex-CNDP in 2009. The talks have been cordial and have discussedissues such as operations against the FDLR (the anti-Rwandan rebelgroup, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) and thereturn of Congolese refugees, but, according to officials presentin the talks, there has been little progress on the main issue -the fate of the mutineers. While both sides are still refraining from any overt accusations,tensions are simmering beneath the surface, as Congo officersgrumble about suspected support to the mutineers from across theborder, and the Rwandan government points to reports of abusesagainst Kinyarwanda-speakers by the Congolese army. And yet, thepeace deal holds. Jason Stearns is the author of the book, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and theGreat War of Africa , and the blog, Congo Siasa . I am an expert from steelseamlesspipe.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Stainless Steel Coil Tubing , China Duplex Stainless Steel Pipes, Stainless Steel Seamless Tube,and more.
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