Uvira, 30 January 2010 - The “inter-communal talks” are designed to back the pacification and stabilisation process for South Kivu province at a time when Operation Amani Leo is preparing to dismantle the remaining pockets of resistance of Mai Mai, FDLR and FRF armed groups known as the major obstacle to the peace process in eastern DRC. The talks were attended by 50 participants.

Discussions were focused on decentralisation, national identity, inter-communal conflicts including their causes and solutions. The Chief of MONUC's South-Kivu office, Aliou Sène, called on the population of Fizzi territory to promote dialogue and consultation, and turn their patriotism into a genuine constructive energy that favours reconciliation, makes better use of national resources and brings back hope for future generations.

Christian Manahl, MONUC's Eastern Region Coordinator urged participants to engage in discussions, mobilise, sensitise the youth, warn them against resorting to weapons and persuade Commander Yakutumba who pioneered the launch of this first inter-communal dialogue to join the army to avoid becoming a target of ongoing military operations. Echoing Colonel Kahimbi’s statement and responding to the concerns about collateral damage as a result of Operation Kimia 2, he recalled that the Congolese Army, the FARDC, has integrated 54 armed groups, the majority of which did not have any training and requested understanding and support from the population, saying that it will take time to have non-active troops quartered in barracks as well as training to minimise the negative impacts of the ongoing operations. The real question, he added, is to find out whether the community wanted a mere truce or the restoration of a lasting peace; the latter cannot be achieved without dialogue.

The Baraka conference received substantial financial and logistial support from MONUC. It comes after the Bami conference organised in Bukavu in August 2009 and two other inter-communal dialogues launched by the Banyamulenge community in Uvira and Minembwe in August and September 2009. Other fora are scheduled for February and March 2010.

On Wednesday 1 April 2009, Nicola Dahrendorf, the UN Special Advisor on sexual violence in the DRC, presented the overall strategy document in the fight against sexual violence in the DRC to the Congolese government and national and international partners. In an interview, she explained to us the objectives and main components of the strategy. INTERVIEW

Interview 

Can you explain the comprehensive strategy on sexual violence in the DRC? 

There was a need for a comprehensive strategy to combat sexual violence in the DRC, and after a long 10 month consultation process with a whole range of actors, including UN agencies, MONUC, the government, international and national Non Governmental Agencies (NGOs), the DRC Armed Forces, the Congolese Police and MONUC military, we came up with this strategy document, which addressed what needed to be done in the fight against sexual violence.

The objective is to bring together all the existing initiatives on sexual violence and to find a way of creating a better platform for common action, in a much more organized and focused way, locally, provincially and nationally. This also applies to donors in terms of where they could channel their funds.

The objective of the strategy is to find and define four different components, and a plan of action for each in how we could move forward better. 


What are the four components of the strategy?

The first component tackles the issue of impunity, which was not being addressed in the DRC. So we put together a contact note and plan of action that would link in with existing judicial reform mechanisms, both within the government and also within the UN agencies, so that everyone took on board what needed to be done.

Concretely we propose to recruit more female judges, more female magistrates, train lawyers better and overall to ensure that the law that exists on sexual violence is properly implemented. There’s a good law here in the DRC, but there is no policy and the law is not being implemented.

The second component relates to the security forces, security sector reform and sexual violence. A lot of sexual violence against women and children is perpetrated by men in uniform, including government security forces and armed groups. There needs to be better training and accountability for the security forces.

In addition, more attention needs to be paid to female ex combatants. Most importantly we need to introduce a vetting mechanism for security forces recruitment, and we are working on that very closely with the European Union and with our colleagues in Human Rights.

The third component deals with protection and prevention. Sexual violence needs to be at the heart of MONUC’s mandate to protect civilians. We’ve come up with a plan of action that links in with the existing work on protection of civilians, and also the humanitarian agencies within the national protection cluster.

The fourth component is that of multi sector assistance. This involves improving victim’s access to healthcare, psycho-social support, and the reintegration of victims back into their communities, as victims are often stigmatized. 


In this integrated framework, who will lead the way in each component of the strategy?

The human rights impunity component will be led by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which in the DRC is the joint Human Rights office based in MONUC. The security sector reform aspect will be led by the MONUC Security Sector Reform unit, but there’s also an inter-agency, inter-governmental working group that initially need to bring this on board, yet those discussions have not been concluded.

In terms of protection and prevention the UNHCR are the lead. In terms of multi sector assistance it will be the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), although these discussions are not yet concluded. UNICEF already has a very big programme, so the idea is to build on what is there already, and not reinvent the wheel. 


How can these components be practically implemented and with what means?

We put together a plan of action under each component and defined key activities and steps that need to be taken, as well as indicators and key actors that are going to be involved.

Each entity needs to work together with the government; this exists already but we have now put it in a framework, to implement the plan of action with the government along defined timelines, indicators and outcomes. The idea is that donors will channel their funds through this process as well. 


Do you think that this strategy will bring about real change to the problem of sexual violence in the DRC, when many other previous initiatives have failed to do so?

It’s the first time ever where, in a post conflict country, there is a framework and plan of action to address this issue and to emphasize that it’s not just a gender issue, but a human rights, political and security issue. UN Security Council resolution 1820 was groundbreaking because it was the first time that the problem of sexual violence was recognized as a threat to peace and security.

This strategy is not the bible, but a living document that people are supposed to be working with, changing, adopting and prioritizing depending on the situation on the ground. There is now a basis to move forward to tackle the problem. I represent 12 UN agencies in the UN action on sexual violence in conflict. This is important because no one action or agency can tackle the issue alone. 


What will be the contribution of humanitarian NGOs in the propagation of this strategy?

I found very quickly that the real activities and work on the ground was being done by international and national NGOs, and these implementing partners were really making a difference. Hopefully we can harness their efforts so that they can continue. The UN agencies are there to provide policy, guidance, strategic support and funding, but the NGOs are implementing the strategy on the ground. 


You’re at the end of your mission, and as UN Special Advisor on sexual violence in the DRC, what positives can you give us in the fight?

It’s the first time ever that the government is resolutely on board and wants to do something. I think there is more awareness of the issue and more dialogue, and this means that some of the taboos have gone. They have not disappeared completely but the door has been opened.

There’s far more awareness and knowledge on the part of women, they know that they have a right and that the state has an obligation to them, and that they have to remind the state of its responsibilities to protect them.

I think we need to beyond rhetoric and have action. You’ve got to have political will on the part of the government at every level. This has got to touch the community leaders and traditional leaders, to allow people to be self sustaining; to stop victims from being stigmatized and ostracized from their communities; to ensure that kids receive proper treatment after rape, proper reintegration and skills training; to ensure that victims who want to take cases to court have proper support and free legal aid: and to have reparations for victims.

DRC: Journalist beaten by Angolan Diplomat - arrested while unconscious Committee to Protect Journalists - 24 apr. 08 - 09.54h

A broadcast journalist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo pressed charges today against an Angolan diplomat, alleging he was beaten unconscious by the diplomat and his aides on Saturday, according to local journalists.

Journalists familiar with their colleague's station, Radio Télévision Mwangaza, told CPJ that the attack was in reprisal for coverage of a voter registration scandal in 2006 involving Angolan expatriates in the run-up to the country's elections.

News Director Jean-Pierre Ndolo and reporter Pascal Luboya of Radio Télévision Mwangaza, in the Katangan province's capital of Lubumbashi, were confronted by one of Ngoma's security guards on Saturday while picking up a package of tapes for broadcast near the diplomat's residence, according to several accounts.

After being forced to move their vehicle - which was marked with the station's identification - away from the house, the security agent grabbed their car keys and took Ndolo into the compound, according to Luboya.

The news director was then surrounded by more than a dozen people and severely pummelled before Ngoma joined the melee, punching and insulting the journalist, according to Luboya.

Police arrested Ndolo while he was unconscious and detained him for more than two hours on Ngoma's orders before taking him to the hospital, according to local journalists. Ngoma later accused the journalist of trespassing and assaulting his wife. Ndolo denied the charges, saying he had never met the diplomat or his wife.

"We call upon the Congolese and Angolan authorities to investigate this assault and the reports that Angolan Consulate personnel were involved," said CPJ's Africa program coordinator, Tom Rhodes.

Speaking to CPJ shortly after his release from the hospital today, Ndolo said he suffered from head and chest pains. He said he filed a complaint today with the police for assault and battery against Pedro Gomez Ngoma, the consul general of neighboring Angola in Lubumbashi, he said.

Ngoma's cell phone was out of service when CPJ attempted to reach him.

According to Rose Lukano, president and director-general of Mwangaza (Swahili for "Light"), Ngoma has been hostile to her reporters since the station broke a 2006 story on the illegal voter registration of Angolans in the lead-up to DRC's historic elections.

Neither Ndolo nor Luboya were with the station at the time, but their professional affiliation triggered the incident, she said. Angola temporarily recalled Ngoma in the aftermath of the story, according to local journalists.

UNICEF says DR Congo rebels are recruiting more child soldiers – AFP - 31 mar. 08 - 15.22h

GENEVA, March 31, 2008 - UNICEF is concerned rival armed groups in eastern DR Congo (DRC) are recruiting child soldiers again, two months after the government and rebel groups brokered a fragile peace deal.

Julien Harneis, a representative of the UN Children's Fund, said more child soldiers have been recruited in the two eastern Kivu provinces in the last two months, after a post-ceasefire lull.

Meanwhile, UNICEF has freed up to 300 child soldiers, though not all of them are back with their families, he said. Harneis added that some children have been stuck in Bukavu's UNICEF refuge for up to nine months.

Armed groups have recruited between 2,000 and 3,000 12 to 18 year olds in the east of the country, Harneis said.

Despite a ceasefire in January, violations occur almost daily in both Nord- Sud-Kivu, where conflict has separated seven percent of children from their parents and displaced 500,000 people, the UN said.

The report of renewed recruiting came after the UN's human right's body in Geneva unanimously agreed last week to end the mandate of the special envoy on human rights to the vast central African country.

Fear of attacks in North Kivu IDPs from going home – IRIN - 26 mar. 08 - 16.21h

[IDPs in Mugunga camp, west of Goma, capital of North Kivu Province]

GOMA, 26 March 2008 - Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are reluctant to go back to their villages for fear of attacks despite a truce signed in January between the government and various armed groups.

"We fled our house because [armed groups] were attacking and raping people and looting property," said Gina Kavira, 38, who fled with her husband and eight children from the village of Bambou five months ago and who has been living with a host family in three cramped rooms in Vitshumbi on the shores of Lake Edward.

"There is not enough to eat here. I try and catch fish. Normally, I catch three in a day. I sell two and feed my family on the other," she told IRIN. "My children can’t go to school because we can’t afford school fees. I’d like to return home if there was peace and if I could afford the transport. All we want is peace. I don’t know when we will be able to return."

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will build a new shelter on a 54-hectare site near the town of Rutshuru to alleviate congestion in other IDP camps. UNHCR senior field officer Marie-Antoinette Okimba said the camp will cater for an estimated 16,000 people.

The new camp at Nahanga is intended to relieve pressure on communities in the towns of Rutshuru and Kiwanja, which have hosted 65,000 IDPs since October 2007.

According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), 70 percent of IDPs in North Kivu live with host families, while only 30 percent actually live in formal IDP camps.

Many displaced people are also occupying communal spaces, such as churches, village halls and classrooms.

"In the beginning it is very easy for host communities to look after newly-arrived IDPs, but after a few months it causes big problems," said Okimba. "To provide food and shelter after long periods becomes very difficult."

The ceasefire agreement, signed on 23 January in the North Kivu capital Goma, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, disengagement of troops and the creation of a buffer zone.

Parties to the pact include the government and armed groups such as the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), headed by renegade general Laurent Nkunda, as well as traditional warriors of shifting alliances generically referred to as Mayi Mayi.

A Hutu-dominated armed group many of whose members fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide, the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), has also been party to the conflict in eastern DRC. However, it was not included in the January agreement because it is considered one of the foreign armed groups in DRC, which should be dealt with according to the provisions of a separate agreement signed in Nairobi in November 2007. Under this deal the FDLR should be disarmed and its members repatriated to Rwanda.

According to Venetia Holland, a civilian official of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC), despite the nominal ceasefire agreement, incidents of extortion, sexual violence, lootings, abduction, forced labour, killings and even alleged massacres continue to be perpetrated by both elements believed to be members of FDLR and some signatories of the Goma accord.

Okimba said that some civilians had tried to return home only to become victims of the violence.

"In the beginning of March many IDPs in the Rutshuru region tried to return to their homes, but they are coming back to the safety of the camps saying that [troops loyal to Nkunda] are accusing them of aiding and helping other troops," she said.

Civilians have often been caught between rival forces and accused of complicity with the "opposition" by the various rival groups.

Around Rutshuru, the IDP camps of Kasasa and Nyongera, which cater for a combined population of 13,000, are heavily overcrowded, sparking fears of an imminent cholera outbreak.

Elinor Raikes, the Rapid Response Mechanism Coordinator with the International Rescue Committee, said: "The situation in the camps is very precarious. Both camps are completely saturated and unless a solution is found quickly then there’s a very high risk of public health problems like cholera."

In Kasasa, 60 people share each latrine; a figure that is three times the recommended standard of 20 people per latrine, according to Raikes.

Commissions set up to outline the implementation modalities of the Goma deal, which are chaired by the government and include representatives from all the signatory armed groups, are expected to begin their work before the end of March.

Holland, however, said it is unlikely that the protection situation will improve significantly, or that there will be any mass return and reintegration of IDPs until civilians witness a real military withdrawal on the ground.

DR Congo war crimes suspect in custody of international court – AFP - 08 feb. 08 - 09.22h

THE HAGUE (AFP) — A former militia leader in Democratic Republic of Congo was transferred into the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Thursday to stand trial for the massacre of some 200 villagers in 2003, court officials said.

Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, former head of the Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI), is accused of ordering his forces to "wipe out" the village of Bogoro, in the northeast Ituri region.

"Hundreds were killed, maimed or terrorised. Women were forced to become sexual slaves. The village was pillaged by FNI forces and razed to the ground," the court's deputy prosecutor Fatou Besouda said.

Ngudjolo, believed to be 37 years old, was arrested in Kinshasa on Wednesday on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sent immediately to The Hague, DR Congo Justice Minister Symphorien Mutombo Bakafwa said.

Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Ngudjolo's transfer to The Hague "completes the first phase of the DR Congo investigations" focusing on crimes in the Ituri region.

"We are now moving on to our third case in the DR Congo, with applications for other arrest warrants in the coming months and years," he said from Central African Republic, where he is on a visit.

Moreno Ocampo said his team now will turn its attention to the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, where "there are clear reports of serious crimes being committed even today".

"There will be no impunity for the worst perpetrators of the worst crimes in the DR Congo," he said.

Since 1999, clashes among militias and tribal killings have claimed at least 60,000 lives in mineral-rich Ituri, which borders on Uganda, and displaced more than 600,000 people, according to aid agencies.

The prosecution alleges that Ngudjolo, "as the highest ranking FNI commander, played an essential role in designing and implementing an indiscriminate attack against the village of Bogoro, in the territory of Ituri, on or around 24 February 2003".

About 200 civilians were murdered, while others were tortured, imprisoned in a room filled with corpses, or used as sex slaves, according to the arrest warrant.

The attack was allegedly agreed by Ngudjolo and other commanders from the FNI and the Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri (FRPI). The arrest warrant lists nine counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of child soldiers.

Ngudjolo is the third person in the custody of the International Criminal Court, after the transfer in October by the Congolese authorities of Germain Katanga, a Congolese national and alleged commander of the FRPI.

Katanga has also been charged in connection with the Bogoro attack.

"For convenience, it would be good to try them together, but that is a determination for the court to make," Bensouda said.

In March 2006, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, a Congolese national and alleged founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), was the first ICC suspect to be sent to The Hague.

The ICC prosecutor opened investigations in DR Congo in June 2004 after the Congolese government referred the situation in the country to the court, and Lubanga and Katanga were arrested in Kinshasa in March 2005.

Ngudjolo, a colonel with DR Congo's government army (FARDC), was arrested at a Kinshasa military academy where he was being trained since November last year after leaving Ituri following a July 2006 peace accord.

DR Congo president denies murdered woman is half-sister –AFP-18 jan. 08 - 11.17h

KINSHASA (AFP) — Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila's private household denied Thursday any link with a murdered woman reported to be his half-sister.

Aimee Mulengela was slain in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with local human rights campaigners La Voix des Sans Voix (The Voice of the Voiceless) identifying the woman as Aimee Kabila Mulengela Koko, a daughter of the president's late father and predecessor Laurent-Desire Kabila.

A Congolese police source had also said she was related to the president.

However, in a statement released to AFP, the presidential household said there was no family connection.

"Contrary to rumours circulated ..., Aimee Mulengela Koko, falsely presented under the name of Aimee Kabila, is not of Mzee (old man) Laurent-Desire Kabila's family," it said.

Wednesday was the seventh anniversary of Laurent-Desire Kabila's assassination by one of his bodyguards in Kinshasa.

Citing "information gathered from her first husband, police commissioner Jules Mazangala," the statement also denied any "conflict" over the family inheritance.

It presented condolences to the victim's family, deploring "the tragic loss of a human life".

The woman was killed with a "close-range bullet in the chest" at her home by armed men who made off with "mobile telephones ... a computer and a camera," the rights organisation said.

She had sought protection from the United Nations mission to DR Congo, known by its French acronym MONUC, on several occasions.

MONUC said she had been arrested roughly two years ago without official charge by special police forces and detained for several weeks.

Security and rights sources said she was claiming a share of Laurent-Desire Kabila's inheritance and was in conflict with certain members of the presidential family.

One security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that there was nothing at this stage to say that her murder was any different from killings that happen under similar circumstances "every night in Kinshasa."

East Congo peace conference postponed until Jan 6

President Joseph Kabila is under pressure from the United Nations and the United States to find a political solution to end years of fighting in the Kivus involving government troops, Tutsi insurgents, Rwandan Hutu rebels and Mai Mai militia. Reuters- 28 dec. 07 - 10.52h

Too much! The persistence of human rights violations in the DRC - MONUC concerned over humanitarian situation in North-Kivu – MONUC - 26 dec. 07 - 17.13h

At its weekly press conference of 26 December 2007, MONUC expressed its deep concern in relation to the humanitarian consequences of the recent combat between Nkunda’s rebels and the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) in North Kivu. MONUC furthermore deplored the persistence of human rights violations in the DRC, and asked the Congolese government to “imperatively” put an end to this violence and to bring the authors of these crimes to justice.

“MONUC continues to deplore the persistence of human rights violations and international humanitarian law in the DRC, in particular those made by the FDLR and Laurent Nkunda's dissidents, as well as other armed groups and members of the FARDC, the Congolese National Police (PNC) and other security and intelligence services,” said MONUC spokesperson Kemal Saiki.

In particular, MONUC denounced human rights violations such as sexual violence towards women and the recruitment of children into armed groups.

Although the situation is being gradually contained in North Kivu, as the FARDC continue their efforts such as blocking Nkunda's forces, “sporadic clashes continue around Kalengera and Rugari in Rutshuru territory between FARDC patrols and Nkunda’s rebels,” announced MONUC.

“In parallel, in Masisi terrotory, violent clashes were noted between Mayi-Mayi groups and Laurent Nkunda’s rebels north-west of Mushake, west of Kitchanga and in the neighbourhoods of Mweso.”

MONUC continues to assist NGO’s and UN agencies in their work with displaced populations. MONUC continues its assistance with the deployment this week of Mobile Operational Bases (MOBs) in North Kivu and northern South Kivu, which have regroupment points for displaced people.

MONUC once again recalled that the recruitment of children into armed groups is a war crime and a crime against humanity, citing the forced recruitment of children by the troops of the CNDP (Congrès national de la défense du peuple), the military political movement of Laurent Nkunda.

“The latest information gives a report on 200 pupils of Tongo secondary school, in Rutshuru territory, who were the targets of forced recruitment on 17 December 2007, after their school materials and their indentity cards were burned,” indicated MONUC.

With regard to the organisation of the peace, security and development conference for the Kivus which will take place from 6 to 14 January 2008 in Goma, MONUC has intensified its day and nighttime air and terrestrial patrols.

North Kivu violence: Top UN envoy meets with DR Congo president regarding North Kivu violence – UN - 16 oct. 07 - 09.19h

Kabila’s Majority is not able to bring peace: United Nations concerned by security situation in eastern DRC – MONUC - 25 jul. 07 - 18.13h

At its weekly conference this Wednesday July 25, 2007, MONUC stressed the United Nations concern over the security situation, conflict and humanitarian crisis in the east of the country, particularly in the Kivu provinces where 700,000 people have been internally displaced.

In a statement made in New York on Friday 20 July 2007, UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon said he was deeply concerned by the deterioration in the security situation in the provinces of North and South Kivu in eastern DRC.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon made an appeal to the DRC government and all the parties concerned to continue an inclusive dialogue in the Kivus, and called on the regional and international partners to support the efforts aimed at decreasing the tension in the area.

During a patrol carried out in the morning of Tuesday July 24 last, on the Rutshuru-Nyamilima axis, blue helmets from the North Kivu Brigade discovered five dead bodies in a banana plantation in the locality of Katweguru.

“All the victims were adult men, in civilian clothing, whose hands had been bound, and were dead for a few days. For the moment, neither the identity of the victims nor the culprits of these murders are known. MONUC will do all in its capacity, in collaboration with Congolese justice, to shed light on the assassination of these five people,” explained MONUC spokesperson Kemal Saiki.

In addition, on 21 July, a doctor and a motor cycle driver were assassinated in Muranga in the territory of Masisi, by unidentified armed men, who fled with money and telephones.

In South Kivu, operations led by the FARDC against dissident banyamulenges led to the capture of their headquarters -Moramvia town- on July 21, as the rebels fled into the forest of Itumbwe and Rubanga. The operation left four dead and 10 injured within FARDC ranks, while dissident losses are unknown.

“MONUC firmly condemns all these murders, and we appeal for an end to these acts of violence which continue to affect the Kivu provinces, and demand that all should be done to put an end to the impunity which makes such acts possible,” Mr. Saiki added.

Meanwhile, according to information compiled by MONUC’s Civil Affairs Division, the number of Congolese expelled from Angola has exceeded 26,500, a clear increase from last week.

Those expelled return under very difficult conditions, with cases of rape, torture and racketeering by Congolese and Angolan border security forces reported by returnees.

In Kananga on Tuesday 24 July, MONUC’s Civil Affairs Division facilitated a meeting on the humanitarian consequences of the crisis with the local authorities, United Nations agencies and humanitarian actors.

Security forces in particular were recommended to respect and apply the principles of human rights, and to facilitate the access of the foodstuffs into the zone and to refugees in surrounding areas.

Distributions of drugs and non food items are underway, and an evaluation mission by experts of the International Organisation for Migration (OIM) will take place soon.

In conclusion, Mr Saiki announced that Mr. William Lacy Swing, the UN Special Representative to the Secretary General in the DRC, will receive an honoury doctorate in political science from the University of Lubumbashi next Saturday 28 July 2007.

Too much! - MONUC condemns murders in North Kivu – MONUC - 11 jul. 07 - 16.23h

During the weekly MONUC press conference this Wednesday 11 July 2007, MONUC condemned the recent murders in North Kivu province in eastern DRC, including Mr. Floribert Bwana Chuy Bin Kositi, provincial secretary of the Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie (RCD-Goma) political party, on Monday 9 July last in Goma, the provincial capital. This follows other recent murders in Butembo and Beni.

“Mr. Swing, UN Special Representative in the DRC to the Secretary General condemns the murder of Mr. Bin Kositi, who was also a lawyer and government official for the Office of “Contrôle Congolais” (OCC), and whose body was found in Goma on Monday 9 July 2007,” said MONUC spokesman Kemal Saiki.

According to information available to MONUC, he was beaten to death, with the reasons for his death as yet unknown. The Congolese justice system, as well as MONUC’s Humans Rights division, have launched an investigation into the murder, to find out whether the assasination was politically based, or because of his professional work with the OCC in North Kivu.

“This odious crime, which comes at the time when efforts are being made to bring a durable peace to North Kivu, can only increase insecurity and exacerbate instability in this part of the DRC. MONUC urges the Congolese authorities to competently do all in their power so that the authors of this cowardly assassination, which cannot be justified, are found and brought before justice,” Mr. Saiki explained.

MONUC expresses its sincere condolences to the family of Mr Floribert Bwana Chuy Bin Kositi, and joins in the mourning in the province of North Kivu. This murder is in addition to other recent assassinations of personalities and civil servants in North Kivu.

On 6 July 2007, a local businessman was killed in Butembo in broad daylight at his home by armed men, like the murder, a few weeks ago, of the Chief of the National Information Agency (ANR) in Beni.

Furthermore, MONUC remains strongly concerned about the fate of the President of the National Mayi Party (PANAM), Célestin Kambale Milonga, who was arrested at his its residence in Goma, on June 24 last, by troops of the 8th Military region of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC).

So far there has been no news following his arrest. MONUC launches an urgent call to the military authorities to observe the existing legal procedures regarding the detention of people.

Justifiably, the population of North Kivu feel a growing insecurity. Indeed MONUC has received reports of serious human rights violations in recent weeks, including harassment, looting and other crimes, such as the forced eviction of civilians (in Kisharo, Buramba, Kisheguru, Katwiguru in Rutshuru, and in Ngungu in Masisi, in a large part by the FDLR militia, the Congolese security forces, the FARDC and other irregular armed groups.

These acts of violence, whether blind or targeted, need to stop, as they have affected this part of the country for too long, and the impunity which makes such acts possible must be brought to an end.

MONUC concerned by increasing attacks on civilians and humanitarians in eastern DRC – MONUC - 27 jun. 07 - 16.19h

During the weekly MONUC press conference this Wednesday 27 June 2007, MONUC raised its concerns over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, citing an increase in attacks against the civilian population and humanitarian organisations, particularly in North Kivu province.

In North Kivu, an attack was perpetrated last Monday by armed men in uniform, against two vehicles belonging to an international NGO circulating in the area of Kisharo (Rutshuru territory).

Even if there were no victims, this incident is all the more worrying as it follows another similar attack a few days earlier in the same area - the looting in the night of June 20 of the warehouse of another international NGO in Uvira - also by armed men in uniform.

The humanitarians concerned have for the moment decided to suspend their activities in the zones controlled by the troops of the dissident general Nkunda, because of the deteriorating security conditions.

Also in North Kivu, MONUC’s Civil Affairs division carried out a joint evaluation mission in the past week in the localities of Kisharo, Nyamilima and Ishasha, whose objective was to evaluate the security conditions of the civilian population, in particular the displaced on the Ngwenda - Ishasha axis.

The mission noted that almost daily attacks were made against civilians by the FDLR or the soldiers of the mixed FARDC Brigades deployed in the area, attacks which caused concentrations of displaced people in Kiwanja, Nyamilima and Ishasha, Kisharo, where nearly 42,000 people have gathered since last February.

Furthermore in North Kivu, MONUC’s Civil Affairs division worries about the operations of the CNDP, the political structure of general Nkunda, who is pressurising the civil authorities to close the displaced people’s camps - in Kichanga, Mweso (Masisi territory) and Nyanzale (Rutshuru territory), to impose taxes on the population, and set up its own administration.

The Red Cross and the NGO CEPAC (the Community Pentecost churches in Congo) announced a shift in population since April 2007 towards Kasugho in the southern part of Lubero territory. They also announce confrontations between two Mayi Mayi groups - "la Fontaine" and "Jackson".  The inhabitants of the villages located at the west of Kasugho, where elements of the FDLR are located, are leaving their villages because of exactions.

In addition, according to the Red Cross and CEPAC reports, the FDLR sexually abuse women, and plunder harvests, houses, and cattle. A mission of evaluation in Kasugho is being prepared.

Following reports of a rise of tension in Kitshanga (Masisi territory) and Nyazale (Rutshuru territory), an evaluation mission was carried out by OCHA and MONUC’s Civil Affairs Division. The mission confirms that the CNDP demands the closing of displaced persons camps, accusing them of sheltering FDLR elements.

Moreover, more than 5,000 former displaced households in Kisharu still did not receive assistance because of the high risk of looting and attacks that persists in the area. In the past three weeks, 2,299 households fled the insecurity caused by the FDLR and the Bravo brigade.

In South Kivu, due to joint operations led by the FARDC against FDLR/Rasta, humanitarians in South Kivu estimate that 18,000 people have been displaced since June, although these figures have not been confirmed.

According to official sources in Itombwe and Basimukindji, in the territory of Mwenga, several children, including girls, are exploited as carriers in the cassiterite and gold mines in Miki, Kapanga, Makenda, Kasenge and Tulambo.

These children are subjected to the transport of mining products and other goods on a distance of 120 kms from surroundings areas, which they traverse in two days of walking. Young girls are also sexually exploited during the course of this work.

DR Congo's Bemba condemn to stay abroad - BBC News - 11 jun. 07 - 09.28h

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, politicians close to opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba say he will not be returning from Portugal.
This is despite the end of the 60-day period the 2006 presidential poll loser was given to seek medical treatment.

Mr Bemba left after sheltering for some three weeks in South Africa's embassy in Kinshasa after his bodyguards and the army clashed this March.
The move was widely seen as a way to ease tension in the capital

Security concerns

As a senator, he had to seek permission for the trip from the senate authorities.

In Kinshasa, where he received two-thirds of the vote in the second round of the presidential election, people I spoke to were keen for him to return.
"If such a person who represents the opposition is out of the country it's going to lead to a kind of dictatorship," one city resident said.

The director of Mr Bemba's cabinet, Fidel Babala, said that the opposition leader did want to return but that at the moment he would not be safe.

"At the time of the fighting on 22 and 23 March his house was destroyed, his cars were destroyed, his media were destroyed.

"If even theoretically he came back today where would he stay? This violence that we saw... is that going to happen again? Can Mr Bemba's security be guaranteed? And by whom?" Mr Babala said.

Should he return, Mr Bemba may well face charges of high treason for the fighting.

He currently has immunity from prosecution because of his position in the senate, but now the time-limit for his trip has expired, his opponents in the senate could take steps to expel him.

DRC: Congo prosecutor asks Senate to lift Bemba immunity – Reuters - 12 apr. 07 - 17.51h

KINSHASA, April 12 (Reuters) - Congo's public prosecutor has asked the Senate to lift Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba's immunity so he can be charged over bloody clashes between his forces and army troops last month, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Public Prosecutor Tshimanga Mukeba said in a letter to the provisional head of the Senate that Bemba, who flew to Portugal on Wednesday for medical treatment, was the "intellectual author" of the fighting in which up to 600 people died.

"I request the authorisation to prosecute Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo to allow legal authorities to deepen their investigations and the individual to present his defence," read a copy of Mukeba's letter obtained by Reuters.

The three-page letter was dated April 10 and stamped as received by the office of the Senate president on April 11.

A second letter from Mukeba requesting permission to prosecute Bemba, sent on Thursday, was also seen by Reuters.

The charges pending against Bemba, who lost a presidential runoff in October against incumbent Joseph Kabila, included threatening internal state security, murder, armed robbery and destruction of property, the first letter said.

Bemba was liable for prosecution "on the basis that he was the intellectual author of the acts committed by his troops," it said.

Before leaving for Portugal, Bemba had spent most of the previous three weeks holed up in the South African embassy with his family. Portuguese officials have said his stay will not be a long-term exile.

MONUC: One must not establish a climate of persecution against the opposition - 19 members of the opposition, as well as 8 journalists, were subjected to visits from the security forces, in which there was some looting - 04 apr. 07 - 17.54h

During the weekly press conference of April 4 2007, MONUC deplored the acts of intimidation and threats of March 22 and 23 last, aimed at many opposition members, including those considered to be associated to the MLC- Mr. Bemba’s political party.

“MONUC received information that the residences of 27 people, including 19 members of the opposition, as well as 8 journalists, were subjected to visits from the security forces, in which there was some looting,” explained MONUC spokesperson Kemal Saiki.

On the same issue, MONUC demanded of the highest authorities in the state to guarantee that the Congolese security forces act in conformity with the law, and not seek to establish a climate of persecution against people associated with the opposition, or those who originate from Equateur province, a stronghold of the MLC.

“It is crucial that the fundamental rights of individual security and liberty, as well as the liberty of opinion and expression, which are guaranteed by the DRC constitution, should be respected by all the security forces in relation to Congolese citizens, which includes members of the opposition and the press,” Mr. Saiki added.

In addition, MONUC has put in place a multi-disciplinary investigation team charged with verifying the allegations of human rights violations - summary executions, rapes, torture, illegal detention, looting and forced disappearances - which were committed by both sides in the recent Kinshasa conflict.

MONUC is relying on the collabouration of the Congolese government in order to gather all the necessary information for the investigation, and to have unlimited access to all detention centers.

In the presidential declaration dated April 3 2007, the UN Security Council underlined the ‘legitimate character of the new institutions created following democratic elections, and the necessity for these institutions to ensure the security of the population, and the importance for them to act within the law, as well as respecting international human rights laws, and to act against all unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.’

Furthermore, the Security Council appealed to the DRC government to respect the role and rights given to all parties by the constitution, with the aim of guaranteeing their effective participation in national political debate, and to encourage all parties to continue to adhere to the rules of political democracy.

600 deaths: Kabila is faced the man who have 42% of the population behind; EU (European Union) heads express 'indignation' over Kinshasa violence - Eoin Young / MONUC - 27 mar. 07 - 16.28h

At a press conference in Kinshasa this Tuesday March 27 2007, the representatives of the European Union countries to the DRC expressed their ‘indignation’ at the recourse to the violent armed Kinshasa conflict of March 22 to 25 2007, ‘when all routes to dialogue were not yet exhausted.’ German ambassador Karl Albrecht Wokalek said the death toll ‘could reach 600.’

In a statement, they deplored the loss of life, in particular that of civilians, as the Congolese Armed Forces - the FARDC - took to the streets of Kinshasa against ex vice president J.P. Bemba’s guards in the two day conflict that paralysed the DRC capital, causing much destruction and loss of life.

Furthermore, the European Union (EU) heads ‘condemned the numerous cases of looting and rape committed by troops from both camps’ during the conflict.

In the political sphere, the EU ambassadors stressed the importance for the authorities to ‘ensure the existence of a democratic space, in order to guarantee free expression to all political opinions.’

UK ambassador Andy Sparkes said that they were there to show their ‘solidarity with the Congolese people,’ who had ‘suffered much’ from the conflict.

“There remains a war spirit in the country, which is a bit like malaria. We thought we had healed the country with a big dose of quinine, with the holding of free and transparent elections last year, but this war spirit has returned.”

There remains a war spirit in this country, which is a bit like malaria

For the ‘well being of the Congolese people,’ he stressed that it was necessary to eradicate this ‘war spirit’.

“I find this recourse to violence irresponsible, it shows that this war spirit remains, and it needs to be replaced by a spirit of reconciliation and inclusiveness. This is the only way forward for stability in the country.”

The ‘BIAC’ bank building on Kinshasa’s main boulevard, which houses the Greek and Spanish embassies, as well as UNICEF offices, was directly hit by mortar and light arms fire during the violence. The Italian ambassador's Kinshasa residence was also looted. 

On this subject, the ambassadors were forthright in their views.

Greek ambassador Ioannis Christofilis deplored what he termed was a ‘direct attack which broke the Vienna convention’ on diplomatic relations.

“This was a direct attack, with heavy arms, not only on the Greek flag and embassy, but the Spanish embassy, as well as UNICEF, who work here for your (Congolese) children, and the BIAC bank, who are working here for the economic development of this country.”

He added that the DRC government had expressed its regret, and has promised a full enquiry into the events.

Mr. Christofilis went on to say that images of the attack on the Greek and Spanish embassies were aired around the world, and had affected the image of the DRC.

The real vicitms of this situation are the congolese people

“I received more than 40 telephone calls from Greek TV and radio stations. How do you now expect me to persuade donors and investors to come here? The last victims of this situation are the Congolese people.”

Spanish ambassador Jose Martinez added that it was ‘difficult to understand why the BIAC bank building was targeted,’ but he said ‘it was clear that it was not a random attack.’

Italian ambassador Leonardo Baroncelli said that the events were ‘regrettable’. He explained that, in his absence, uniformed men broke into his residence by force on the afternoon of Friday March 23, stealing some property and causing minor damage.

“The issue is that this act constitutes a grave violation of the spirit of the Vienna convention. Article 22 of the convention states that all diplomatic premises shall be inviolable, and that the state is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission, or the impairment of its dignity,” he said.

The democratic process is not dead, but is seriously wounded

150 deaths after two days of heavy fighting in Kinshasa - Eoin Young / MONUC- 24 mar. 07 - 15.23h

Calm has returned to Kinshasa this Saturday March 24 2007, after two days of heavy fighting in the central district of Gombe between members of ex vice President’s Bemba’s guards and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), which claimed the lives of at least 150 people, and left many wounded.

Among the dead and wounded were members of Bemba’s guards, the FARDC and the Congolese National Police, as well as Congolese and expatriate civilians.

Normality is slowly returning to Kinshasa, with traffic beginning to circulate freely, although the majority of shops remain shut in Gombe, which experienced much looting during the two day conflict.

The DRC government called on all of Bemba’s guards to surrender, and MONUC is assisting in this process with the setting up of a regroupment centre at the “Mousse” factory, in the suburb of Lumumba, just south of Ndolo airport.

MONUC military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Didier Rancher said that the regroupment point will be open day and night.

“The centre will be secured by Senegalese blue helmets, and will allow Bemba’s guards to present or surrender themselves, where medical care will be given to the wounded,” he said.

In an official statement yesterday, the DRC government pronounced that Jean Pierre Bemba had ‘betrayed the Republic’, in conformance with the DRC constitution, and stated that he and ‘his accomplices would be brought before justice.’

Yesterday it was confirmed that Mr. Bemba, who is a member of the DRC senate, had sought refuge in the South African embassy.

MONUC continues to monitor the security situation in Kinshasa, with frequent military patrols in Gombe and other districts.

In an official statement, MONUC welcomed ‘the restoration of order in Kinshasa by government forces, although it deeply regrets that force was used to resolve a situation that could and should have been settled through dialogue’.

“MONUC also deplores the loss of life, the damage to property, the looting and the serious risks caused to civilians living in the capital. The DRC Government has assumed its responsibilities in resolving this situation. Accordingly, MONUC calls on the Government to continue to act responsibly in its handling of the follow-up,” MONUC said.

“The Government will have to restore confidence in its judgement by the way in which it treats the defeated militia, who have largely now surrendered. MONUC expects that the Government will act towards them in accordance with international legal norms, as set forth in the Geneva Conventions,” MONUC concluded.

The situation remains tense in Kinshasa this Friday March 23 2007, after heavy fighting between the guards of ex vice president Jean Pierre Bemba and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), which has raged in the capital’s central Gombe district since yesterday morning.

As sporadic gunfire continues in isolated pockets, MONUC head Mr. William Swing continues to mediate with both sides for a definitive ceasefire and a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Despite the tense situation, some of Mr. Bemba’s guards have already surrendered, with 94 elements giving themselves up to MONUC forces.

MONUC remains preoccupied with securing Gombe district, the scene of the heaviest fighting, and has 25 armoured personnel carriers assisting in the evacuation of MONUC personnel, as well as Congolese and expatriate civilians.

Yesterday, MONUC evacuated an estimated 635 people from potentially dangerous situations, mainly in the Gombe area.

Although no exact figures are yet available on the death toll and number of casualties, estimates suggest there are over 60 dead with many wounded, following 24 hours of fighting.

Among the dead and wounded are members of Mr. Bemba’s guards, as well as FARDC soldiers, Congolese Police and civilians.

Government spokesperson Toussaint Tshilombo, in a declaration on Radio Okapi this morming, said that the Kabila government ‘deplored the actions of senator Bemba.’

“In conformance with articles 188 (part 2) and article 190 of the constitution, Mr. Bemba has betrayed the Republic. He will be brought before justice, as will all of his accomplices,” he said.

The government went on to say that all Mr. Bemba’s elements should now surrender themselves at FARDC camps, where they will be given the chance to register and serve the nation.

“All those who do not surrender in the coming hours will be considered as militants and will be subjected to the rigours of the law,” Mr. Tshilombo said.

New DRC government announced -60 member government, of which 9 are women, includes six ministers of State, 34 ministers and 20 vice ministers - Eoin Young / MONUC - 06 feb. 07 - 13.36h

The new DRC government was finally announced by presidential decree on Congolese state television on Monday night February 5 2007, thus ending weeks of speculation as to its composition.

The 60 member government, headed by veteran politician Antoine Gizenga as Prime Minister, was announced to the Congolese people two months after the inauguration of Joseph Kabila as President of the DRC on December 6 2006.

The new 60 member government, of which 9 are women, includes six ministers of State, 34 ministers and 20 vice ministers.

In addition, Francois Joseph Nzanga Mobutu, the son of ex Dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who came fourth in the Presidential poll of July 31 2006, was named Minister for Agriculture.

The Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP) - the political coalition of President Kabila- has control of all the ministerial posts in relation to security and reconstruction, and the AMP now controls all the governmental institutions that were elected in 2006 and at the start of this year.

The new government now faces the huge task of rebuilding the Congo after a decade of conflict, war and a difficult political transition period which began in 2003.

One of its first tasks will be to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violent unrest in Bas-Congo province last week, with an official death toll of 87 deaths deaths, amid numerous reports of human rights violations by the authorities.

Violent unrest in Matadi leaves 90 dead and many injured - Eoin Young / MONUC - 01 feb. 07 - 15.46h

On Wednesday night January 31 2007, violent protests against the election of AMP governor of Matadi Simon Mbatshi, which involved the political religious group Bunda Dia Kongo (BDK) and the National Congolese Police (PNC), left at least 10 dead and many injured.

MONUC vehicles, personnel and property were also targeted, with at least one MONUC vehicle being set ablaze and destroyed.

The BDK movement had scheduled a protest march in Matadi for today February 1 2007, in order to “denounce senatorial and governor election corruption”.

On foot of this, the PNC last night launched an investigation at a residence of the leader of the BDK, Ne Muanda Nsemi, in the Soyo area of Matadi.

“The PNC uncovered and confiscated approximately 100 machetes that were stored in the residence. When confronted by guards at the residence, unrest broke out when the PNC used tear gas and other anti riot material to disperse the crowd,” according to MONUC’s Matadi’s Public Information office.

The Mayor of Matadi reported that the PNC also fired shots in the air in a further attempt to disperse the crowd.

The situation degenerated when the main road in the Soyo residential area was blocked by militants with large stones and tables.

Two MONUC vehicles were later attacked by BDK militants around 7.45pm last night. The occupant of the first car managed to flee and raise the alarm. The other vehicle managed to escape the crowd, whilst the first was set ablaze.

MONUC military from the Ghananian batallion were called on the scene and fired into the air to stop the stone throwing crowd.

MONUC Matadi reported that only MONUC vehicles were targeted while others were left unmolested. 

This morning at least three people were reported killed in similar protests in the coastal town of Muanda, also in Bas Congo province.

Although the overall situation in Bas Congo is now calm, the situation in Matadi remains tense, with all daily activity suspended as people remain confined to their homes.

Ban Ki-moon emphasizes a "contract for good governance" for the DRC - E. Young & O. Mercado / MONUC - 27 jan. 07 - 17.51h

At a press conference on Saturday January 27, 2007 in Kinshasa, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gave his impressions on the current state of the political process in the DRC, while underlining the remarkable progress achieved by the country in the past year on its road to democracy.

Mr. Ban hailed the holding of the first multiparty democratic elections in the Congo in over forty years, stating that his wish was to meet those involved in the historic electoral process, as well as the UN peacekeepers and everyone responsible for stabilising the country after years of war and conflict.

“I wanted to see for myself the remarkable progress that has been achieved in this country, with the holding of the first multiparty elections in 40 years, to meet with the people who were involved, and to deliver a symbolic message, not only for the Congolese people, but for the rest of the world,” he said.

Responding to a question regarding the role of the international community in the post electoral process, Mr. Ban stressed the fact that the ‘international community is committed to supporting the DRC’ in this regard, adding that ‘one of the UN’s priorities is the resolution of regional conflict issues, especially in Africa’.

With regard to humanitarian aid to the country in the post electoral period, he said that he was ‘sure that this assistance will increase in the future’.

During the morning, the UN Secretary General met with Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga and members of the parliamentary opposition, and he also gave an address to the National Assembly.

In this address, he said that he wanted the members present to ‘make a contract of good governance between themselves, as well as the people they represent and the international community’.

“There needs to be a contract of good governance, because the reestablishment of the authority of the state, and the foundation of the rule of law in all countries is necessary for the consolidation of peace and democracy.”

In addition, Mr. Ban said at the press conference that he wanted to ‘underline the importance of constructive dialogue between different ethnic groups’, and to ‘encourage government and political leaders to engage in an inclusive political process’.

As part of his itinerary on the first day of his visit, Mr. Ban toured Kalembelembe pediatric hospital in Kinshasa, the only hospital in the country dedicated to treating children with HIV, and indicated that it was a “moving experience” for him.

Mr. Ban went to Brazzaville in the afternoon to meet with Republic of Congo and current African Union President Denis Sassou Nguesso, before traveling to Kisangani tomorrow on the second day of his official visit to the DRC.

Furthermore, the Secretary General said that he was confident that his meeting with President Kabila in Kisangani would be a ‘positive’ one, and that he was also looking forward to meeting some of the many MONUC peacekeepers that have played crucial roles in maintaining peace in the DRC.

Kabila rival Bemba wins seat in Congo Senate – Reuters - 20 jan. 07 - 10.07h

KINSHASA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Defeated Congolese presidential contender Jean-Pierre Bemba won a Senate seat on Friday that will keep him on the political stage as an opponent of President Joseph Kabila, election officials said.

The former rebel leader was one of eight new senators for Kinshasa appointed in elections for the 108-seat upper house.

Friday's senatorial vote followed historic presidential and parliamentary elections last year in Democratic Republic of Congo. These were the first free democratic polls held in more than four decades in the former Belgian Congo.

The 108 Senate members were chosen by newly sworn-in members of Congo's 11 provincial assemblies, out of 1,124 candidates.

In provisional results read by election officials, Bemba and two allies from his Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) party won three of the eight Senate seats for the capital Kinshasa. Pro-Kabila candidates also won three.

Provisional national results would be announced on Saturday, Congo's electoral commission said. Candidates will then have two months to lodge complaints before the results are certified by the Supreme Court.

Bemba, more popular in Kinshasa than Kabila, lost to the incumbent head of state in a tense Oct. 29 presidential run-off vote after an election process marked by sporadic violence. Soldiers loyal to the two rivals fought several gunbattles in the sprawling riverside city.

Bemba, who received just under 42 percent of the presidential votes, initially complained of cheating but later accepted defeat, saying he would lead the political opposition.

"As a senator he can remain on the national stage," said Jason Stearns, a Nairobi-based senior analyst with the International Crisis Group think-tank.

Bemba's decision late last year to join the opposition rather than challenge the outcome of the presidential poll was a relief to many in Congo, where a 1998-2003 civil war killed an estimated 4 million people, mainly through hunger and disease.

Some fear a Bemba-led opposition could be marginalised and even forced back on to the streets, particularly as Kabila's majority in the new parliament has allowed his legislators to try to dominate key commissions.

Bemba commands strong support in Kinshasa and other parts of the Lingala-speaking west. In contrast, Kabila speaks poor Lingala and his power base lies mostly among Swahili-speakers in the east of the country.

Archbishop of Kinshasa Cardinal Frederic Etsou dies - AFP - 08 jan. 07 - 11.39h

KINSHASA, Jan 7, 2007 (AFP) - The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Frederic Etsou, has died in Belgium after a long illness, his archdiocese said here Sunday. He was 77.

Cardinal Etsou had been receiving treatment for diabetes, said church sources. He died in hospital in Brussels.

Etsou had been archbishop of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since 1991, in which year he was appointed Cardinal by the late pope John Paul II.

He served at his post throughout years of turbulence in the vast central African state, including civil war and lingering unrest that continues even after last year's first democratic elections in more than four decades.

DRC President Joseph Kabila expressed his condolences, praising the archbishop's sense of duty, which had "served as a source of inspiration to the Church and all Christians".

Kabila declared a day of national mourning for the funeral.

Congo army says close to deal with renegade general – Reuters - 08 jan. 07 - 11.50h

KINSHASA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Army officials in Democratic Republic of Congo said on Saturday they were close to a deal to end fighting with renegade general Laurent Nkunda, but his supporters said much still remained to be negotiated.

Nkunda, a former high-ranking general in the Congolese army, led two brigades in a mutiny against President Joseph Kabila in the east of the vast country in 2004, a year after the official end to Congo's wider six-year war.

His men attacked government positions in the volatile North Kivu province in late November, sparking a month of on-off clashes. The two sides have observed an informal ceasefire for the past 10 days while talks are held between their commanders.

Colonel Jean-Paul Finda, an aide to Congolese army chief General Major Kisempia Sungilanga Lombe, told Reuters the deal included a plan to mix Nkunda's renegade forces with three government brigades already stationed in North Kivu.

"We are already working on the documents," he said in a telephone interview from the provincial capital Goma. "Beginning Monday, you'll know more."

Following the end of Congo's latest war -- a 1998-2003 conflict which killed an estimated four million people, mainly from starvation and disease --the army has been undergoing a disarmament and reintegration process meant to include rebel fighters in a new national force.

Usually, fighters from rival sides are redeployed elsewhere in the former Belgian colony, but in the case of the deal drawn up for Nkunda's men the renegade soldiers would remain in North Kivu in the same brigades as loyalist troops.

A Congolese army delegation met on Saturday with several of Nkunda's commanders in North Kivu, their seventh encounter since talks began two weeks ago.

The meetings have coincided with talks in neighbouring Rwanda, brokered by Kigali, between Congolese officials and supporters of Nkunda, who is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed in 2004.

A source close to Nkunda, who asked not to be named, told Reuters the proposed mixing of the brigades was a demand of the Congolese government delegation and that Nkunda's own conditions must be met if a long-term solution was to be found.

"This is a question with many aspects that cannot be negotiated between military commanders alone," the source said. "There are other political questions. But we are now dealing with the military side."

Nkunda's demands included the guaranteed safe return to North Kivu of thousands of Congolese Tutsis now living in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda, and the expulsion of Hutu Interahamwe militias.

Hutu rebels fled to eastern Congo, the cradle of a decade of war in the country, after helping to carry out the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which 800,000 minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed.

Rwanda's army invaded Congo twice in the late 1990s saying it wanted to hunt down those who led the genocide.

Vital Kamerhe elected president of the National Assembly - By Nina Yacoubian / MONUC - 30 dec. 06 - 13.49h

Vital Kamerhe has been elected president of the permanent Office of the National Assembly on Thursday 28 December 2006. The “Alliance de la Majorité Presidentielle” (the Alliance of the presidential majority) (AMP) of President Joseph Kabila has occupied all the seven seats of this executive Office.

Mr. Kamerhe gained 388 votes out of 465 votes against 41 for Ngoy Mukanku and 36 void ballot papers.

The head of the National Assembly who was the former Secretary General of the “Parti du peuple pour la reconstruction et la démocratie” (People’s party for reconstruction and democracy) (PPRD), a party initiated by president Kabila, stated during his short speech, that the National Assembly is a national institution that belongs to all Congolese people and not to any political platform.

The seven elected members who will hold the various posts at the Office are voted for a five year term, the period of their mandate, during which they will be subject to the rules and procedures carried by the parliament and that is in conformity with the constitution.

The installation of this permanent Office is due on Tuesday 2 January 2007.

In the next weeks, the election of the senators, due on 7 January 2007, followed by that of the governors and vice-governors on 16 January 2007 will take place and will be voted by the provincial deputies.

As for the local and municipal elections, they will be organized after passing the laws by the Parliament on territorial partition and decentralization.

UN mission in DR Congo to expand presence before sending blue helmets in Burundi – Xinhua - 24 dec. 06 - 12.05h

The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will temporarily get reinforcements of 916 troops as part of preparations for deployment in neighboring Burundi, where the world body's mandate is expiring, it said at the weekend.

Under a resolution adopted on Friday, the UN mission in the DRC, known by its French acronym MONUC, will add 916 blue helmets to its presence from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, 2007, in preparation for a follow-up to the two-year United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB).

The country held elections in August 2005, which produced an ethnically-mixed government under a UN-backed plan to end the war between Hutu rebels and a Tutsi elite which controlled the state for most of the years since independence in 1962.

The ONUB deployment, which began in 2004. hit 5,500 at its maximum. The phased withdrawal of the mission. which currently has 3,000 soldiers, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

As for the MONUC, which comes to an end on Feb. 15, 2007, the United Nations said it will re-examine the mission after holding consultations with the new government of the DRC according to proposals by the UN chief.

The delay in naming a prime minister is a result of the fragile alliances Mr. Kabila built - Congo President Begins Forming New Government - VOA News - 21 dec. 06 - 18.45h

Joseph Kabila was elected as the Democratic Republic of Congo's president in a run-off poll on October 29, after much bargaining with opposition parties to garner their support.

After his inauguration on December 6 he has found reconciling those alliances a difficult task.

Antoine Gizenga was the third-place candidate in the initial round of the presidential election. In an effort to add to his base, Mr. Kabila asked Gizenga to join his alliance of parties in the final round against Jean-Pierre Bemba. Mr. Kabila offered Gizenga the position of prime minister for his support.

But Mr. Kabila has appointed Gizenga to the position of what is called "Informant".

In the DRC's constitution an informant is in charge of identifying the majority parties in the National Assembly. From these parties the president then selects the prime minister who in turn would organize the new government.

Gizenga accepted the position, which still could result in his appointment as prime minister. The veteran politician has up to two months to sort out who represents which party in parliament.

Gizenga says choosing a prime minister and forming the new government will take some time. Many parties contested elections for the new parliament, and many candidates won as independents or members of loose coalitions.

Members of Gizenga's party have said they would like key ministries in the new government and that they hope some of Mr. Kabila's controversial aides will not be included.

Mr. Kabila has been president since 2001 when he was installed by the military after his father was assassinated.

Hubert Efole is part of the RCD, a former rebel movement turned political party. He says the wrangling over election promises and the delay in naming a prime minister is a result of the fragile alliances Mr. Kabila built.

Efole says these complications are to be expected when so many parties are sharing power.

The international community has provided thousands of peacekeepers and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to help with the election process. The large mineral-rich country has been the cause of repeated regional wars. In his inauguration speech, Mr. Kabila promised to end years of conflict, misrule, and plundering of natural resources.

Hope and Fear! Great Lakes security pact signed - BBC News - 15 dec. 06 - 17.19h

African leaders from the Great Lakes have signed a $2bn security and development pact aimed at preventing further bloodshed in the region.

It is not clear if a key section was changed to allow countries to pursue rebels based in neighbouring states, after a request from Uganda's leader.

Yoweri Museveni has said the roots of the bloodshed are rebel groups based in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Uganda has been battling rebels with camps in DR Congo for two decades.

Tens of thousands of people have died and more than one-and-a-half million displaced because of Lord's Resistance Army attacks in northern Uganda and southern Sudan.

Response

The leaders signed the treaty at the Great Lakes summit taking place in the Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila is expected to deliver his first international speech since winning the presidential election three months ago.

The BBC's Josphat Makori at the summit says many will be watching to see if Mr Kabila will respond to accusations by Mr Museveni that his country was contributing to instability in the region.

A five-year conflict in DR Congo, which officially ended in 2002, pitted government forces, supported by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, against rebels backed by Uganda and Rwanda.

The conflicts in DR Congo and Burundi and the 1994 Rwandan genocide were closely linked.

Disarmament

The treaty covers issues such as security, governance and economic development.

It also includes measures to disarm remaining rebel groups, prevent arms trafficking and help millions of refugees.

The BBC's Adam Mynott in Nairobi says the proposals will be backed by an undertaking to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a whole raft of different projects.

Leaders also pointed to a peace deal and successful elections in Burundi, which has had more than a decade of conflict.

On Thursday, Mr Museveni said that 50% of the region's problems were the "myriad of negative terrorist groups" based mainly in the eastern DR Congo.

Violence has continued involving small militia groups in the east who do not accept control from Kinshasa, the capital, which lies some 1,500km to the west away across vast tracts of forest.

Rebel groups from Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda have also been based in the area.

The world's largest peacekeeping force is in DR Congo, tasked with disarming the groups.

Joseph Kabila: Please use the money to give food, medicines, education and security to 75% of Congolese who lived with less than one dollar a day. 4/12/06

EU To Double Aid To Congo To Support Democratic Government – DPA - 04 dec. 06 - 15.40h

Congo's Kabila seeks reconciliation in violent east – Reuters - 01 dec. 06 - 14.32h

KINSHASA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Congo's recently elected President Joseph Kabila carried a reconciliation message on Friday to his country's lawless east, where he is hugely popular but where rebel violence still threatens peace.

Days after the Supreme Court confirmed him as the winner of an Oct. 29 presidential run-off, Kabila visited the eastern city of Goma, which was threatened earlier this week by forces loyal to a renegade general, Laurent Nkunda.

In the worst fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo since last month's vote, Nkunda's fighters battled U.N. peacekeepers who used helicopter gunships and armoured vehicles to check the rebel advance in eastern North Kivu province.

At least five people were killed, more than 100 wounded, and up to 20,000 civilians were displaced by the clashes, which highlighted the east's volatility despite the historic polls, which were meant to draw a line under a 1998-2003 war.

Presidential spokesman Kudura Kasongo said Kabila was in Goma "to deal with a worrying security situation there".

He refused to give details but U.N. and Congolese officials said the mission appeared to be focused more on fostering reconciliation than trying to defeat Nkunda militarily.

"He doesn't seem to be on a war mission -- it seems to be more about appeasement," said one U.N. official.

In Kabila's ballot box contest against former rebel chief Jean-Pierre Bemba, voting was largely along ethnic and linguistic lines. Kabila won over 90 percent of votes in his Swahili-speaking native east, where civilians bore the brunt of the war and many see the president as a man of peace.

But pockets of rebel groups remain, such as the fighters loyal to Nkunda, a dissident Tutsi general who continues to oppose the Kinshasa government in the name of protecting threatened ethnic minorities.

"He (Kabila) wants to ensure that people understand he wants to work with everyone, including the Tutsis," an official at the presidency, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

"It's a trip aimed at calming the people. It's aimed at reconciliation," he added.

Before flying to the east, Kabila held a meeting on Thursday with his defeated rival Bemba in Kinshasa.

"CONFIDENCE-BUILDING"

The humanitarian crisis triggered by Congo's 1998-2003 war has killed around four million people and aid agencies say 1,200 Congolese still die every day from violence, hunger and disease.

In the recent fighting with Nkunda's men, U.N. troops -- part of the world's biggest peacekeeping force deployed in Congo -- were forced to call in helicopters after government soldiers, a chaotic cocktail of fighters from various armed groups, fled.

Security sources and U.N. officials said Kabila's presidential guard had been deployed to Sake, a town 20 km (12 miles) west of Goma that the rebels briefly seized over the weekend. Kabila was due to visit it on Friday.

One security source said the president was believed to have already spoken to Nkunda on the phone. "These are confidence-building measures," he said.

An international arrest warrant has been issued for Nkunda, who is accused of war crimes committed in attacks during the three-year transition to this year's elections, the first free polls in Congo in more than 40 years.

Nkunda says he is defending the rights of the Congolese who, like himself, are of Rwandan origin but are unpopular in the east after Kigali openly sent its army to support rebels in Congo during the war.

Security sources say discussions about a possible amnesty for him are under way.

DRC Supreme Court confirms J. Kabila as President - Eoin Young / MONUC - 27 nov. 06 - 20.14h

The DRC Supreme Court on November 27 2006 confirmed Joseph Kabila as the new President of the DRC, and found against the legal protestations of election irregularities by his presidential rival Jean Pierre Bemba.

At 35 years of age, Joseph Kabila is the new President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Supreme Court upheld the second round election results, announced on November 15 last by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which gave Joseph Kabila a majority of 58.05% of the votes in the October 29 second round elections.

Futhermore, the court verified that Jean Pierre Bemba received 41.95% of the votes, as published by the IEC.

The court found against the eight election contestations of Mr. Bemba’s MLC party of fraud and other election irregularities, including allegations of abuse of special electoral lists and 2,804 non registered voting centres.

The MLC submitted their eight election result contestations to the Supreme Court on November 18 last.

The court completed its work despite the protests outside the court by an angry pro Bemba mob on Tuesday November 21 last.

The violent protest forced the court to adjourn their work for two days, as the court complex was pillaged and set ablaze causing considerable damage.

Today’s Supreme Court declarations conclude the presidential elections in the DRC, where over 16 million Congolese, representing 65.36% of the electorate, voted to elect their new leader.

The tasks facing the new president are immense, as he seeks to rebuild the vast state of the Congo after the wars and conflicts of the previous decade, which have caused the deaths of an estimated four million Congolese, and destroyed much of the infrastructure and organs of the state.

Joseph Kabila is due to be formally declared President on December 10.

EUFOR to retain an operational capacity in the DRC until December 15 - Eoin Young / MONUC - 23 nov. 06 - 14.58h

EUFOR said at a press conference on November 23 2006 that although their mandate in the DRC expires on November 30, they are still working on the legal framework for intervention in the case of violence in Kinshasa up to December 15.

EUFOR spokesperson Lt. Col. Thierry Fusalba reiterated that EUFOR would still retain an operational capacity to intervene up to December 15.

“But at the moment this is limited to the ability to defend ourselves and assisting people in danger. We are currently working on the legal framework for intervention after November 30,” he added.

He also confirmed that EUFOR has not directly intervened in Kinshasa since the violence of last August, which involved Bemba’s troops and Kabila’s presidential guards.

According to the EUFOR spokesperson, the November 21 attack on the Supreme Court was a ‘direct attack on democracy’.

“We were on immediate alert to intervene in the Supreme Court violence, but we did not have to take any action thanks to the exemplary action of the Congolese police and MONUC.”

The subject of the ‘disarmament’ of Vice President Bemba's troops, who have been accused of being responsible for much insecurity in Kinshasa, was also raised at the conference.

“Firstly, Bemba’s troops are part of the FARDC, and under the DRC peace agreements Mr. Bemba as a vice president still has the right to a private guard. Secondly I believe that Mr. Bemba’s troops should be reintegrated, and not disarmed,” Lt. Col. Fusulba explained.

“This morning an FARDC lorry carrying up to 60 of Bemba’s troops was redeployed to Maluku, and this is certainly a step in the right direction. We are currently supporting MONUC to find a solution to this problem that will be satisfactory to everybody,” he concluded.

Congo's Kabila gives UN ultimatum on Bemba soldiers – Reuters - 23 nov. 06 - 08.47h

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congo President Joseph Kabila on Wednesday gave U.N. peacekeepers a 48-hour deadline to move an election rival's soldiers out of Kinshasa, or he would order the national army to do it, Congolese and U.N. officials said.

The ultimatum strained an already tense situation in the riverside capital, which was shaken on Tuesday by a riot at the Supreme Court by supporters of former rebel chief Jean-Pierre Bemba, Kabila's challenger in an October 29 presidential run-off.

Bemba refuses to accept provisional results showing Kabila defeated him by 58.05 percent of the votes to his 41.95 percent in the historic Democratic Republic of Congo elections.

He has filed a complaint to the Supreme Court, which must still confirm the election result for it to be valid.

Congolese officials accuse soldiers loyal to Bemba of firing automatic weapons during Tuesday's riot, in which the Supreme Court was set ablaze and ransacked. Bemba's camp denies this.

U.N. and Congolese officials said Kabila on Wednesday met William Swing, head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, and delivered the verbal ultimatum.

"Kabila gave Swing 48 hours to get Bemba's soldiers out of town or let the army do it," a U.N. official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

"There was a clear message to Swing that the problem of

Bemba's soldiers must be resolved," an official at the Congolese presidency said. He also asked not to be identified.

As Congolese army troops guarded the streets of the tense capital, foreign diplomats worked to defuse the dispute following the elections, Congo's first free polls after more than 40 years of war, dictatorship and chaos.

Congolese authorities have made clear they are angry over the apparent inability of the U.N. peacekeeping mission -- the biggest in the world at more than 17,500-strong -- to control Bemba's followers in Kinshasa, where he enjoys strong support.

Bemba's and Kabila's supporters and soldiers have fought gunbattles in Kinshasa's streets in the past few months.

COURT TO BE MOVED

A spokesman for Bemba, who served as vice-president in Kabila's transitional government, said he was unaware of any ultimatum. "He is still Vice-President and is therefore allowed to keep a bodyguard," Fidel Babala told Reuters.

Tuesday's riot disrupted a hearing at the Supreme Court of the legal challenge made by Bemba. He alleges "systematic cheating" in the run-off, but electoral officials reject this.

Officials said the court would be moved either to another place in Kinshasa or somewhere else upcountry.

A U.N. spokesman said the disarmament of armed groups in Kinshasa had been discussed before, "but it is primarily the responsibility of the Congolese".

"I don't think that we have a mandate to disarm these units in Kinshasa," U.N. mission spokesman Kemal Saiki added.

Analysts said the riot raised questions about Bemba's intentions should the Supreme Court reject his complaint.

"Outside the court, Bemba has two weapons: putting the people on the street and his own private militia. He is not likely to want to get rid of these leverages," said Jason Stearns of the International Crisis Group think-tank.

He recommended a negotiated political deal between Kabila and Bemba, who led a rebel group in Congo's 1998-2003 war.

The war triggered a humanitarian crisis that has killed more than 4 million Congolese through violence, hunger and disease. Humanitarian workers say over 1,000 still die each day.

DR Congo Elections: Kinshasa's Supreme Court up in flames - Eoin Young / MONUC - 21 nov. 06 - 18.14h

The DRC Supreme Court was engulfed in flames today November 21, 2006 following a protest as the Court began a public hearing into the election contestations of defeated presidential candidate Jean Pierre Bemba.

The Supreme Court was forced to abandon the hearing as angry Bemba supporters disrupted proceedings. The fire was subsequently started around 11.30am, as riot police moved away from the court complex, firing tear gas and shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

The 200 strong crowd were forced down a side street towards Mr. Bemba’s residence on Kinshasa’s main Boulevard of 30 Juin, approximately 400 metres away. Troops loyal to Bemba, who were guarding his residence, subsequently opened fire on the police and a 30 minute firefight ensued.

150 elements of MONUC’s Western Brigade were called in to defuse the tense situation, and calm was restored. MONUC’s fire brigade was also called out in an effort to contain the blaze, which was threatening to spiral out of control.

By late afternoon the fire was largely under control. At present it is not known how much damage has been done to the court complex, but an eyewitness reported the damage as being considerable.

A joint commission of enquiry into the incident has already been set up, comprising of elements of MONUC, the DRC prosecutors office and the Congolese National Police.

The Supreme Court is due this weekend to give its verdict on Mr. Bemba’s election contestations, as a tense political atmosphere prevails in the capital.

I'll use law to challenge Congo poll, says loser Jean Pierre Bemba - By Mike Pflanz in Kinshasa -17/11/2006

Jean -Pierre Bemba, officially the loser in Congo's presidential election, yesterday strongly rejected the poll results and vowed not to let voters be "betrayed".

Despite promising to use "all legal channels" to challenge the result, his statement is likely to inflame an already tense situation which saw sporadic demonstrations break out in Kinshasa.

State police and international peacekeepers moved quickly to disperse small gangs of pro-Bemba protesters who set up makeshift roadblocks on the main thoroughfare and stoned cars.

Supporters of Joseph Kabila, the winning incumbent, waved flags and sounded horns as they sped through Kinshasa celebrating the outcome of the country's first contested election since 1961.

Many shops were shuttered, schools closed and streets free of the usual traffic jams.

Official figures from Congo's electoral commission, released late on Wednesday, gave Mr Bemba 42 per cent of the vote against 58 per cent for Mr Kabila.

"With regret I must tell the people and the international community that I cannot accept these results, which far from reflect the truth of the urns," Mr Bemba said, referring to the cardboard ballot boxes.

He questioned why election officials had released the final vote tally before full investigations into six allegations of irregularities lodged by his camp were completed.

Lt Col Thierry Fusalba, a spokesman for the European Union rapid reaction force, which has 1,400 troops patrolling Kinshasa, said: "Bemba said he will use the legal processes to challenge the result, and I hope his supporters will also wait for the outcome of those investigations."

Hope in the Congo?- telegraph 17/11/2006

Neglected by the Belgians, looted by Mobutu and fought over by six foreign armies and numerous rebel groups, the Democratic Republic of Congo has just completed its first free electoral exercise in more than 40 years. To build on this extraordinary achievement, it is essential that the result of the presidential poll, which on Wednesday gave a clear victory to Joseph Kabila, be respected by the runner-up, Jean-Pierre Bemba.

Describing the outcome as an "electoral hold-up", his camp has said it will do everything in its power to defend its position. This ambiguous response could mean acting within the constitution and taking the matter to the Supreme Court, or outside it by inciting followers in Kinshasa to violence. The clashes between Mr Bemba's militia and the presidential guard after the first round of the poll in August are an ominous precedent.

It may transpire that Mr Bemba is crying wolf simply as a means of bolstering his bargaining power when it comes to forming a coalition government. One of the benefits of office would be immunity from prosecution: the former rebel leader has been convicted for human trafficking. Whatever the case, it is important, if Congo is to hold together as a state, that Mr Kabila brings a wide range of regional power-brokers into his administration. At the moment the influence of his Katangan coterie is far too strong.

The task of rebuilding this giant in the heart of Africa, whether it concerns the road network, establishing a proper tax regime for mining companies or integrating militiamen into the national security forces, is daunting. The relatively peaceful staging of the elections and the diminution of fighting in the east offer Congo the chance of finally emerging from the abyss. But it would not take much to initiate a slide back into anarchic violence. The two men in whom the electorate put their faith in the second round last month have a huge responsibility.

Congo poll loser rejects result - BBC News - 16 nov. 06 - 17.22h

Democratic Republic of Congo presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba has rejected election results that gave victory to Joseph Kabila.

The electoral commission announced President Kabila won 58.05% of the vote in the run-off poll, ahead of ex-rebel leader Mr Bemba who got 41.95%.

Mr Bemba said he would use all legal channels to contest the result.

Peacekeepers have deployed extra troops in the capital, Kinshasa - a Bemba stronghold - in case of trouble.

Mr Bemba said the result, announced on Wednesday, did not reflect the truth of the ballot box "I regret to have to say to our people and to the international community that I cannot accept these results," he said in a statement.

"I promise to use all legal means to ensure the will of our people is respected," he added.

The election result has to be confirmed by the Congolese Supreme Court. Most observers declared the election free and fair.

Joseph Kabila elected new president of DRC - Eoin Young / MONUC - 16 nov. 06 - 12.25h

On Wednesday evening November 15 2006, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the provisional results that make Joseph Kabila the new president of the DRC, with 58.05% of the votes, against a total of 41.95% of the votes for his presidential rival Jean Pierre Bemba.

Jospeh Kabila gained 9,436,779 votes against 6,819,822 votes for Jean Pierre Bemba, out of a total number of 16,256,601 ballots, which represents a 65.36% turnout of the voting population.

Interestingly, Mr. Kabila only won a majority in five out of the eleven DRC provinces, with a huge Kabila vote of 2,424,975 in Katanga and a poor voting turnout in Kinshasa, a Bemba stronghold, giving him a decisive victory.

At 35 years of age, Mr. Kabila becomes the youngest democratically elected African head of state, a position he has held since the assassination of his father Laurent Kabila in 2001.

After announcing the election results last evening, the head of the IEC, Fr. Apollinaire Malu Malu, declared that the results would now be sent immediately to the Supreme Court for ratification.

The results were announced in a tense Kinshasa following the public declaration of Mr. Bemba’s political camp on Tuesday last, which denounced the partial elections results and questioned the impartiality of the IEC.

The new president appealed for ‘fraternity and tolerance, in order to show the world that the DRC is now engaged, in an irreversible manner, on the road to democracy’.

Mr. Bemba expresses his surprise about hearing the results on air, because the IEC did not, as agreed, notify both candidates 48 hours in advance in order to allow them to react.

He reminds "the national and international communities, that these election results were the subject of several challenges including 6 requests" that he himself "addressed to the IEC, notably the one concerning the 1 481 291 absentee ballots that add up to about 10% of the vote. Until this day, the IEC has only answered two of these requests and not acceptably".

As a result of this situation, he added: “I regret to tell our people and the International Community that I cannot accept these results which are far from reflecting the truth of the polls."

He further stated: "I am committed to using all legal means to have our people's will respected".

He ends by reassuring the Congolese people of his "firm determination to never betray them".

However, the IEC indicated that that they had not received any contestations in relation to any material errors relating to the elections.

Any other disputes or contestations, according to article 73 of the electoral law, should be referred to the Supreme Court in the next three days, who will then have a further seven days to announce the final election results.

JP Bemba rejects DR Congo poll loss – 14/11/2006 - BBC

The coalition backing former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba has rejected results from the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential run-off.

President Joseph Kabila is poised for victory with 90% of the votes counted, a preliminary result count shows.

Mr Kabila has 60%, while Mr Bemba, who has been vice-president since a peace deal, has 40%, according to the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).

The Bemba camp said victory "was being stolen from the Congolese people".

It said in a statement, that if the CEI had cheated, they would not feel bound to comply with an earlier promise to respect the outcome of the election.

"The Union for the Nation will not accept an electoral hold-up that aims to steal victory from the Congolese people," the coalition said in a statement

The vote is the first following DR Congo's five-year conflict, but tension is high in the capital, Kinshasa, following weekend clashes in which four people were killed.

The BBC's Mark Doyle says the challenge to the results could be highly dangerous, especially in the capital, Kinshasa, which is a Bemba stronghold and just a few thousand United Nations peacekeepers are deployed.

The UN is backed by a special European military mission but the numbers of European troops may not be enough to contain any widespread unrest if that occurs, he says.

Regional divide

The CEI is not declaring a winner until it investigates allegations of fraud by Mr Bemba and his supporters.

CEI spokesman Dieudonne Mirimo said Mr Bemba's party had now submitted five official complaints.

Following Saturday's violence, the police arrested 337 homeless people, including 87 children, the government says, blaming them for starting the trouble.

Eye-witnesses say that security forces loyal to the two candidates exchanged gun- and mortar-fire.

United Nations observers say the election is the most significant in Africa since Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa's president in 1994.

They are seen as the country's first free elections since independence in 1960.

The commission has until 19 November to announce the results and stresses that no "trend projection" can be made on the basis of the provisional results.

The first round of elections showed a regional divide, with Mr Kabila gaining a landslide in the Swahili-speaking east, while Mr Bemba got most support in the west, where Lingala is the common language.

The world's largest peacekeeping force - 17,000-strong - is in DR Congo, tasked with ensuring security.

At least 23 people were killed in gun battles between security forces loyal to the two men in the capital, Kinshasa, after the announcement of first round results.

Mr Kabila won 45% of the vote, while Mr Bemba got 20%.

International observers generally praised the vote as being well-run, despite some disruptions in the north-east of the country.

The election was intended to close the door on decades of dictatorship and conflict.

Counting the votes is a time-consuming process as all the ballot papers had to be transported from sometimes remote locations to compilation centres.

DR Congo is two-thirds the size of western Europe and has just 300 miles of paved roads.

The country's rich reserves of minerals such as gold, diamonds and coltan - used in mobile phones - have attracted a series of armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, intent on looting.

Monsengwo: We demand that no-one returns this country to war - By Jean-Paul Baziyaka / Monuc - 10 nov. 06 - 11.42h

William Swing, the UN Special Representative for the Secretary General in the DRC, met Archbishop Monsengwo, the president of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), on Thursday November 9, 2006.

After the meeting Archbishop Monsengwo gave his impressions on the DRC political situation, in an interview granted to MONUC’s video unit.

INTERVIEW

Archbishop Monsengwo, can you speak to us about your meeting with Mr. Swing?

We met Mr. Swing as we meet other persons involved in the electoral process. We regularly meet to talk on the evolution of the process and the problems that could possibly arise.
You know that the position of the Episcopal Conference with regard to this process at this point is that we want “peace through the ballot boxes and transparency with regard to the ballot box results”.

This enables us to discuss with Mr. Swing, as well as others, on the outcome of the elections, on what they think, the rate of participation, the results which gradually are being announced, and on the meetings to harmonise the results which are done with the great willingness of everyone.

These meetings are to bring peace and then at the same time these regular meetings between the ambassador Swing and the representatives of the two camps aim to harmonize their point of view.

We spoke on all of these issues and we talked about what most concerns us, which is the success of the process because the international community, the Congolese people and everyone involved have invested so much in this and the democratic process in general. To quote an African proverb, it would be a pity if ‘the canoe capsizes before reaching the beach’.

Our wish is therefore that everyone can succeed in making the elections a success, as everyone is part of the package. If Congo enters democracy on the right footing, it is because we have reached this first step with everyone working together.

But if we miss this opportunity then this will complicate matters in the future, therefore our view is that everyone does their bit so that the will of the people who put their votes in the ballots is really what will be finally announced, in all transparency.

Taking into account the great responsibility of the church in the DRC, what is your message for the Congolese people?

We always send messages, and this year we sent several of them. The latest to date is of October 5, 2006, where we precisely insisted that we condemn violence absolutely and we ask that nobody returns this country to war, because it is time to begin the priority tasks in the development of the nation and the development of our people in solidarity.

Congo braced for violence after bitter election - By David Blair in Kinshasa, Telegraph GMT 01/11/2006

The two contenders for the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo have stashed weapons in their capital and cancelled every campaign rally for fear of unleashing chaos. But nothing could deter millions of voters from taking part in the final round of Congo's historic election yesterday.

The contest in a vast and ruined country is supposed to mark Congo's emergence from 46 years of dictatorship and civil war, preceded by eight decades of rapacious Belgian rule.

But the bitter struggle between President Joseph Kabila and his challenger, Jean-Pierre Bemba, may spark yet more violence.

Mr Kabila, a 35-year-old former taxi driver, won 44.8 per cent of the vote in the election's first round in July. Mr Bemba, the vice-president and a former rebel leader, came second with 20 per cent.

But Congo's opposition vote – which was split between 32 presidential candidates in the opening round – may now coalesce behind Mr Bemba. The 44-year-old millionaire owns two television channels and commands significant popular support, especially in the capital, Kinshasa.

Mr Kabila is deeply unpopular in the city, where he won only 14.7 per cent of the vote in the first round.

He can barely speak Lingala, Kinshasa's main language, and millions see him as an aloof "foreigner" because he spent his early life abroad before inheriting the presidency from his father, Laurent, in 2001.

Mr Kabila remains the front-runner – but he is unlikely to win overwhelmingly and the possibility of losing cannot be discounted. The key question is whether he or Mr Bemba would accept defeat.

When the results of the first round were announced in August, three days of fighting rocked Kinshasa.

The Presidential Guard attacked Mr Bemba's residence with tanks, a move which he saw as an assassination attempt.

This assault happened while 14 ambassadors, including the British deputy head of mission, were holding a meeting inside the house. They were forced to spend four hours hiding in the basement.

Both rivals have promised not to repeat this violence and vowed to accept the final election result.

"If the results are trustworthy, transparent and fair and if the election is not rigged, we will abide by the law and respect the will of the people," said Fidele Babala, the head of Mr Bemba's office.

He added: "The way President Kabila behaves, the way he leads the country and uses his power shows that he is not committed to democracy.

"He has attacked his opponents with heavy weapons. Is that the action of a democrat?"

A western diplomat in Kinshasa said that neither the president nor Mr Bemba "understands what democracy is about".

They have not campaigned for votes since the election's first round.

Instead, they appear to be reserving the option of violently rejecting an election defeat. The wives of both men are expected to leave Congo today.

According to diplomatic sources, Mr Kabila has imported about 40 T55 tanks from Ukraine, allegedly breaching a United Nations arms embargo on Congo. The Presidential Guard, with about 5,000 troops in Kinshasa, already has the advantage.

Mr Bemba, who is also thought to be stockpiling weapons, can probably mobilise about 1,000 gunmen from his old rebel army.

While he could not defeat the president militarily, he could use his popularity in Kinshasa to lead a mass uprising.

If so, the task of restoring order would fall on 17,600 United Nations peacekeepers and a European Union force with about 2,400 largely French and German soldiers, split between Kinshasa and nearby Gabon.

People outside the capital's calm, orderly polling stations make no secret of their loathing for the president and their willingness to protest.

"Kabila is a foreigner. He has done nothing for the people," said Claude Koli, 29. "We will do everything – hold demonstrations, come on to the streets – to force him to leave office.’’

EUFOR remains committed to securing the DRC electoral process

By Eoin Young / MONUC - 09 nov. 06 - 15.58h

At the weekly EUFOR press conference this Thursday November 9 2006, EUFOR said that they remain committed to securing the DRC electoral process, in the run up to the publication of the second round presidential results on November 19.

EUFOR spokesman Lt. Colonel Thierry Fusulba said that the 1,400 strong EUFOR force was in Kinshasa to reassure the population on the one hand, and as dissuasion to those who wish to disrupt the electoral process by extreme violence on the other.

With these aims in mind, EUFOR has intensified their day and night patrols on the streets of Kinshasa, both through vehicles and on foot, as well as through the use of surveillance drones.

Lt. Col. Fusulba underlined the fact that the only people who have to worry are those that wish to ‘disrupt the course of the elections through extreme violence', referring to the unrest of August 20 to 22 last.

“This violence would go against the choice of the people, people who are moreover the first victims of these extremists. Therefore the patrols that we are conducting are a measure of precaution against this threat.”

In response to a question posed in relation to FARDC troop movements in the city, he explained that there was no movement of troops that would constitute a threat to the security of the electoral process.

He also spoke on the future of EUFOR in the DRC, which, according to its original four month mandate, will expire on November 30.

“Discussions are continuing on the political level, and nothing has been decided yet. It is up to the political authorities in Europe to announce their decision on this subject.”

He added that the EUFOR soldiers also wish to know the exact date when they will go home, but that at present, the date remains November 30, and that any mission extension would necessitate another EU resolution.

MONUC remains concerned by behaviour of FARDC

By Veronika Hilber / MONUC - 08 nov. 06 - 16.40h

At the weekly MONUC press conference this Wednesday November 08 2006, MONUC said it remained concerned by the behavior of the FARDC, as some of its members are indisciplined, and are a source of insecurity in some areas.

According to MONUC military spokesperson Lt. Col. Stéphane Lescoffit, the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) continue to show indiscipline on the ground, while others are the perpetrators of human rights violations.

In denouncing this poor behaviour which soils the image of the FARDC, MONUC regularly sends reports to the Congolese ministry of Defense. MONUC also continues to remain vigilant and critical with regard to unprofessional behavior within the FARDC.

In addition, MONUC deplores the unworthy behavior of senior officer Peter Karim who has been just named Colonel, and who uses his rank to extort money from local business people in the Ituri district of Northeastern DRC.

Daniel Kawata, Director General of CONADER, the national Disarnament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme for combatants, spoke on the recent violent demonstrations in Mbandaka, Boende, Bumba and Basankusu.

This involved demobilized ex-combatants who were expressing their concerns and their dissatisfaction, as they have not yet profited from the agricultural kits given out in the reintegration process.

But mediation between local authorities and MONUC made it possible to avoid any serious unrest. At present, CONADER has demobilized 44% of the combatants that were identified as suitable for the programme.

Meanwhile, MONUC congratulated the Congolese people for their new demonstration of courage and optimism at the time of the elections on October 29 last.

Despite some acts of antisocial behaviour and violence which occurred in the eastern provinces and in Equateur, in particular in Bikoro and Bumba, the electoral operations generally proceeded in calm.

MONUC also welcomed the fact that the two candidates for the second round of presidential elections remained engaged in direct dialogue and invited them to respect the commitments they entered into through their joint official statement, signed on 28 October 2006.

Before, during and after the elections, MONUC patrolled throughout Congo, and particularly in Kinshasa. All the local centers of results compilation in the DRC were protected and in two thirds of liason offices MONUC was present.

MONUC affirmed that it remains vigilant and that it will prevent any recourse to violence by those who want to oppose the choice of the Congolese people.

DR Congo's Elections – KABILA OR BEMBA? – 30/10/2006

Observers at the Democratic Republic of Congo's landmark presidential run-off have generally praised its organisation, despite some disruptions.

DR CONGO WAR

·          1998 - 2002

·          4m dead

·          At least 8 armies, many rebel groups

·          2003: Rebels join unity government

·          East remains unstable

·          17,000 UN peacekeepers

A US spokesman said Sunday's poll was "light years ahead of anything" previously seen in DR Congo.

The vote is being rerun in the north-east town of Bumba, where polling stations were burnt, amid fraud claims.

The first unofficial results say President Joseph Kabila and ex-rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba are neck and neck.

The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the capital, Kinshasa, says the mood is tense, with European Union troops patrolling the streets and helicopters flying overhead.

The elections are supposed to draw a line under DR Congo's five-year war, which led to an estimated four million deaths and drew in the armies of at least six other African countries.

Well organised

Former Mozambique President Joachim Chisano said the electoral "process had been well organised".

Former Canadian prime minister and head of the US-based Carter Center's observing team Joe Clark said: "There does not appear to be a trend of either intimidation or violence. One could almost say the opposite."

But at least one person was killed on polling day when police opened fire on Mr Bemba's supporters in Bumba, when they rioted after saying they had uncovered attempts to stuff the ballot boxes.

Two election workers were shot dead on Monday by a drunken soldier, again sparking riots, in which 43 polling stations were destroyed in Fataki in Ituri district, which remains one of the most unstable parts of DR Congo.

The UN's Radio Okapi reports that the soldier responsible, Sergeant Mamale Innocent, has been sentenced to death for murder.

Regional divide

Results are being posted outside each of the vast country's 50,000 polling stations but the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) has until 19 November to announce the winner of the poll.

Observers have compiled results from less than 5% of the polling stations and say there is little to choose between the two candidates.

These unofficial results show a similar trend to the first round, with Mr Kabila winning by a landslide in the Swahili-speaking east and Mr Bemba ahead in the Lingala-speaking west.

These results imply that the support for Mr Kabila of the candidates who came third and fourth in the first round, both from the west, has done little to boost his support there.

Turn-out is reported to be lower across the country than in July's first round.

Mr Kabila won first round polls on 30 July, but fell just short of the 50% needed for outright victory.

Many Congolese fear that whoever loses the elections will resort to violence, as both men have considerable numbers of armed men and weapons at their disposal.

Both men have said they will accept the results, as long as they are free and fair.

DR Congo's rich reserves of minerals such as gold, diamonds and coltan - used in mobile phones - have attracted a series of armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, intent on looting.

This country two-thirds the size of western Europe has just 300 miles of paved roads.

UN officials say the polls are the most important on the continent since the 1994 election that ended apartheid in South Africa.

The best way to guarantee peace after the elections is to have an inclusive government said Mr. Ibrahim Gambari (UN under Secretary General in charge of political affairs) - Transcript / MONUC Press Conference - 15 oct. 06 - 17.20h

With two weeks to go to the second round of the presidential election of the 29 October, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, UN Under Secretary General in charge of political affairs, met with media representatives on 14 October, 2006 at MONUC headquarters to speak about the outcome of his meetings with the two remaining presidential candidates and the president of the Independent Electoral Commission. 


Transcript of the Questions and Answers


The official campaign has just started. The International Committee in Support of the Transition (CIAT) has expressed concerns about incidents and acts of violence. What would you tell us regarding the commitment of the presidential candidates to run a peaceful campaign and their willingness to go to the end of the process?

The message that I have conveyed to the candidates was that this election is very important because it is a turning point in the history of this country. It is the first multiparty election in four decades.

Therefore, there is the responsibility on the part of the candidates to ensure that the hopes and the expectations of the people of Congo are not disappointed.

In this regard, the atmosphere for the election has to be fair, free and transparent and the results should be accepted by both.

Furthermore, they should avoid using the media to convey hate message, incitement and provocation. I think this message was well received.

I have also made the point that elections are not held for the sake of elections, but the purpose of these elections is to build peace, stability , and development to the people of Congo. So a lot is being expected from the leaders.


We are now approximately two weeks from the presidential and provincial elections. Have you come to visit the DRC at this time because you have concerns about the final stages of the elections?

Among my responsibilities as Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs at the United Nations, I am the focal point for electoral assistance at the UN for all elections globally, so my coming here is just part of my responsibilities. As a matter of fact, I had wanted to come earlier, but it has been very difficult because of my other schedules and responsibilities.

So the timing is not because I am particularly concerned. But I am glad I came at this time because I think the messages that I have conveyed on behalf of the Secretary General to the two candidates for president are particularly timely.


A few days ago, the EU electoral observation mission in the DRC declared that the results of the legislative elections revealed that the number of polling stations posted “unexplained variations between the two simultaneous polls of July 30”, and that “there are inconsistencies in the electoral accountancy of the results”. Have you obtained guarantees from the IEC that these irregularities will not occur any more?

I have had good discussions with the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission and with our own people who are supporting this whole electoral process. A lot of lessons have been learned from the first round of elections including some of what you have just said. I feel satisfied that they are prepared to deal with many of these lessons learned, if not most of them, and so that the (problems) will not be repeated.

All efforts have been made to ensure that technically the election is free, fair and transparent, but more importantly, politically, it is important for the election results to be accepted by the two presidential candidates and also to create an atmosphere to promote a free, fair and transparent election.


What guarantee do you offer to the loser of the second round election?

The UN has learned a lot of lessons from other UN peacekeeping operations. If the elections are held and if you leave immediately, many times you have to come back. So whether it is in East Timor or Haiti or Central African Republic, some lessons have been learned on how not to leave too soon.

Regarding what to say to those who might lose the elections, in my own view, as an African, as a senior United Nations official and as a political scientist, the best way to guarantee peace is to have an all inclusive process.

If you want to exclude, then that is an invitation to problems. So the more inclusive the government, the better. That is why, in many countries that are emerging from conflict, they find an arrangement whereby it is not a winner take all result. Ways can be found to include the loser in the political process. But that decision has to be taken by a new government that bears in mind the interest of the country and the people as a whole.

DR Congo children 'still armed'

Eleven thousand children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are in the hands of armed groups or unaccounted for, says Amnesty International.

Three years after the end of a war in which they were forced to fight, many children have not been demobilised, says the human rights group.

It blames a lack of political will, poor organisation and corruption.

The five-year conflict triggered a humanitarian crisis estimated to have killed nearly four million people.

A demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme launched two years ago was aimed at releasing an estimated 30,000 child soldiers and getting them back into civilian life.

But Amnesty says the programme is failing, and is appealing to the winner of forthcoming presidential elections to make the issue a priority.

"The new government must make it their first priority to ensure that all children associated with armed forces and groups are released, protected and provided with meaningful educational and income-generating opportunities to enable them to stay within their communities," the report says.

"This is the only way to prevent the re-recruitment and further abandonment of these children."

The report says young girls are being disproportionately affected, used as sex slaves by military commanders or regarded as dependents of adult fighters.

Girls made up 40% of the children taken by armed groups during the war yet the vast majority remain unaccounted for, Amnesty says.

"A lot of them were used more as sex slaves and therefore the combatants are considering them as their possession or their wife," Amnesty researcher Veronique Albert told the BBC.

On 29 October the country is holding a second round of presidential elections.

New patrol launched to enforce "Kinshasa, city without arms" objective - By E.Young & B. Alao / MONUC - 03 oct. 06 - 12.28h

Following the agreement signed on September 23 2006 by representatives of President Kabila and Vice President Bemba, a new patrol under the objective of “Kinshasa, city without arms”, was launched yesterday October 2 2006.

These patrols are comprised of elements of the Congolese National Police (PNC), the Military Police of the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC), the Formed Police Unit of MONUC, MONUC military, and EUPOL (EU Police) who provide technical assistance, and, if neccessary,  EUFOR.

The overall aim of the new patrol is to prevent the risk of armed clashes in Kinshasa by verifying the movement of all firearms carrying personnel in the city.

MONUC military spokesperson Lt. Colonel Stéphane Lescoffit said that the main objective is to reduce the circulation of illegal arms in Kinshasa by verifying all those that carry a firearm in the city.

“MONUC military is charged with the coordination of this patrol, which will patrol the whole city. There will be two patrols per day in the morning and in the evening, and it is foreseen to increase the patrols at night also.”

“The patrols will control and identify anyone moving on public roads or in public places with firearms, and any found in breach of the agreement will be presented to the relevant authorities,” he added.

This patrol forms the fifth type of patrol in Kinshasa, along with the regular MONUC patrols, EUFOR patrols, mixed police controls and verification controls.

MONUC and EUFOR carry out regular 24 four hour patrols throughout the central city districts of Gombe and Ma Campagne, with occasional patrols in other areas.

The mixed police patrols are formed by the PNC and MONUC police with assistance from EUPOL, and have been implemented for security and intervention purposes.

The verification patrols consist of elements of President Kabila’s The Republican guard and Vice President Bemba’s security forces, as a confidence and trust building measure to reduce the tension between both camps following the violent Kinshasa confrontations of August 20 to 22 last.

Belgian drone crash kills woman in Congo capital – Reuters - 03 oct. 06 - 15.58h

KINSHASA (Reuters) - A Belgian unmanned surveillance aircraft being used by an EU force crashed on Tuesday in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, killing one woman and injuring two other people, the spokesman for the European force said.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the crash.

"A drone crashed just before 2 this afternoon (1300 GMT). It was coming in to land when we lost contact with it. Sadly one lady has been killed and two other people were injured. We don't know if it was a technical fault or if it was shot down like the last one," EUFOR's Lieutenant-Colonel Thierry Fusalba said.

Another drone being used by European Union soldiers helping ensure security during Congo's polls was brought down by gunfire in late July just before the huge former Belgian colony held its first free national elections in more than 40 years.

The city has been tense since soldiers loyal to President Joseph Kabila and former rebel chief and vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, who face each other in a presidential run-off on October 29, fought several days of street battles in August.

Kabila, a Swahili-speaker from Congo's east, got more than twice as many votes as Bemba in the first round.

But Kabila is unpopular in Lingala-speaking Kinshasa, where his opponents have staged violent demonstrations and accused U.N. and EU peacekeepers of bias towards Kabila.

Security Council extends MONUC's mandate ; DPI - 02 oct. 06 - 16.50h

On Friday September 29 last, the UN Security Council, through resolution 1711, has extended MONUC’s mandate until February 15 2007.

The Security Council also decided to extend the increase in military and civilian police strength to assist in the electoral process, with the second round due to take place in less than four weeks time on October 29.

An authorization was also given to extend the redeployment of a maximum of up to one infantry battalion, a military hospital and 50 military observers from ONUB - the United Nations Operation in Burundi - to MONUC, until December 31 2006.

Taking note of the Secretary-General’s recommendation to temporarily maintain that capability until 15 February 2007, the Council expressed its intention to re-examine the issue before 31 December 2006, with a view to ensuring that MONUC had adequate capabilities to perform its mandate fully until 15 February.

It also requested the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps, with a view to downsizing or repatriating the additional strength by 15 February 2007, as long as their presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo would no longer be vital to the successful completion of the electoral process.

The Council called on the transitional institutions and all Congolese parties to ensure that free, fair and peaceful elections take place, and to ensure that the security forces exercise restraint and remain impartial.

It also called on the two remaining presidential candidates to restate their commitment to the democratic process.

They stated that Congolese parties should refrain from incitement to hatred and violence, and from any threat or use of force to prevent elections, dispute their outcome or subvert the peace process.

Welcoming the Secretary-General’s intention to consult closely with the new Congolese authorities on an adjustment of MONUC’s mandate and capacities after the completion of the electoral process, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit recommendations in that regard by the end of January 2007.

Full provincial legislative election results announced by the IEC – Kabila 111 seats and Bemba 64 seats - No majority in Parliament - Oscar Mercado / MONUC - 08 sep. 06 - 14.17h

On Thursday night September 7 2006, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the full provisional results of the legislative elections of 30 July last. The PPRD party of president Kabila topped the polls with 111 seats, followed by the MLC party of vice-president Bemba with 64.

Mr. Kabila and Mr. Bemba are also the two remaining candidates for the second round of the presidential elections, scheduled for October 29 next. The PALU party of Antoine Gizenga, the candidate who came third in the first round of presidential elections, garnered 34 seats in the 500 seat DRC parliament.
 
Meanwhile the RCD party of Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa, a former candidate for the presidency, has 15 deputies in the new parliament.

Neither of the main political alliances- the AMP (Alliance for the Presidential Majority) of president Kabila, or RENACO (Regrouping of the Congolese Nationalists) of Vice president Bemba- reached the target of 251 deputies required to have a majority in Parliament.

Apart from the political parties, there are 63 independent deputies in the new parliament, which must install itself in 15 days, according to the Constitution and the electoral law. The number of women elected as deputies stands at 42, which represents less than 10% of the new parliament.

The senators will be elected by the provincial parliament, whose members, known as provincial deputies, will be elected at the same time of the second round of the presidential election, on October 29 next.
 
By law, the Supreme Court must announce the official legislative election results within two months. In addition, it is due to issue the official results of the first round of presidential elections in the coming days.

DR Congo teachers' unions call for strike (67 dollars per month) - AFP- 04/09/06

KINSHASA, Sept 3, 2006 (AFP) - The two main teachers' unions in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for strike action at the beginning of term on Monday in order to press for more pay.

"If the government does not manage to answer our needs, the return to school on September 4th will not take place," Andre Malasi, head of Catholic school teachers' union Synecat, told AFP on Sunday.

In 2005 strike action by teachers led to school starting six weeks late.

"It is the same call as last year. The commitments made by the government have not been respected," Malasi said.

Synecat and fellow union Syeco were calling for salary hikes agreed in February 2004 with the government to be carried out and for a "decent and fair salary" for all teachers.

Under the terms of the 2004 deal, a pay bracket between 208 and 2,080 dollars (162 to 1,620 euros) per month was agreed.

A teacher in DRC currently earns the equivalent of 67 dollars per month, according to Malasi.

There are also three different salary zones, and unions were calling for "the same salary across the whole territory".

Paul Musafiri, minister for primary and secondary education, said that the 2006 budget would not allow the agreed pay hikes, and that he was not sure if this would be any different in 2007.

Talks with teachers had "not been broken up," Musafiri said.

EU: We have anticipated financing for the second round of elections - Radio Okapi - 01 sep. 06 - 16.47h

Aldo Ajello, the European Union special envoy for the Great Lakes region has been to Kinshasa this week to meet with various Congolese political actors and members of the International Community, including MONUC head William Swing.

INTERVIEW

Mr. Ajello, could you make a short assessment of your stay in Kinshasa?
The objective of the Kinshasa visit was to review the events of the 21st and the 22nd of August that represented perhaps the most serious crisis during the transitional period.
With our mission we’re aiming to give a hand to MONUC to put the process back on track.

We’re providing the conditions for confidence, again, between the different partners and especially between the two candidates for the second round of presidential elections.

We also want to be sure that the institutions keep on working as long as necessary before the date of the presidential elections’ second round, which is due to take place the 29th of October.

You have had the opportunity to meet President Kabila and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba. What have been your impressions?
Both are aware of the fact that the process has to be put back on track; they know that one has to make sure that the second round of the presidential elections can take place in the best conditions. So we have a common working basis.

The problem is, of course, that we have a deep mistrust between the two, and especially on vice president Bemba’s side who saw himself aggressed during the events of the 21st and 22nd of August.

So the re-establishment of confidence is the first step to take. The second step is to make the institutions work and the third one is to reach the second round of the elections. We are working on these three steps and we think that the conditions are good enough so that we can advance the process.

Are you optimistic for the presidential election second round, and also for its outcome?
I think we have done a lot of work and invested a lot, so we can’t allow ourselves to be pessimistic.

How would you describe the role of the European Union in this electoral period?
It’s a role of assistance and support. The European Union has given a political support to the transition and also a financial support throughout the transitional phase, including the electoral phase, which we have financed by almost 80%.

We are enormously committed to this issue and we want it to succeed in the best possible way, with institutions elected by the Congolese people.

Has the European Union contemplated the budget necessary for the second round?
When it comes to the subject of financing the second round, things become really stupid. It is as if we had anticipated one single round of the elections. But we anticipated the financing for all the elections.

Even if the president would have been elected in the first round, we would have had to finance, in any case, the provincial elections. So, we have to go for the second round of the presidential elections, which is nor much different to holding the provincial elections on their own. The second presidential round does not change anything.

There is a gap, because the costs of this electoral process have been higher than expected, as the process has been longer than expected. So now we are trying to find the money to fill this gap and I can tell you already that the European Union will, some days or even hours from now, make an announcement of a considerable contribution in order to fill most of this gap.

United Nations Special Representative: "There cannot be a military solution to political problems", Frederic Renoux, 23 aug. 06 - 15.29h

At the MONUC weekly press conference this Wednesday August 2, William Swing, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in the DRC, denounced the violence of the last few days in Kinshasa, and called on “the political leaders to act with prudence.”

He however declared himself “satisfied with the installation of the agreement regarding the withdrawal of troops” who were involved in the Kinshasa violence over the last few days.

William Swing welcomed the agreement between the belligerents, calling on the political leaders to act with prudence and stressing that there “cannot be a military solution to political problems.”

Mr. Swing said it was “imperative that the two sides establish measures which comply with the agreements”, which were concluded yesterday after a mediation by MONUC.
According to him, these measures must include the creation of a “Joint Committee” to resolve differences and allow an “acceptance of the rules of the game so that the electoral process proceeds under the best possible conditions.”

He also hoped for a meeting between Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, the two remaining rivals for the presidency of the country.

This Joint Committee should in particular address the issue of the “mixing” of the troops in charge of the security of the President and the vice-President, and give a precise definition of their role according to the law.

For the most part, the confrontations of the last few days involved the presidential guard, in charge of the protection of the president Joseph Kabila, and the protection unit of the vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba.

According to the law these units are part of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), but they were not yet integrated yet into the brassage* process, which is in place to ensure the standardization of the FARDC.

William Swing denounced the violence once again, and offered MONUC’s condolences to the families of the victims. He regretted the “cruel irony” of these confrontations, which have occurred after peaceful elections.

However he reaffirmed his optimism in relation to the will of the Congolese people, who, “in spite of the obstacles”, wished to open a new chapter in their country’s history. He added that this will was already shown by their massive participation in the poll, in the first round of the presidential elections.

Mr. Swing stressed that MONUC would continue “to do all within its means to help the Congolese people to go to the ballot boxes” on 29 October 29 next. Questioned on the role of MONUC in the re-establishment of law and order, MONUC force commander General Babacar Gaye reminded those present that MONUC forces could not be a substitute for the police.

“I personally went on the ground to intervene with the protagonists, our troops interposed and we brought them around a table. We assist in creating the conditions and structures to help the Congolese to regulate their problems, but the ultimate responsibility for law and order rests with the National Congolese Police.”

He stressed that what was essential from now on was “the will of the actors to take part in dialogue.”

An uncertain calm has returned to Kinshasa since Tuesday evening. A provisional assessment of the violence, given by the National Congolese Police this Wednesday, stated that there was at least 16 dead and 11 wounded.

*Brassage is a military process in the DRC whereby ex combatants from various groups in the former conflict are reintegrated and retrained to form part of the FARDC- the national DRC armed forces.

Run-off between Kabila (44.8%) and Bemba (20.03%) in presidential election - Oscar Mercado - 21/08/2006

Incumbent Joseph Kabila garnered 44.81% of the vote, while the runner-up, vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba, collected 20.03%, according to provisional results announced by the CEI late Sunday. They’ll be opposed in a second round on October 29.

"Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, the two candidates who received the most amount of votes, are allowed to stand in the second round of the presidential election, as soon as results are published and transmitted to the Supreme Court of Justice", Malu Malu, the president of the Independent Electoral Commission, proclaimed.

Veteran politician Antoine Gizenga, PALU (Lumumbist party) leader, came third with 13.06% of the tally. Nzanga Mobutu (4.77%), son of former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, and Oscar Kashala (3.46%), who has spent 20 years in the United States, came respectively fourth and fifth.

Vice-president Azarias Ruberwa, RCD leader, obtained 1.69% of the votes, and Arthur Zaidi N’Goma, another vice-president in the race, collected 0.34 %.

Voter turn out for the July 30 election stood at 70.54% of registered voters, according to Malu Malu, who announced results live on national Congolese TV.

These provisional results now have to be validated by the Supreme Court of Justice, which deals with electoral challenges. Candidates have three days from Monday to file challenges, which will be examined within 7 days by the Court.

The Supreme Court of Justice should announce final results by August 31. The second round will take place on October 29, according to the calendar announced by the CEI.

The CEI is also to release from this week on the provisional results of the legislative elections, held simultaneously on July 30.

DR Congo poll officials arrested; BBC News; 11 aug. 06 - 17.26h

Six election officials have been arrested for allegedly trying to rig vote counting after recent elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They are reported to have been caught "red handed" trying to falsify voting documents in the capital, Kinshasa, and were taken to court on Thursday.

Meanwhile 15 minor presidential candidates have complained of "massive irregularities" in the vote count.

The election on 30 July was DR Congo's first democratic poll in 40 years

The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Apollinaire Malu Malu, told AFP news agency an investigation had been launched to "clarify the situation".

The statement by 15 presidential candidates alleged "numerous acts of fraud" in the election process including tampering with polling documents and bribing voters.

It accused international bodies overseeing the elections of a "complicit silence" in the alleged irregularities.

The elections were aimed at ending a long civil war.

More than 30 candidates, including incumbent Joseph Kabila, are contesting for the presidency and over 9,000 candidates stood for parliament.

Some 25m voters were protected by 17,000 UN peacekeepers, most of them stationed in the east.

KINSHASA, Aug 10 - Results trickling in from Congo's historic election confirm a two-man race between the incumbent president and a former rebel leader but 10 days after the vote, experts caution the results are still tentative.

President Joseph Kabila is currently leading with just over 46 percent of the 1.6 million votes so far counted from Democratic Republic of Congo's first free election in more than 40 years. Jean-Pierre Bemba trails with about 24 percent.

Despite observers' warnings not to project results from the partial figures, speculation is mounting over whether Kabila will win the majority needed to avoid a run-off in late October.

"It is going to be very close either way," a Western diplomat told Reuters. "Two rounds would make it seem more legitimate but there is nothing we can do about that."

The partial figures reveal an east-west divide in the vast mineral-rich former Belgian colony, which analysts have warned could herald a legitimacy crisis for a new president.

Kabila is winning easily in his native Swahili-speaking east while Bemba is sweeping his western homeland, where Lingala is spoken. The remaining votes are scattered among 30 candidates.

Congo's July 30th elections were the culmination of a peace process meant to end a 1998-2003 war, which sparked a humanitarian crisis that has killed more than 4 million people, more than any conflict since World War Two.

But battling the circulation of fake results and chaotic scenes at counting centres, Congo's electoral commission has announced figures from just 25 of 169 voting constituencies across a nation the size of Western Europe.

"These are still very tentative results," said one U.N. official. "We shouldn't start making projections until 30 or 40 percent of the vote has been counted."

KABILA POPULAR In the east, many voters backed Kabila for what they saw as his role in ending the war, which badly ravaged the area. In former Rwandan-backed rebel stronghold of Goma, in the eastern province of North Kivu, Kabila won 88 percent of votes cast.

In the west, Bemba appealed to voters who oppose a president from the east who doesn't speak their language. In several constituencies in his native Equateur province, Bemba won well over 80 percent.

Harvard-trained doctor Oscar Kashala heads the rest of the candidates but trails the two front-runners by a long way.

The international community, which has paid more than $450 million for the polls, is trying to diffuse tensions fuelled by complaints of fraud by some candidates.

International observers are encouraging people to check the results being published are the same as the ones they witnessed at polling stations on voting day.

"This is a positive step that the electoral commission is publishing the results," said Colin Stewart, regional co-director of the Carter Centre. "It is a very transparent measure and should put to rest any doubts people had."

Many fear a second round would be preceded by violent campaigning, playing on ethnic divisions. Analysts also warn Bemba's supporters are unlikely to accept a first-round victory by Kabila.

Tensions are particularly high in the capital where many Congolese say foreign powers want to see Kabila elected.

"If Bemba does not win, or even get into the second round, this place will burn. We voted for him and we want him president," said Jacques, an unemployed youth in his 20s.

W. Swing: It is in the interests of everyone to stay calm as they await the election results - M. Swing's speech - 03 aug. 06 - 15.28h

William Swing, the Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC, explained at this critical political juncture in the DRC elections that  it is important for everyone to remain calm and patient as the results are tabulated.


Official speech at MONUC weekly press conference on Wednesday August 2 2006.

It is necessary to respect the choice of the people that was expressed in the ballots.

I would like to share with you some of our impressions of the elections which took place on Sunday last.

I would like initially to thank you, the media, for your fidelity, and your interest in the process of which you keep the public regularly informed. We have just experienced some history with the holding of multiparty elections on Sunday July 30 last.

It is an important thing for the Congolese people. We want to show our recognition for being witnesses to this election spirit. For this reason, we pay homage to the Congolese people who voted massively in peace, with patience and dignity on the day.

The rate of participation was very high in almost all the country, thanks to a climate of security, except for Kasaï. I especially noted the strong mobilization of women. I would like to hail also the presence of 1,700 international observers here, as well as 47,000 national observers and 300,000 witnesses of the political parties.

The majority of the elections passed in an atmosphere of security, calm, and without major incidents. There were 49,947 polling stations, the majority of which opened on time. The offices which opened with delay, closed later. There were only minor technical problems such as the burning of electoral materials and polling stations in Kasaï.

The elections of Sunday have been historical which will mark the result of the transition initiated in DRC since 2003. I am delighted by the calm and the serenity in which these elections proceeded. I am also delighted by the good conditions under which the election campaign was held overall. I would like to congratulate the Congolese people once again for their patience, devotion, courage and determination and thus faith in the future of this country.

We in the United Nations and all the other members of the international community are very honoured to be associated with these elections in Congo. You will be perhaps surprised, but it is the largest election ever supported by the United Nations, taking into account three aspects.

Firstly, it is the largest country by far - a third of the United States, fifteen times larger than Europe and larger than the five or six countries which organized elections during the last three or four months.

Secondly, in DRC, we had the largest electorate with more than 25 million voters, which is five million more than in South Africa.

Lastly, to organize the elections was a great challenge in a country which has only 500 km of roads. This is a country which has not had a census since 1984, and finally a country which has not known multiparty elections since 1965. Moreover, the RDC needed 50,000 polling stations. There were other challenges as well.

These elections open the doors of a great economy in the interests of the Congolese people.

Despite everything, at MONUC, we were always optimistic. But what was this optimism based on? I will answer by saying three things:

Firstly, as I already said, the elections were characterised by the determination of the Congolese people to choose its leaders in serenity and peace. There is a Congolese proverb that you know and pronounce better than me in Lingala. And this proverb is “if the fish says to you that the crocodile is sick, it should be believed because they all come from the water”. We listened to the Congolese people.

The second reason for this optimism is based on the great support of the international community since the independence of this beautiful and large country.

The third reason is the state of the preparations and the remarkable work achieved by the Independent Electoral Commission. The Congolese people took a great step since the referendum by expressing its will through these elections to break with 15 years of a history of interminable transitions and political negotiations.

It is a pity that the attention of the general public was always focused on the presidential campaign as there is also a campaign to elect the Parliament, which will be composed of 500 members who will have to choose the Prime Minister. And there will be also the provincial Assemblies which will choose the Senators.

If all proceeded well, it should be recognized however that the remainder of the way is still long, even if a great step were made. We share the concern of the Independent Electoral Commission and of the High Authority of the Media concerning the behavior of certain media and certain actors who were responsible for, and I quote “obvious violations of the electoral law, as regards publication of the results."

The IEC and the HAM remind the media in the same official statement that the electoral law authorizes the IEC only to publish provisional results. It is necessary to distinguish the irregularities from the frauds. Those which have disputes can carry them out through the proper authorities, named by the electoral law.

While waiting for the results and the resolution of disputes, it is in the interests of the people and of the election process to keep its patience and its calm. In the higher interest of the nation, it is necessary for the election candidates to resist temptation to proclaim unilaterally and precipitately their victory. It is important for them to avoid proclaiming fraud on the Supreme Court of Justice and the IEC who did their work and assumed their responsibility with a respect for the law.

Meanwhile, it is necessary to let them do their work. One should not be afraid of good news - the fact remains that the Congo organized elections. Above all, it is necessary to respect the choice of the people that was expressed in the ballots.

Finally, we say that Sunday July 30 was a great day for the Congolese, who have voted. And I am convinced that these elections will bring much good things to Africa as a whole. One needs a stable country for central Africa. These elections open the doors of a great economy in the interests of the Congolese people.

I finish with a quotation by Mr. Mandela who always said that one has “the impression of being in physical contact with history."  

Thank you.

Candidate Alleges 'Massive Fraud' in Congo Vote, By Craig Timberg, Washington Post Foreign Service - Wednesday, August 2, 2006

KINSHASA, Congo, Aug. 1 -- One of Congo's four vice presidents said Tuesday that a historic national election on Sunday was marred by "massive fraud" that must be remedied through new balloting in at least some parts of the country.

Azarias Ruberwa, the former leader of a Rwandan-backed rebel group who ran for president as head of Congolese Rally for Democracy, charged that officials from the nation's Independent Electoral Commission stuffed ballot boxes to help President Joseph Kabila in Congo's first multiparty vote since 1960.

"We didn't have an election that was free, fair or democratic," Ruberwa said during a news conference on the front lawn of his official residence on the banks of the Congo River.

Kabila's spokesman, Kudura Kasongo, disputed Ruberwa's allegations, saying the vote was fair. "It was free, clearly, absolutely," Kasongo said.

Kinshasa, the capital, remained quiet, with heavy patrols by Congolese police and U.N. troops. Ruberwa and the 31 other presidential candidates awaited the release of official results, due by Aug. 20, but analysts and other campaigns said Ruberwa was not among the front-runners.

The leading candidates, analysts said, were Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, who, like Ruberwa, was a rebel leader before becoming a vice president. The two top candidates' bases of support split the country, with Kabila ahead in eastern Congo and Bemba ahead in the west, including Kinshasa, both campaigns said.

It is not clear whether either won a majority of the votes. If no candidate gets a majority, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held Oct. 29.

The elections have been hailed by the United Nations, the United States and many Congolese as a major step toward stability for a country racked by war, destruction and poverty since the toppling of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997.

Electoral commission spokesman Delion Kimbulumpu said the agency had no knowledge of officials improperly assisting candidates but would investigate complaints by Ruberwa or any other Congolese.

"The electoral commission will not let any irregularities go unpunished," Kimbulumpu said.

Also Tuesday, a team of election monitors from the Atlanta-based Carter Center said the election was run in a "generally peaceful and orderly manner."

But the center, which had 58 observers in the country, expressed concern about last-minute changes to the voters list, biased news coverage and abuse of governmental authority to assist candidates. Their observation will continue, Carter Center officials said, until the results are complete. They also said they would investigate Ruberwa's claims.

Special correspondent Claude Kamanga Mutond contributed to this report.

Congolese vote peacefully

By Oscar Mercado / MONUC - 30 jul. 06 - 16.27h

The Congolese vote passed in relative calm this Sunday July 30 2006, in the first free and democratic elections which the country has known for more than 40 years. Up to the early afternoon there were no major incidents of note.

The polling stations opened their doors at 6am this morning, and will remain open until 5pm to accommodate almost 25 million voters who will have to choose between 32 candidates for the presidential election, and more than 9,000 candidates for the legislative positions.

In all provinces the majority of the 49,947 polling stations opened on time and the Congolese then took part in the elections, patiently waiting to slip their votes into the ballot box.

Some incidents occurred in opposition strongholds such as Mbuji Mayi, in Kasaï Oriental, where many offices could not open their doors at 6am, and where 134 electoral kits were destroyed during acts of antisocial behaviour yesterday. Today one of the polling stations was burnt down but there were no casualties.

In other areas of the country, such as the Kivu provinces and the district of Ituri, which were prey to insecurity in the recent past, the vote was held in relative calm. The official results of the first round of presidential elections will be known in approximately three weeks, according to estimates from the Independent Electoral Commission.

There will be no provisional results. The final results of the legislative elections (with only one round) will be known after the results of the presidential election.

Three hurt in election strife in DR Congo opposition fief

AFP - 30 jul. 06 - 20.27h

MBUJI-MAYI, DRCongo, July 30, 2006 (AFP) - The mayor of the Democratic Republic of Congo mining town of Mbuyi-Maji said three people were injured on Sunday when youths tried to derail voting here in the country's first free ballot in 46 years.

One was beaten with an iron rod and two suffered burns when opposition supporters threw a petrol bomb into a polling station in the country's diamond capital, Marcel Innocent Kingwa Mwana told AFP.

"They were the victims of youths who want to derail the presidential and legislative elections in Mbuyi-Maji," he said.

The town is a stronghold of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who is boycotting the vote, and was the worst flashpoint in an election that unfolded peacefully in most of the DRC.

Youths on Sunday morning hurled stones at policemen and journalists in Mbuji-Mayi and on Saturday a truck carrying ballots to the central region was set on fire.

Ballots were flown in from Kinshasa on Sunday to allow about 60 polling stations to open but voter turnout was thin.

Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress had urged voters to "stay home", saying the elections would be rigged to allow DRC's young head of state, Joseph Kabila, to stay in power.

"I cannot go to vote until our leader Etienne retracts his order," said Ben Bengama, a 60-year-old carpenter.

The independent electoral commission in the meanwhile said 11 voting stations were damaged in the southeastern Kasai region, while tempers briefly flared in Lubumbashi, the DRC's second city, as hundreds of voters found they were not registered.

Kabila has promised to unite the DRC after a five-year war and is the favourite to win the first round of presidential elections taking place alongside a legislative vote.

A UN envoy to the DRC, Ross Mountain, said the violence was isolated and described the vote, marked by a huge turnout in most of the country, as "a success".