violations human rights

Main developments

1. The number of FARDC officers arrested in connection with the Bavi massacres rose to ten and includes four Captains, a Sub-Lieutenant and a Corporal. However, two other main suspects (an engineer officer and the Deputy S2) escaped while Bavi Deputy Commander, Captain Gedeon, denies any participation in either the killings or the move of the bodies from their original graves. In the meantime, the location of two other mass graves allegedly containing five and seven bodies respectively, including two children, was identified during the investigation. The trial started in Bunia on 27 December 2006.

2. The Kilwa trial started before the Military Court of Katanga in Lubumbashi, on 12 December. The seven accused FARDC soldiers of the 62nd Brigade were represented by six lawyers and were present at the hearings. The victims were represented by four lawyers from local NGOs. Three civilian foreign agents of a mining company persecuted in the same case were absent, but they should appear in court as required by the military criminal law. On 27 December, the Military Court resumed the hearings of the case. For the first time, one of the Anvil’s employees was present in court. However, two others were absent. Following a debate on the legality of issue of the summons to the defendants, the Court adjourned until 18 January 2007.

3. Sources close to Laurent Nkunda report that a number of civilians of the North Kivu Tutsi community and/or Nkunda supporters were arbitrarily arrested by the Congolese security forces² based in North Kivu. Although several cases of arbitrary arrests of Tutsis in North Kivu were documented, no solid evidence of a systematic, planned and commanded campaign to arrest civilian members of the Tutsi community and/or Nkunda supporters was found. On the other hand, a large number of human rights abuses committed by FARDC soldiers of the 81st and 83rd Brigades³ were registered and several of Nkunda's closest collaborators have large records of gross human rights violations.

4. The Commander of the 8th Military Region (MR), Col Delphin Kahimbi, allegedly illegally arrests and detains persons in his private residence in Goma. One of the victims claims to have been arrested by Col Delphin Kahimbi and his guards in the street in Goma and brought to the Colonel’s house, on 18 December 2006. The victim was accused of plotting to kill the Colonel and was allegedly beaten on his arm with a soldier’s belt and tortured with electroshocks. According to the victim, seven other persons, including two civilians, were detained in the Colonel’s house at the same time and at least four of them left the colonel’s residence for an unknown destination on 20 December. They had allegedly been accused by Col Kahimbi of being Nkunda soldiers although they might have been civilians.

FARDC soldiers continue to kill and rape civilians, especially in North Kivu Province and Ituri District

5. Civilians continue to fall victims as the FARDC resorts to disproportionate use of force during its military operations against Mayi-Mayi groups in North Kivu. Fourteen civilians, including women and children, and two Mayi-Mayi fighters were allegedly killed in the attack launched by the FARDC in Busamba – 75 km south-west of Beni – in order to capture two Mayi-Mayi combatants, on 2 December 2006. Four days after the killings, the FARDC allegedly buried the corpses in two mass graves near the houses.

6. In Ituri, a civilian was allegedly killed by FARDC soldiers near Kagaba – 30 km south on Bunia – on 11 November 2006. According to witnesses, they heard three shots at the time when the victim, who was on his way to Geti, was supposedly in the area. The motive and circumstances of the killing remain unknown. The victim’s family found his dead body in the bush, 50 meters away from the road and 1.5 km away from the FARDC camp in Kagaba, on 24 November. The FARDC commander in Kagaba personally went to see the crime scene.

7. Large concentration of FARDC troops in North Kivu and lack of sufficient food supplies often leads to the death of civilians as FARDC soldiers try to extort money and food from them. On 10 December 2006, a 14-year-old child was killed by two FARDC soldiers of the 116th Military Brigade in Kirotshe village – approximately 30 km from Goma. The perpetrators came to the victim’s house to ask for money. As the residents refused to open the door, the soldiers fired several times at the house killing the boy on the spot.

8. According to several independent sources, a civilian was killed by a FARDC soldier of the 1102th Battalion near Kamanyola – 68 km north of Uvira – on 4 December 2006. The Battalion belongs to the 110th Brigade under the command of Lt. Col. Mosala based in Luvungi. The civilian was allegedly on his way from the fields. The reason of the killing remains unknown.

9. A FARDC soldier of the 14th Integrated Brigade is allegedly responsible for killing a civilian in Rutobogo village, near Sake – 30 km north-west of Goma, on 14 December 2006. The incident allegedly took place after the perpetrator broke into a private residence and shot the victim killing him on the spot as the latter refused to open the door voluntarily. The perpetrator was arrested and his case was transferred to the Military Prosecutor.

10. Two civilians were allegedly killed and one injured after a group of two FARDC soldiers and ten persons in civilian clothes allegedly broke into a private residence in Ndosho neighbourhood in Goma, on 23 December 2006. The perpetrators allegedly forced their way into a house of family with eight children by firing at the door and killing a 13-year-girl on the spot. They proceeded to loot the house incessantly firing into the air and thus injuring another child. The perpetrators left after they have found the head of the family and killed him by firing five times at his body. This is only one in a series of similar incidents registered in Goma.

11. Three civilians were allegedly injured, many others beaten and six arbitrarily arrested by a group of about 50 FARDC soldiers of the 8th Integrated Brigade of the 10th Military Region in Kalanga-Mukungwe village – 62 km south-west of Bukavu – on 21 December 2006. The perpetrators had allegedly arrived to the village to take over a privately-owned gold mine on the orders of the Commander of the 10th Military Region. After the local population, who lives of the mine, protested against the decision, the soldiers proceeded to beat and arrest them. According to local sources, the officers of the FARDC 10th Military region are implicated in the gold mine exploitation as they allegedly send soldiers to dig up gold for their personal benefit.

12. FARDC soldiers of the 8th Integrated Brigade allegedly continue to harass civilians and steal food in the area near Kanyola – approximately 55 km south-west of Bukavu. According to a local source, two serious incidents, involving shooting, were registered in the area during the last days of 2006. Thus, in the night of 27 December, in Cisaza – 54 km south-west of Bukavu – a group of FARDC soldiers broke into a private house injuring a woman residing there and took money and livestock. On 31 December, three FARDC soldiers are allegedly responsible for injuring a civilian and stealing his cow in Mudurhi – 56 km south-west of Bukavu. The HRD/Bukavu will try to meet and interview the victims, both of who are currently in hospital.

13. A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a FARDC soldier in Mtoa – 30 km east of Kalemie, on 14 December 2006. According to the victim’s mother, the incident took place in the village when the victim was on her way to a nearby river. The military prosecutor is aware of the incident and promised to open an inquiry.

14. Two FARDC soldiers are allegedly responsible for a rape of a three-month pregnant woman in Gemena – 520 km north-east of Mbandaka, on 14 December 2006. According to local sources, the victim was stopped by the perpetrators when she was returning from the fields, beaten and taken to a quiet place not far from the city centre where she was raped.

15. A FARDC soldier of the 3rd Integrated Brigade is allegedly responsible for a rape of a woman in Birava – 40 km north of Bukavu – on 20 December 2006. The alleged perpetrator was arrested and is currently detained in the Office of the Military prosecutor in Bukavu. The incident is under investigation.

16. On 17 November, a woman was allegedly raped by four FARDC soldiers near Kazoko – approximately 40 km south of Bunia. The victim, together with another woman and a boy, was on her way to Kazoko when she was intercepted by the perpetrators. While the other woman managed to escape, the victim was hit on the head and lost consciousness and was then raped.

17. On 21 November 2006, two women were allegedly raped by two FARDC soldiers in Sala – approximately 50 km north-east of Bunia - while they were working the fields. The military commander based in Mandro was informed of the incident and arrested the perpetrators, but later released them. After the military commander was contacted again by the victims, he suggested resolving the issue by demanding the perpetrators to pay 80 USD to their victims. The victims declined the offer and decided to file an official complaint with the Military Prosecutor.

18. A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a FARDC soldier (Navy) in Kalemie, on 22 November 2006. According to local sources, the perpetrator called the victim to his room as he wanted to give her some money to do shopping for him. Once the girl entered, the soldier grabbed her, stuck a piece of cloth down her throat to prevent her from screaming and raped her. After the military judicial police launched an investigation, the perpetrator allegedly escaped.

19. A soldier of the FARDC 6th Integrated Brigade is allegedly responsible for a rape of a woman in Tala locality, near Geti – 40 km south of Bunia, on 26 November 2006.

20. On 28 November, a woman was reportedly raped by a FARDC soldier in Sinika village, near Geti – 40 km south of Bunia. The perpetrator allegedly intercepted the victim, forced her to carry his luggage and asked her to show her voter’s card as he accused her of being a member of a militia group. The victim was then slapped and raped several times.

21. A woman claims to have been raped by two FARDC soldiers of 109th Military Brigade under the command of Lt. Col. Mutupeke in Kagunga – 10 km north of Uvira – on 24 December 2006. The victim was on her way home from the fields when the perpetrators allegedly stopped and gang-raped her.

22. According to a local source, a group of armed men in FARDC uniform attacked and looted the village of Kakundu – 19 km north of Bukavu, in the night of 5-6 November 2006. The perpetrators took clothes, kitchen utensils and livestock. They also allegedly looted the local medical centre taking all the medication and other materials.

23. FARDC soldiers continue to harass civilians and extract money and food from them on a regular basis throughout the DRC. For example, on 11 November, two civilians were beaten and another one arbitrarily arrested by FARDC soldiers of the 8th Brigade in the locality of Budodo – 53 km south-west of Bukavu – for not having given the money so the soldiers could pay for their food.

Monthly Human Rights Assessment: August 2006 – people killed, illegally arrested and subjected to ill-treatment and torture, a mass rape was reportedly - MONUC - 19 sep. 06

Summary: In Kinshasa, three-day fighting following the announcement of presidential elections’ provisional results led to 23 people killed and 43 others injured; in connection with these events, eighty-four fishermen were illegally arrested and subjected to ill-treatment and torture by the 'Garde Républicaine' (GR); new cases of human rights violations perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), GR and the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) officers; mass rape committed by the Congolese National Police (PNC) agents in Equateur highlight the climate of impunity in which security forces continue to operate; Human rights violations committed by FDLR militiamen continue to be reported. A Congolese militia leader sentenced for crimes against humanity.

Main incidents

1. Violence in Kinshasa from 20 to 22 August resulted in 23 people being killed and a total of 43 injured, according to the Interior Ministry. Three-day heavy fighting in central Kinshasa between forces of the two second round contenders, Joseph Kabila and Jean Pierre Bemba, came in the aftermath of the announcement of presidential elections’ provisional results on 20 August.

2. On 22 August, 84 fishermen mostly from the Province of Equateur and accused of being “rebels” were illegally arrested and subjected to ill-treatment and torture by the 'Garde Républicaine' (GR) in Kinshasa. They were first taken to a disused garage, forced to undress, thrown to the floor and trampled by GR soldiers. They were then moved to the GR Camp Tshatshi, where they were threatened with death and hit with bayonets and gun butts to force them to confess their support to VP Bemba. Their voter cards were confiscated and they were locked in an underground cell in inhumane and harsh conditions. Seventy-three of them were released on 24 August, the remaining eleven on 25 August.

3. A mass rape was reportedly committed by a group of PNC agents under the influence of alcohol in Bolongo- Bongandanga Territory – 530 km north-east of Mbandaka – in the night of 5-6 August 2006, apparently in retaliation for the opposition of the population to the enforcement of an arrest warrant. At least sixty women, including 2 minors, were raped by the perpetrators who also proceeded to loot and mistreat the local population.

4. A soldier of the Garde Républicaine was allegedly killed in the Ngaliema neighbourhood in Kinshasa on 26 August. The victim was shot dead by an unidentified assailant as he was returning home. There were reportedly two assailants, one of whom aimed a gun at the victim and shot him twice, in the thorax and in the shoulder blade. In connection with this killing, 11 civilians of 'Quartier L of the Anciens Combattants' neighbourhood in Binza Delvo, were arbitrarily arrested at their homes by a detachment of heavily armed 'Garde Républicaine' soldiers and taken to Camp Tshatshi on 28 August. Most of the victims were reportedly subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment as well as torture. During their interrogation they were allegedly asked to state the presidential candidate for whom they had voted. Two of them were reportedly released on 30 August following the payment of a sum of money. The remaining nine were released on 31 August.

5. A group of journalists and other staff working for JP Bemba-owned Canal Kin Television (CKTV) allegedly received death threats and were otherwise intimidated by unidentified men on 24 and 27 August. The homes of some of the journalists were visited on several occasions by armed men aboard jeeps without registration plates. Others received anonymous phone calls ordering them to leave their jobs or suffer the consequences. Armed men allegedly fired shots at the residence of two journalists during the above-mentioned period. The victims are currently in hiding fearing for their lives.

Other elections-related violations

6. In Kisangani, in the night of 23 August, a motorcycle taxi driver wearing a T-short with the effigies of Kabila was shot dead. Police found the body lying near his bike and other valuables which confirmed the political nature of the attack. Two soldiers suspected of the murder have been apprehended.

7. On 30 July, two civilians sustained gunshot injuries in Mweka – 250 km north-west of Kananga - the 'Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie' (PPRD) was allegedly working with the PNC and the ANR to intimidate people who were not supporters of the PPRD. Only PPRD witnesses were reportedly allowed into the polling stations from 5.00 AM and the others were allowed in after 9.00 AM. The campaign manager and his wife were seen putting up posters of political candidates on the day of the ballots. These events reportedly moved the population in Mushenge – 75 km from Mweka – and in Mweka to disrupt the voting. In Mushenge the only existing polling station was vandalized and in the Mweka several stations were vandalized and materials reportedly burnt. The armed police intervened injuring the two civilians. The policeman allegedly responsible for the deaths was arrested and accused of attempted murder. He was later released on parole while the incident is being investigated.

8. In Equateur, an MLC National Assembly candidate was reportedly the victim of attempted murder committed by a PNC agent in Djolu – 600 km north-east of Mbandaka – on 9 August 2006. The perpetrator, allegedly on the motive that the victim accused him of embezzlement, fired a shot at him in an attempt to kill him.

9. A civilian was allegedly arrested and tortured under the orders of the commander of the 2nd Brigade of the GR in Kinshasa. The victim was apprehended on 29 July after he allegedly attacked the GR commander’s brother because he was wearing a T-shirt with President Kabila effigy.

10. A parliamentary candidate, member of the 'Mouvement Patriotique Congolais' (MPC), was arbitrarily arrested, illegally detained and subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by intelligence officers of the 10th Military Region backed by soldiers of the FARDC 109th Brigade on 9 August 2006 in South Kivu. The victim was arrested, tied up and severely beaten during his arrest and was then detained for 20 days in a GR underground cell where he was further beaten. According to MPC officials, the victim was arrested while he was preparing the upcoming provincial elections on suspicion of plotting to destabilize national security and treason.

11. A woman claimed that her husband – a medical counsellor of JP Bemba – was arrested in the night of 20 August 2006 in Kinshasa and is currently detained in an unknown facility. The woman alleged that on 23 August, a GR colonel offered to transfer her husband to another location where she could pay a visit to him (after she had paid $1,000), but failed to meet with her.

12. In Equateur, the village of Mobayi was being targeted since 10 August by a group of soldiers of the 101st Battalion of the 10th Integrated Brigade for their alleged massive vote against Joseph Kabila. Soldiers illegally occupied some public infrastructures and committed several acts of extortion at the market.

13. In Kinshasa, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Operations Coordinator fled his home since armed men in military uniform visited his place on 17 and 23 August. The victim was given police protection and the IEC President reportedly requested an internal investigation into the source and causes of the alleged threats.

14. An NGO worker has fled his home in Kinshasa since members of the GR visited his house on 22 August to allegedly arrest him for being an MLC supporter.

15. On 23 August an MLC leader in South Kivu fled his home after allegedly receiving several anonymous threats. MLC officials said that they had closed their office as a result of similar threats.

16. On 25 August, the provincial Director of the Central Bank of Congo in Mbandaka received anonymous death threats by people who accused him of allegedly having incited the population to violence in case Joseph Kabila won the first round.

17. In Kindu, threatening anonymous leaflets against MLC supporters circulated against a background of incidents of several MLC supporters having their pro-Bemba T-shirts being torn down by youth groups.

18. In Lubumbashi, where on 24 August a hatred speech against Jean Pierre Bemba was made by UNAFEC leader Gabriel Kyungu Wa Kumwanza, MLC officials claimed to have received anonymous death threats.

19. On 25 August, a CODECO parliament candidate claimed to have received threatening calls by an ANR senior official on 10 August and by one Presidential Guard officer on 20 August for having supported a candidate from Kasai in Kipushi.

20. A MONUC Public Information officer (PIO) received death threats by an MLC supporter in Gemena on 22 August 2006. The victim was posting up a press release – on MONUC and EUFOR joint efforts in giving protection to VP Bemba – when he was accused of providing MONUC with information regarding the MLC, and then ordered to leave Gemena to save his life.

21. The Equateur BRP/CEI coordinator reportedly received death threats from unidentified men in Mbandaka on 5 August 2006. According to the victim’s wife, three young men forced their way into their residence and threatened to kill her husband. The victim claimed that he had been receiving death threats (by phone) since 31 July 2006, apparently because of a perception that he did not do enough for Kabila’s electoral campaign.

22. Another man claims to be the victim of death threats in Kinshasa. The victim claims that a GR Colonel from the 2nd Brigade and other GR soldiers have been threatening him after an altercation between the victim and the younger brother of the Colonel on 29 July 2006. The GR allegedly sees the victim as an “enemy of the President.”

23. The Editor of the bi-weekly “La Manchette” was allegedly threatened by a FARDC Colonel on 10 and 15 August after he refused to publish his retort to an article criticizing the transition written in February 2004. It is unclear why the Colonel sought such retort so late and for an article that did not question him personally.

FARDC soldiers continue to be the major perpetrators of human rights violations

24. In the night of 26-27 August 2006, a civilian was killed by a military police officer of the FARDC 11th Brigade in Keshero, Goma. The circumstances of the killing remain unclear, but the S2 of the MP Battalion in charge of the inquiry claims that the victim was killed by accident. The alleged perpetrator was later arrested.

25. A civilian was reportedly killed and several others sustained gunshot injuries during an attack by a group of unidentified men in military uniform, allegedly belonging to the 813th Battalion ex-ANC/FARDC of major Beaudouin, in Chabichanga – 3 km west of Sake, North Kivu – on 11 August 2006. The victims’ car was ambushed, shot at and then looted by the assailants. Two houses were also looted in Kimoka village – 2 km north of Sake – in the night of 13-14 August 2006.

26. A woman was reportedly raped and a 14-year-old girl beaten up and mistreated by FARDC soldiers, possibly 4th Integrated Brigade, in Songolo – 20 km south-east of Bunia – on 29 July 2006. The victims were on their way to their field when they were intercepted by three soldiers. The woman was allegedly raped by two soldiers while the girl was beaten up by a third soldier who tore her clothes to rags in an attempt to rape her. Another soldier allegedly prevented her from receiving the same treatment because of her age.

27. A 14-year-old mentally handicapped girl was reportedly raped by an officer of the FARDC 13th Battalion in Nderi – 39 km north-west of Aru, in Ituri – on 2 August 2006. The circumstances of the rape remain unclear. The rapist is currently on the run, but a communal police officer believed to be his accomplice was arrested.

28. A woman was reportedly intimidated, threatened with death and raped by an FARDC soldier, allegedly of the 2nd Integrated Brigade, in Maymoya – 40 km north of Beni – on 4 August 2006. Two soldiers forced their way into the victim’s house and ordered her to follow them to their camp on the pretext that she was under arrest. The victim was then brought to a bush where she was raped by one of the soldiers.

29. A woman was reportedly raped in Djalasika – approximately 100 km south-east of Mahagi – by three FARDC soldiers on 2 July 2006. The victim, together with her brother, was threatened by one of the soldiers who accused her of being a sorceress. As her brother ran away, the victim was dragged along to a nearby house where she was gang-raped. The victim’s valuables were allegedly stolen. Following a complaint lodged by the victim, the rapists were whipped on the order of their commandant, but were later transferred to Mahagi.

30. Three women were reportedly raped by ex-Mayi-Mayi combatants of Major Abdoul in Kamanyola – 72 km north of Uvira – on 14 August 2006. The victims’ father was later arrested and detained by the commander of the FARDC 1102nd Battalion when he allegedly tried to file a complaint.

31. In Maymoya – 40 km north of Beni – a demobilised soldier was allegedly threatened with death, beaten up and had his belongings extorted by a FARDC lieutenant and a soldier of the 891st Battalion on 9 August 2006. According to the victim, his aggressors seized his belongings, including demobilisation documents, on the motive that he was a deserter. When he asked for his documents back, he was threatened with a machete and beaten with a baton.

32. A demobilized soldier was allegedly killed by FARDC soldiers under the command of Major Beaudouin Ngaruye of the FARDC 813th Battalion in Nyakigano, Masisi territory – 65 km north-west of Goma – on 9 August 2006. The victim was severely beaten up on the motive that he was a deserter. He died later of the injuries sustained.

33. In South Kivu, a civilian was reportedly killed and a woman and a military injured by a soldier of the FARDC 3rd Battalion in Ciragabwa – 7 km of Bukavu – on 13 August 2006. According to witnesses, the civilian was shot dead following an altercation he had with his aggressor. Several other civilians were injured during the shooting. The perpetrator was killed by an angry mob shortly after.

34. A civilian was stabbed after he allegedly resisted FARDC soldiers’ attempts to illegally seize his bike along with other belongings on 7 August 2006 in Kongolo – 200 km west of Kalemie. The military are reported to frequently seize civilians’ belongings and return them after victims have paid a “fine”.

35. A civilian was severely beaten and injured on the suspicion of theft by four soldiers of the FARDC 2nd Integrated Brigade in Butembo on 15 August 2006. A gaping wound at his shoulder and ecchymosis on his body were observed.

36. A civilian was reportedly arbitrarily arrested, mistreated and severely wounded by a FARDC captain and three soldiers in Goma on 16 August 2006. According to the victim, he was arrested and brought to a military camp on the pretext that he had cut the power of that camp. He was then stabbed in the head with a pair of pincers. As the victim was bleeding, he was sent to a nearby health centre to receive medical treatment and then brought back to the camp where he was detained in a holding cell. On 17 August, he was sent to a police station where he was released by the duty officer. The perpetrator was later arrested by a military intelligence officer (Bureau II), but was later released.

37. A civilian was reportedly arbitrarily arrested, illegally detained and tortured by four soldiers of the FARDC 118th Battalion in Lusenda – 64 km south of Uvira – on 11 August 2006. The victim was allegedly arrested after a complaint filed by another civilian. The victim was brought to Lusenda military camp where he was whipped in order to obtain his confession (that he had courted the complainant’s wife). The victim was later released after he forcefully signed a 'décharge' of FC 6,000 as a “fine”.

38. A Provincial Assembly substitute candidate, member of the PPRD, was reportedly beaten up, mistreated and threatened with death by soldiers of a FARDC non-integrated Battalion known as “Bataillon Axe Bafwasende” based around Bafwasende – 250 km east of Kisangani – on 18 August 2006. The victim was arrested at a roadblock and threatened with death after having been beaten on the orders of a lieutenant on the motive that his ID card reads he was born in Opienge. He was reportedly released after the intervention of an FARDC Commandant. The incident is apparently connected with the recapture of Opienge – 250 km east of Kisangani – by the FARDC after the Mayi-Mayi combatants took control of the town on 12 August.

39. Three young boys were allegedly arbitrarily arrested and illegally detained by soldiers of the FARDC 1102nd Battalion in Katogota – 67 km north of Uvira – in the night of 22 August 2006. The victims, accused of being in sympathy with Mayi-Mayi leader Major Abdoul, denied the charges. One of the boys was reportedly released after he paid $ 20 while the other victims who failed to do so were brought to the FARDC 110th BM camp where they are currently detained.

40. Another demobilized soldier, accused of being a deserter, was threatened with death, ill-treated and had his belongings extorted by a lieutenant and a corporal of the FARDC 89th Battalion in Mulekera – 6 km north of Beni – on 10 August 2006. The perpetrators forced their way into the victim’s residence and extorted four goats along with other items and confiscated the victim’s demobilization documents. When he asked for his documents back, he was beaten with batons and threatened with a machete.

41. A shop was reportedly looted by soldiers of the FARDC 2nd Integrated Brigade in Vutakohola, Beni in the night of 12-13 August 2006. The perpetrators forced their way into the shop, beat an employee and then proceeded to looting. FARDC 2nd Integrated Battalion soldiers were allegedly seen sharing the loot.

Incidents involving the PNC

42. A civilian was reportedly killed by a PNC agent in Katwiguru – Bwisha collectivity – 100 km north of Goma – on 2 August 2006. The victim was shot dead by the perpetrator who allegedly tried to extort money from him. According to local sources, the following day the perpetrator was extracted from the FARDC 9th Brigade camp where he had sought refuge by an angry mob and burnt alive.

43. A woman, possibly pregnant, claimed to have been arrested together with her partner (a MONUC daily worker), beaten up and mistreated while in police custody in Uvira, on 6 August 2006. According to the alleged victim, the PNC commandant in that locality dragged her on the ground and sexually abused her when she refused to pay US$ 50 for her release. She was allegedly arrested at the instigation of the FARDC 110th BM commandant based in Luvungi – 58 km south of Uvira – on suspicion of possessing stolen goods.

44. A heavily pregnant woman was allegedly beaten up and mistreated by a Judicial Police Officer (OPJ) in Kalima – approximately 100 km north-east of Kindu – on 9 August 2006. The perpetrator reportedly came into the victim’s residence in the early hours of the morning to summon her husband to appear, and in his absence ordered her to follow him. As the victim opposed the order, she was beaten up and mistreated. The perpetrator was reportedly arrested.

45. A 15-year-old girl was reportedly raped by a PNC agent in Ramogi – 77 km south-east of Mahagi, Ituri – in the night of 13-14 August 2006. The victim was raped while in detention in PNC custody on suspicion of theft. The rapist is currently on the run.

46. A human rights activist claimed to have received death threats by a PNC agent in Botibolo – 67 km south of Uvira – on 19 August and 24 August 2006. The victim was allegedly threatened with death after he interceded for a civilian who was arrested by the policeman on “double enrolment” suspicion.

Other security forces committed human rights violations during the month in review

47. A woman was reportedly killed by GR soldiers in the 'commune' of Ngaliema in Kinshasa on 28 August 2006. The perpetrators allegedly came into the victim’s house and arrested her husband on suspicion of harbouring VP Bemba supporters. Some of them proceeded to search in the house and shot at the victim killing her outright when she questioned them. Her husband was detained in an unknown facility where he was allegedly subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and released two days later.

48. Two civilians were reportedly arbitrarily arrested, illegally detained and subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by ANR agents in Lubumbashi on 12 August 2006. The victims were arrested instead of their employer who had been accused of theft and detained in ANR custody. The first victim was immobilized by means of a tyre, whipped and drenched in cold water. The second victim was about to receive the same treatment when an ANR senior officer stopped the perpetrators.

49. A student was reportedly arrested, ill-treated and had his belongings extorted by four GR soldiers in Kindu, on 16 August 2006. The victim was arrested and mistreated on the motive that he had crossed a military barrier and was forced to pay US$ 50 as a fine. His bike and two fuel drums were seized by the perpetrators.

50. On 14 August, in Kindu, two members of the 'Garde Républicaine' (GR) threatened a local human rights activist after he intervened to prevent the abduction of a woman at the beach of the commune of Alunguli. The activist was threatened and briefly detained in the GR office.

Armed groups committed a number of attacks on civilians in two provinces and in Ituri

51. Four civilians were reportedly killed and six others severely wounded by armed men, suspected to be FDLR/FOCA combatants, in Vitshumbi – 130 km north of Goma – on 16 August 2006. The attackers assaulted a civilian truck and shot at its passengers in the result of which four civilians killed (including a woman and a 12-year-old boy), and six others injured (including three women).

52. Four civilians, including two women and a park guard, were reportedly killed by a group of armed FDLR combatants in Kahuzi-Biega – 35 km north of Bukavu – in the night of 16-17 August 2006. The victims were ambushed and fatally shot by the attackers who later proceeded to take the victims’ belongings.

53. A 17-year-old girl sustained severe gunshot injuries when about 30 armed militiamen – possibly Ngity – launched an attack on her residence in Mangiva – 75 km south of Bunia – on 20 August 2006. The victim was wounded when she was trying to hide from the perpetrators who were shooting at the door of her house trying to get in. She was hit by a bullet that wiped off most of her face including her entire nose, upper lip and incisors. The perpetrators set alight a neighbouring house and then left the village.

54. On 30 August 2006, the inhabitants of the 'groupement' of Aluru - 7 km west of Ameri and 30 km south of Aru – had their houses looted by a group of 51 armed combatants (including four women). The alleged perpetrators are believed to belong to the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). During the attack one civilian woman was seriously beaten by two of the assailants.

55. Fifteen civilians, including a traditional chief, were reportedly abducted by the Front démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) combatants in Ihembe, Luhago and Kaninda – Nindja 'groupement' – 75 km south-west of Bukavu – in the night of 12-13 August 2006. The victims were captured during attacks launched on their villages. The traditional chief together with another abductee were later released by their abductors who threatened to kill the remaining victims in case of non-compliance with the instructions to pay US$ 2000.

Administration of Justice

56. In Ituri, a military tribunal sentenced Yves Kahwa Panga Mandro – a Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) militia leader – to prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years for war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder, illegal detention of weapons of war, 'création d’un mouvement insurrectionnel' and aggravated assault on 2 August 2006. The accused was also condemned to pay to the victims US$ 2,500 to 75,000 as damages. Kahwa is the first militia leader to have been convicted pursuant to the provisions of ICC Rome Statute.

57. Between 17 and 29 August, several soldiers were found guilty of murder, rape, extortion with violence, armed robbery, grievous bodily harm and death threats against civilians by a Mobile Military Court in Kpandroma, Mahagi and Aru. In the 11 cases at hand, the accused were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 1 to 20 years and to the death penalty.

Main incidents

MONUC remains concerned by the increasing number of violations of the right to free and fair elections.

1. The Force Navale based in Sabe - 2km from Tchomia in the Ituri District - has committed serious human rights violations including extrajudicial executions and forced ‘disappearances.” These violations occurred in the wake of fighting between the FARDC and the Mouvement Révolutionnaire Congolais (MRC) on 29 March; two FARDC soldiers were killed in this incident. On 30 March two civilians were arrested in the street by soldiers and taken to Sabe Camp, the body of one of these detainees was found a few days later on the banks of Lac Albert. The whereabouts of the second detainee is unknown. Four other bodies, bearing gunshot wounds in the nape of the neck were allegedly found in the area. In Bukuku- 7km north of Tchomia- the military rounded up the villagers after repelling the MRC attack on Tchomia and randomly picked the victim from the crowd in order to indicate the whereabouts of the militia. The victim was allegedly killed soon after. At least a further five possible summary executions, plus the use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment committed by the Force Navale in this area during the month of April remain under investigation.

2. Members of the Force Navale and police committed mass rape and other gross human rights violations in Ganda, Likako and Likundju, three localities of the Lifumba Waka groupement - 515 kms north east of Mbandaka - during the night of 18 March 2006. Thirty four women and three girls were raped and another nine girls were victims of attempted rape. Fifty civilians were victims of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and 120 households were looted

3. A number of incidents reported this month have threatened the right to free and fair elections. In Butembo, the residence of a CEI official was attacked by armed men in military uniform in the night of 27-28 March 2006. The following night, the office of the national state broadcasting company, RTNC, suffered a similar attack.

4. Two policemen allegedly broke into a radio station "Radio Mongala" in Bumba – approximately 600 km north-east of Mbandaka - on 6 April 2006 and confiscated all the equipment. The incident is believed to be linked to the fact that the radio station in question was promoting one of the candidates running for a seat in the Parliament

5. A political activist was arrested on 14 April in Masoyi – 35 km north west of Butembo- by the 882nd battalion on 14 April and was detained in an unknown location. The Battalion HQ promised to reveal his whereabouts to MONUC.

6. A presidential candidate and 18 of his supporters were arrested in Kinshasa on 5 April. Four mini-buses and two trucks full of military and police officers arrived at his private residence to carry out the arrests. The politician and 11 others were released on 8 April, but seven others remain in custody at Kin Maziere police station.

7. Three members of the political party Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo (MLC) have reportedly been arbitrarily arrested by the ANR in Bukavu on 14 April 2006 for election related activities. Still in Bukavu, the provincial responsible of the political party Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD/Goma) was reportedly assaulted by members of the Republican Guards on 9 April 2006. Intimidations against this party member are reported to continue.

8. The fight against impunity took a step forward in the DRC on 12 April 2006. For the first time in the country’s history, a judge convicted seven soldiers for crimes against humanity. The Military tribunal of the Garrison of Mbandaka handed down life terms for mass rapes in the village of Songo Mboyo in Equateur Province in December 2003. Five other defendants were acquitted for lack of evidence. The Court applied the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court that qualifies rape as a crime against humanity.

The FARDC were allegedly responsible for the majority of human rights violations committed during this reporting period.

9. A military detainee died and another hospitalized after reportedly being arrest and held in FARDC custody in Vuyinga - 60 km south-west of Butembo. On 10 April 2006, ACR allegedly arrested the men suspected of being allied with dissident Officer, Laurent Nkunda, and handed them over to the FARDC. One of the victims allegedly died the next day, reportedly from injuries sustained whilst in custody. The second victim was released and hospitalised..

10. An eight-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a lieutenant of the 89th Battalion in Kagheri on 23 March 2006.

11. Sources in Muhangi – 30 km south west of Butembo-reported that soldiers of the 882nd Battalion shot dead a civilian on 9 April 2006. Details of the incident are unknown.

12. A civilian was reported to have been seriously beaten by a soldier of the 89th Battalion in Kasugho on 17 March for having refused to transport the perpetrator's belongings to Lubero.

13. An elderly civilian reportedly died a day after he was arrested by military prosecutors at Kilindera village – 82 km south east of Beni – on 22 March 2006. His arrest was apparently an attempt to force him to pay a $US 40 “fine” for his son, already held at the Beni Military Prosecutor’s Office in Kyavinyonge. Unable to pay the "fine", he was kicked and subjected to beating with truncheons and ropes, the following day he was tied and forced to walk 52 km to a health centre at Kyavinyonge, where he died shortly after.

14. On 15 April 2006 two women were allegedly repeatedly raped by a soldier in Mukakira military camp close to the village of Oicha – 30 km of Beni. The alleged perpetrator was arrested the next day by the camp commander following the intervention of a local authority but reportedly managed to flee.

15. A local chief, from Bugina in Rutshuru territory died on 22 April 2006, allegedly after he was flogged by the 3rd company of the 2nd integrated Brigade in Runyoni sector. According to medical and other sources in the area, the chief was tortured after his arrest on 21 April, when he was suspected of harbouring enemy combatants. According to FARDC sources, three armed bandits accused the locality chief of being their leader. On 22 April the locality chief was transferred to Bunagana, the company HQ. Later that day he succumbed to his injuries as he was being transferred to the 22nd Battalion HQ in Rubare.

16. A civilian was reportedly severely beaten by soldiers of the 812th Battalion deployed at Kazinga – 20 km south west of Masisi. ON 11 April, a demobilized soldier was reportedly abducted by members of this battalion. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Two other soldiers from he battalion trying to demobilize were reportedly summarily executed by on the orders of a locally based military officer. There are no details on these reports.

17. Two Rwandan women were allegedly raped by a solider and an individual in civilian clothing on 24 April after being arrested in Karuba in Masisi.. Goods and cash were also taken from the victims by the soldier, presumed to be from the 812th Bataillon FARDC.

18. On 18 April, a civilian was arrested and taken to T2 in Goma by Colonel Bindu, Chief of staff of the 8th MR where he was was allegedly beaten until he lost consciousness. He was later taken to hospital. The motive for his arrest and ill-treatment is unclear.

19. Four civilians, accused of being FDLR combatants, were reportedly arrested by soldiers of the 2nd Integrated Brigade at Kiwanja – 70 km north of Goma - on 22 March 2006. One of them was severely ill-treated in the holding cell of the 8th Military Region.

20. A “prisoner of war” died on 1 April, shortly after being captured by the FARDC during fighting between the 2nd Integrated Brigade and an armed group (probably FDLR) at Katemba in the Rutshuru area. Five detainees were transferred to the headquarters of the 8th MR in Goma, two of them were hospitalized in Katindo and another detainee, a Rwandan national, was transferred to the UNHCR. Two remain in custody without charge.

21. A civilian detainee was thrown to the street through the first-floor window of the Auditorat Militaire in Butembo on 7 April. Three soldiers were later arrested by a military judicial inspector for this crime. The victim was hospitalized following this incident.

22. A FARDC officer from the 892nd Battalion reportedly ordered four soldiers to beat up a parking attendant on 21 March 2006 in Butembo. The incident occurred when the victim attempted to prevent the officer from requisitioning a private vehicle. Since the victim made a formal complaint at the military prosecutor’s office on 24 March, he has been subjected to threats from the officer.

23. Seventeen civilians, including six children, two women and a baby, were arrested and held in custody by FARDC, reportedly following military operations in the Virunga national park on 26 April. One of the women detainees claimed that her husband had been killed by the soldiers, other detainees claimed they had been subjected to beatings whilst in custody in Katwegueru, near Kisharo.

24. A 17-year-old girl was reportedly shot dead by soldiers of the FARDC 1st Reserve Brigade in the village of Konge – 18 km north of Bukavu – on 16 March 2006. The killing occurred in the context of an armed robbery carried out on the girl’s home; she was shot as she ran away in an attempt to call for help. The owner of the house was also beaten during the incident.

25. A soldier of the 1st Reserve Brigade of the 15th Battalion under the command of Captain Hindia are reportedly responsible for raping a 15-year-old boy on 14 March as he made his way home from school in Mushingi- approximately 10 km south of Bukavu. In nearby Kalonge, soldiers forced civilians to transport their belongings on 28 March and a 13-year-old girl was allegedly abducted when she refused to leave a two-year-old child to carry their baggage. The child was returned to the family, but the whereabouts of the girl remain unknown.

26. Two civilians were reportedly killed on 19 April by a soldier of the groupement de combat de Walungu in Mushinga - 58 km south-west of Bukavu. Three soldiers allegedly asked the victims at a checkpoint for 100 USD but received only two bottles of beer. Angry about this result one of the soldiers reportedly fired his gun and killed the victims.

27. A woman was allegedly raped by a FARDC Commander from the 116th Brigade on the night of 6 April. The victim was attacked near her home in Rukaraba, Kalehe territory in South Kivu. She was raped in the presence of three other soldiers.

28. A civilian claimed to have been arrested, beaten and stripped of his clothing in public by six soldiers from the Force Navale in Uvira on 21 April. The victim was first taken to a holding cell at Kalundu port, then the military prosecutor’s office, where he was held without charge for four days. The motive for ill treatment was for accusing a solider of theft.

29. On the night of 17-18 April, a civilian in Uvira was arrested by a soldier and a second beaten up by a drunken soldier. The victim of arbitrary arrest was detained by the Commander of the 109th Brigade for five days.

30. In Bukavu, a local NGO meeting was allegedly interrupted by two soldiers on 5 April. The perpetrators seized documents and announced that meetings related to the upcoming elections were the prerogative of President Kabila.

31. During the night of 6-7 April 2006, a civilian was allegedly killed by three FARDC soldiers in Bukavu during an armed robbery. His wife was severely injured during the incident and was hospitalised. The incident sparked a protest against continuous abuses and killings committed by the FARDC.

32. A 13-year-old girl was killed by a Military Police officer in Bukavu on 7 April 2006 during a protest against continuous abuses and killings committed by the FARDC. According to several witnesses, the girl was shot in her head when she was trying to escape from the scene.

33. Two local NGO activists were allegedly arrested and beaten by soldiers of the 118th Brigade in Mukolwe – 70 km south of Uvira – on 30 March 2006. According to a local source, their arrest was connected to their activities to end civilian arrests.

34. A civilian claims to have been arbitrarily arrested and tortured by three soldiers of the 118th Brigade in Katungulu II – 59 km south of Uvira – on 3 April. He was accused of stealing, then tied up and taken to the military camp where he was severely beaten with sticks and kicked by three soldiers in the presence of their commander in a bid to make him to confess to the theft. He was hospitalized after paying a bribe for his release.

35. A civilian was reportedly stabbed by a soldier on 18 April in Kankinda – 80 km south-west of Bukavu. According to local sources the victim refused to carry a soldier’s luggage.

36. A military commander from the South Front Operations in Sange – 33 km north of Uvira – arrested two 13-year-old boys on 25 March, reportedly after they threw stones at him. The two boys were first taken to police holding cells in Sange, where they were reportedly beaten by three soldiers and then the commander recuperated them and took them to his private residence.

37. Twenty two civilians, members of the Banyamulenge community (ethnic Tutsi), were detained in military custody in Bukavu, after being arrested by the ANR in Uvira in early April. Most of a total of 34 arrests were carried out at the border with Burundi. Those detained are accused planning a third war in the DRC. The detainees were held uncharged in deplorable conditions.

38. Three civilians were arrested and allegedly summarily executed on 6 April by military in Mutumbi – approximately 25 km north of Bunia. Their bodies were buried afterwards by the perpetrators. Two soldiers have allegedly been arrested.

39. Two civilians allegedly died as a result of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment inflicted on them by soldiers in Medu – 30 km south of Bunia - on 28 March. The perpetrators allegedly arrested three civilians, cut their hair, mixed it with soap, and then forced the victims to consume it; two of them suffocated to death. The third victim managed to escape and, on 3 April, arrived to Dele – 5 km south of Bunia.

40. A civilian was allegedly arbitrary executed by a FARDC soldier in Muchanga – approximately 30 km south-east of Bunia – on 29 March 2006. According to local sources, the victim was killed because he was wearing a headscarf with an image of the American flag similar to the ones used by militiamen. The FARDC allegedly took the body.

41. A demobilized soldier reportedly died following severe ill-treatment inflicted by soldiers during detention in Bunia. The victim was arrested by soldiers from his home on 1 April and spent 9 days in detention during which time he was severely beaten. The victim was hospitalised and reportedly died from his injuries on 16 April.

42. A military police officer was charged with bodily harm for having seriously beaten up a civilian in Kisangani on 26 March. The victim was hospitalised and seriously ill following the attack, the motive of which remains unclear.

43. A civilian was arrested at 3 am by a group of soldiers, when they burst into a hotel where he was staying in Kasumbulesa – 90 km from Lubumbashi- on 17 April 2006. The victim claims he was then taken to the office of military intelligence (T2), where he was seriously beaten with bamboo canes – allegedly to ‘punish” him for having refused to open his door at the hotel. Although T2 confirmed that the arrest took place, no justification was officered. Sources indicate that the incident was a private dispute and the victim mistakenly abducted in place of another individual. A large sum of cash was stolen at the time of the incident; the victim was later hospitalized for his injuries.

44. A suspected thief was possibly beaten to death by soldiers of the Force Navale at their base in Kalemie. The body of the man was found at the base on the morning of 28 April, following his arrest the previous evening. Evidence of severe beating on his body, led to the opening of a judicial investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

45. Detainees in the Force Marin camp at Makala – 9 km from Kalemie- complained of ill-treatment by guards, including beating. Human rights officers found five detainees, all of them held illegally, during a visit to the facility in April, two of those held complained of beatings.

46. Force Marin soldiers at Moba, arrested members of a local NGO working to sensitize the local population about elections on 21 April. The detainees were released without charge the following day.

47. Two girls aged 11 and 13 were reportedly raped by a group of four soldiers and a DSR official at Kabalo on 7 April. The circumstances of the incident are unknown.

48. An officer of the 69th brigade based in Kongolo, allegedly committed at least two human rights violations at Lengwe – 75 km from Nyunzu- in Katanga. A civilian was subjected to arbitrary arrest and beatings by the officer on 8 April 2006, apparently in an attempt to extort goods and money. Later that day, the same officer beat and wounded a woman and stole her voter registration card at Numbi – 92 km from Nyunzu.

49. In Mitwaba territory, Katanga Province, civilians continue to be victims of violations committed by soldiers of the 63rd Integrated Brigade. According to UNICEF, soldiers beat up a civilian, stole a bike and eight support kits meant for IDPs on 17 April 2006. A civilian was reportedly beaten by a soldier in Mitwaba center – 350 km north of Lubumbashi - on 18 April. On 20 April several IDPs were reportedly forced by soldiers to work in cassiterite mines. Prisoners of war held by the FARDC were reportedly ill-treated.

50. Soldiers of the Force Navale and PNC officers were reportedly responsible for human rights violations in Lisala – approximately 470 km north-east of Mbandaka – on 31 March 2006. According to local sources, the perpetrators attacked the village firing gunshots in the air in order to disperse civilian population and to prevent them from working at a forest exploitation site. Thirty seven civilians were arrested, at least one woman was raped, local homes were pillaged. Most of the local population fled to the nearby forest.

51. According to a local source a civilian was beaten to death by a soldier at a gold mine in Kasese – 196 km north-east of Kindu – on 11 April 2006. The soldier reportedly started to beat the victim after she refused attempts to extort money.

52. Two FARDC soldiers of the 7th MR are allegedly responsible for the rape of a woman in Kindu on 20 March 2006. According to the victim, she was on her way home with her baby, when the soldiers stopped her, threatened her with a gun and extorted 4.000 FC. One of soldiers took the child, threw it to the bush and kicked the victim. She was then raped by the second aggressor.

53. FARDC soldiers of the 441st battalion reportedly shot dead two civilians (diamond dealers) on April 26 at Mukua Ndjanga - 35km from Tshikapa. The victims were travelling towards the Angolan border when they were reportedly attacked by three soldiers. Both victims bled to death on the way to Tshikapa; one was shot in the legs and the other in the leg and hands. On 27 April about 300 people carried the bodies through Tshikapa and positioned themselves in front of the Mayor’s office to be dispersed by the Police.

54. A woman claims to have been raped by five soldiers who broke into her house the commune of Dibindi in Mbuji Mayi on 20 March 2006. The perpetrators threatened the victim with a gun while two of them allegedly gang-raped the woman twice.

Incidents involving the PNC and some of its branches were implicated.

55. Mines police opened fire on demonstrators, shooting dead two of them, following an incident involving self employed mine diggers and a multinational mining corporation in Kolwezi – 360km from Lubumbashi- on 24 April 2006. Local mine workers protested against Anvil mining in the town, after a clandestine digger was drowned trying to escape from one of their security guards as he was clandestinely working in their concession. When the protest turned violent – houses of Anvil employees were set alight – mines police opened fire with live ammunition.

56. In Kasambulesa, mine workers in a state-owned industry were violently dispersed by the PNC, when they protested on 24 April against their employee for salary arrears, which had not been paid for 68 months. One of the demonstrators was hospitalized, after he was struck in the eyes and face with a baton.

57. A police officer reportedly opened fire and killed a civilian who refused to take part in communal work in commonly called Salongo in the village of Mashala – 100 km north of Katanga- on 2 April. Local police are still investigating the case but stated that it was an accident.

58. According to local sources the PNC attacked the village of Ubangi - 585 km north-east of Mbandaka - on 8 April and arbitrarily arrested and tortured six civilians who refused to take part in Salongo. The victims were allegedly held and beaten in police custody for four days until they paid $50US to secure their release.

59. Two inmates allegedly “disappeared” during an incident at Kasapa Prison in Lubumbashi and are believed to be dead. Another five detainees sustained gunfire injuries on 11 April when police guarding the facility opened fire when inmates revolted against the refusal of prison authorities to let relatives deliver food.
60. A civilian was allegedly beaten to death by police officers in Nduba, Walungu territory - 45 km south-west of Bukavu- on 15 April . The victim was reportedly arrested on 8 April and allegedly died on 15 April 2006 in a local health centre following the injuries sustained in custody.

61. A woman and her infant child, were arrested in place of her husband by two police officers in the neighbourhood of Kasenga in Uvira on 1 April 2006. The victim claims to have been beaten with a baton by a policeman while in detention in the holding cells of the 3rd platoon of the PNC.

62. According to local sources, three police officers raped a woman in Lokangu – 190 km south of Kindu – and arbitrarily arrested and beat her husband, on 28 March 2006. The officers were originally on mission to arrest the father of the husband. After they could not find him they arrested and beat his son instead and raped the woman.

63. A civilian was reportedly arrested and beaten by 17 police officers, after he was accused of adultery in Kalima – 101 km north-east of Kindu. According to a local NGO, the victim was arrested on the order of the second in command of the District Police Commissioner on 17 March, then stripped and severely beaten. He was held in police detention for six days before paying a 6,000 CF (approximately $US14) and released.

64. A 16-year-old girl was reportedly raped during detention by a police officer in Bafwasende on 26 March 2006. The victim was arrested together with her 15-year-old sister by the PNC in Bafwasende for unknown reasons.

65. A woman was allegedly killed by a stray bullet fired by a PNC officer in the Ngiri Ngiri neighbourhood of Kinshasa on 25 March 2006. The incident happened when police officers fired several shots in an attempt to disperse a crowd of civilians engaged in a street fight. The alleged perpetrator and several civilians participating in the fight were arrested and detained in the holding cells of Ngiri Ngiri police commissariat.

Other members of the security forces were responsible for human rights violations in five other provinces.

66. Six civilians from the Hema ethnic group were arrested on 23 April by members of the Garde Republicaine on the road to Kisangani airport. They were accused of being Rwandan nationals, despite showing their identity papers. The six were released after intervention by the MONUC.

67. A radio journalist from Radio OKAPI in Kisangani was reportedly beaten by eight soldiers of the Garde Républicaine on the order of their captain in Kisangani on 24 April. The journalist was on a mission to verify information concerning the beginning of the brassage process for the soldiers.

68. A civilian man claims to have been arbitrarily arrested and severely beaten by an ANR official and five police officers in the ANR office of Lubumbashi on 11 April. According to the victim he was never informed about the reason of his arrest and released the next day under threats not to inform the justice about the incident.

69. A civilian was reportedly arbitrarily arrested and tortured by two ANR in Lubumbashi On 13 April 2006. The victim claims to have been beaten by the ANR agents using a plastic stick and their fists in order to force him into confessing a theft. He was released the same day after paying $100US.

70. In Tshikapa, Kasai Occidental Province, ANR officials allegedly arrested an attorney on 15 March who represented the interests of a family in a private legal affair. The victim was released on the same day after the intervention of a local NGO.

Armed groups were believed responsible for a number of abuses in three provinces.

71. Twenty women were allegedly raped by Rwandan Hutu in Kalonge - 25 km south of Bukavu– between 14 and 16 March according to a local source. At least eight victims were hospitalized after the attack.

72. FDLR militia allegedly abducted eight civilians in Mushingi – 7 km west of Kalonge – on 25 March. A victim claimed that they were abducted in order to transport belongings of FDLR militia. The whereabouts of other abducted persons remain unknown.

73. Five Rwandan Hutu are allegedly responsible for the abduction of ten women during the attack on the groupement of Gifunzi – approximately 10 km south of Bukavu – on 26 March 2006.

74. According to a local source, two civilian men were allegedly killed and two women were injured during an attack carried out by a group of armed FDLR combatants on the locality of Kaniola-Cindubi – 55 km south-west of Bukavu- in the night of 6-7 April 2006. Further four men were allegedly abducted and taken to the forest.

75. FDLR combatants reportedly looted a truck carrying around 30 civilians from Bunyakiri- 83 km north-west of Bukavu- and kidnapped 15 of them on 10 April.

76. Three civilians were reportedly killed by FDLR during an attack on the village of Karhishenyza - 75 km south-west of Bukavu - in the night of 13 to14 April 2006.

77. A civilian was reportedly kidnapped by FDLR combatants in Kiwanja – 50 km north of Goma- on 17 April.

78. During the night of 17 to 18 April 2006 a group of armed Rwandan Hutu reportedly killed three civilian men and kidnapped six women and a man in the village of Nyalubuze – 60 km south-west of Bukavu. One civilian was allegedly injured during the attack.

79. A group of armed Rwandan Hutu, killed two civilians and deliberately wounded three others in the course of an attack on the village of Maziba/Lwiro – approximately 50km north of Bukavu – on 27 April. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers broke into homesteads and terrorised the residents and left with livestock and other goods

80. Mayi Mayi of "Mundusi” reportedly took a local priest and a major of the 6th MR hostage on 1 April, fearing their commander had been arrested in Kalemie. The two were on a mission to the village to negotiate the possibility of their disarmament and integration into the brassage process.

81. Mayi-Mayi of Gédéon carried out three attacks on villages between Manono and Kiambi – 95 km east of Manono – in March 2006. Nasanga village was burnt on 11 March and a civilian was killed in the village of Mambwe on 15 March.

Three hurt in election strife in DR Congo opposition fief

AFP - 30 jul. 06 - 20.27h