Dossier assassinat

BUNIA, 25 September 2008 (IRIN) - An international NGO has suspended its activities following attacks on its workers in Ituri District, Orientale Province, in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a senior official said.

"One of our workers was killed and two others injured," Arnaud Havet, the project manager with the German NGO Agro Action Allemande (AAA,) told IRIN. "An expatriate working with us was injured by the gunfire, and was evacuated abroad."

The personnel were attacked by an armed group while repairing a road along the Bunia-Iga-Nioka highway, in the territory of Djugu on 15 September.

The attackers also took US$10,000, according to local authorities.

"This incident saddens us; we have stopped until further notice," Havet said. The Congolese army had deployed military personnel along the highway, he added.

"We have arrested some suspects for questioning," Germain Ukumu, the Ituri district commissioner said, adding that the attackers were not an organised group. "They were just bandits. Such an attack can happen anywhere, even in the United States."

At least 400 of the AAA workers are former ex-combatants. Since the beginning of the disarmament, demobilisation and reinsertion programme in 2004, at least 25,000 ex-combatants have been disarmed, with more than 10,000 children being demobilised in Ituri.

Meanwhile, a group of 83 aid agencies and human rights organisations have called for urgent action to improve the protection of civilians and mediate increased assistance to vulnerable populations in eastern DRC.

In a statement, the Congo Advocacy Coalition said renewed combat in eastern DRC had caused a drastic deterioration in the humanitarian situation and immense suffering for civilians. An estimated 100,000 civilians, it added, had been forced to flee the most recent violence.

"The situation for civilians is desperate, and it threatens to deteriorate further if fighting continues," said Rebecca Feeley of the ENOUGH Project. "All the parties who signed the Goma peace agreement should adhere strictly to their obligations, including protecting civilians and respecting international humanitarian and human rights law."

According to the Coalition, heavy fighting which started in Rutshuru territory in North Kivu Province, later spread to Masisi and Kalehe in South Kivu.

"All parties must live up to their commitments and cease such attacks immediately," said Juliette Prodhan, country director for Oxfam GB in DRC.

People who shot dead Hermas Mupolo are known from the judge. And the judge knows that somebody pay them money to kill Hermas; But the widow and family want to know the real author of this horrible murder. Family and solicitors received always menaces and are intimidated from unknown people to forget about this trial. The human rights must be respected. Please if you can help in anyways, don’t hesitate to contact Adsad team or any human rights organisation in DR Congo about it.

To remind about the story

Hermas’ Death: The trial started on Tuesday the 27th February 2007 and continued at Kinshasa.

Born in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1963; after his Degree in Sociology at University of Lubumbashi in Congo, He went to continue his studies in Geneva University in Switzerland – Department of Architecture to study Town Planning. After his Master Degree He decides to go back home to rebuilt the country. He was working with mix project Government and United Nations, called CONADER; the project of mobilisation, reinsertion and disarmament of child soldier, facilitate of unification of the Army and to restore peace after many years of war in Congo.

Hermas died on the 8th April 2005 around 7.30 pm after assassination at the Petrol station in Kinshasa Town Area, near he was living. After many shot in air, criminal armed group shot him inside the Petrol Station’s Shop. Hermas Mupolo was also minister, married to Mrs Asansi Jolie and father of 4, his wife is also Sociologist.