U N I T E D N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa
Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org
DRC: ICRC suspends work in Bunia after employees killed
The bodies of six ICRC aid workers were on Thursday found on the road between Djugu and Fataki near Bunia, in northeastern DRC. "The team, which was travelling in two vehicles marked with the ICRC emblem to carry out an evaluation for the next distribution in the area, lost radio contact with our sub delegation in Bunia," an ICRC spokesman in Geneva, Juan Martinez, told IRIN on Friday. "At the loss of contact with both vehicles, the office sensed something was wrong and contacted Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) who are in charge of security in this area," he explained. "On reaching the spot, they found the six bodies and brought them back to Bunia." He said four of the dead were Congolese nationals and two expatriates. ICRC named the Congolese as Veronique Saro, Unen Ufoirworth, Aduwe Boboli and Jean Molokabonge. The other two were Rita Fox, a Swiss, and Julio Delgado, a Colombian.
Martinez said the organisation had used this road, "usually regarded as safe", for several months. "As investigations are going on, it is very difficult to know whether we were targeted or whether it was just an ambush," he said. "But for the time being, we have suspended our activities in that area and the future actions will depend on the outcome of the investigations." ICRC said it was hard to know exactly what happened as there were no witnesses so far. The organisation had been operating in the area since October 1999 with their office in Bunia, assisting "several thousands of people". In a statement on Friday, ICRC expressed "deep shock" over the deaths. "The ICRC expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the families of the deceased, who gave their lives for the ideal of solidarity with the victims of the conflict in the DRC," it said. "Profoundly grieved by this tragedy, it condemns in the strongest terms this attack and the flouting of the Red Cross emblem."
DRC: War a pretext for "looting and violating human rights" - ASADHO
The DRC human rights organisation, ASADHO, has voiced concern over the "repression" committed by the security forces, particularly in the Kinshasa area. Addressing a press conference in Brussels on Friday to launch ASADHO's annual report for 2000, attended by IRIN, the organisation's president Dave Banza particularly condemned the activities of the military court. "Its main targets are journalists, human rights defenders, religious leaders and political opponents," he said. "During its three years of existence, the military court has pronounced more death penalties than all the civil and military tribunals during the last 20 years of the Mobutu regime." He added that "so far the situation has not really improved".
In rebel-held territory, the rebels "have copied, in a worse manner, the same methods as Kinshasa: political intolerance, repression against civilians, massacres, rapes, lootings", Banza said. He believed that the clashes between Ugandan and Rwandan troops in Kisangani and the creation of the mining company Societe miniere des Grands Lacs (SOMIGL) "confirm that the main motivation of Rwanda and Uganda is economic". "What is new in the report," he added, "is the cynical attitude of the Rwanda-backed rebels who create the existence of fake Interahamwe [militia] in order to chase the people from the villages and to replace them by Rwandan citizens for the exploitation of minerals."
In the report, entitled "The DRC: using the war pretext to loot resources and violate human rights", ASADHO said the military and political leaders involved in the conflict "seem more interested in maximising the benefits from the illegal exploitation of natural resources than by the search for solutions to the war".
DRC: Kabila commends SADC forces intervention
DRC President Joseph Kabila on Thursday commended the intervention of the allied Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces in his country, saying it had "prevented complete chaos from aggravating the Congolese bloodbath". "Their contribution hindered decentralisation within the continent," Angolan television quoted Kabila as saying in an address to the Angolan parliament. "The Angolan, Namibian and Zimbabwean forces are posted in my country at the invitation of the legitimate DRC government," Kabila added. He noted that the SADC forces were compelled by the regional organisation's statute to respond to any appeal made by a member of the organisation, which was being threatened or was the victim of aggression. "This was DRC's case," he said. "For your information, the different UN Security Council resolutions make a clear distinction between 'invited and uninvited' forces operating within the DRC conflict.
He also took note of the socio-economic difficulties faced by these three countries, which in the case of Angola was accentuated by the war in that country. "We are convinced that the difficulties can be eased by reinforcing bilateral cooperation between our two countries," he said. "Both countries have exceptional potential, are historically united by culture, by blood and even by language. We share the longest common border between two African states," he said. "There is no doubt that by working together we will resolve most of our economic and security problems. We should therefore re-establish the DRC-Angolan joint commission." He said he would uphold fundamental freedoms, as well as establish a lawful state to maintain a democratic environment in his country. Kabila reiterated his support for the Lusaka peace process and said a date for the inter-Congolese dialogue would be set at the end of mediator Ketumile Masire's consultations with the involved parties.
DRC: More funds needed for humanitarian work
The UN Security Council on Wednesday said donor countries "must come forward" to help fund the humanitarian efforts in the DRC, according to president of the UN body. In a statement to the press following informal consultations on the DRC, Council President Jeremy Greenstock of the UK, said the Congolese humanitarian situation was "horrific" and characterised by "significant under-funding". "Please would member states, capitals, look at that under-funding," he said, noting that the UN appeal for US $72 million for the DRC was only 13 percent funded. "There's a lot of work still to be done." Ambassador Greenstock's comments followed a meeting of the Council during which members heard a briefing by UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Coordinator, Kenzo Oshima, on his visit to the DRC earlier this month.
BURUNDI: Local official killed
A local government official in Burundi was killed along with his family as they slept in their home in the eastern province of Cankuzo, news organisations reported on Friday. Army spokesman Colonel Augustin Nzabampema said the attack occurred early on Wednesday morning in Gisagara commune. The dead man, Augustin Ndenzako, was the commune administrator and a former army officer. Two neighbours also died in the attack, believed to have been carried out by rebels of the Forces de defense pour la democratie (FDD).
BURUNDI: Coup attempt designed to "hoodwink" world, rebel leader says
Last week's coup attempt in Burundi was a "deliberate, clandestine move to obstruct the peace process", according to Joseph Karumba, leader of the rebel FROLINA movement. In an interview with the Tanzanian 'Guardian' daily, he claimed the move was an attempt to "hoodwink" the international community. Noting that the soldiers involved in the attempt came from the Gakumbu military camp near the international airport, he asked why they did not try to take control of the facility. "A serious coup d'etat could have been 100 percent direct confrontation between mutineers and government soldiers loyal to the Burundi president, Major Pierre Buyoya," he said. "Any coup attempt in Burundi must not be regarded by heads of state from the Great Lakes region and the international community as something new. Burundi has been suffering from a coup attempt syndrome from time immemorial," Karumba added.
BURUNDI: UN rights commission extends rapporteur's mandate
The UN Commission on Human Rights has adopted a resolution supporting the Arusha peace process but expressing concern over the continuing violence in Burundi. According to a statement from the Commission, the resolution urged the Burundi government to continue taking action aimed at associating all sectors of Burundi society in the reconciliation process. But it deplored the "unacceptable living conditions" in the displaced persons' sites and called on the government to take more measures to end impunity in the country. The Commission also decided to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi for a further year. Burundi's representative said adoption of the resolution by consensus "would be a recognition of the efforts made by Burundi in reconstructing peace".
RWANDA: Amnesty condemns Commission's decision on Rwanda
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International (AI), commenting at the end of the Commission's meeting in Geneva, said that if it was to live up to its role as the world's main human rights body "it must protect human rights on their merits rather than protect the narrow self interests of the governments that make up the commission". Amnesty noted with concern the Commission's decision to drop consideration of the human rights situation in Rwanda. In a press release issued on Friday, it said the situation in Rwanda "remains extremely volatile and demands the continued close attention of the Commission".
RWANDA: Bishop arrested in Kenya on genocide charges
A Rwandan bishop was arrested in Nairobi on Thursday on genocide charges and transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the Tribunal said in a press release on Friday. Kenyan police arrested Samuel Musabyimana, formerly the bishop of Shyogwe in Gitarama prefecture, on the basis of a warrant issued by the Tribunal. He is charged with four counts including genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and crimes against humanity, specifically extermination. Musabyimana was originally arrested in South Africa on immigration charges last September and deported to Kenya, where he escaped. The Tribunal's registrar, Adama Dieng, thanked the Kenyan authorities for their cooperation, saying it "bodes well" for the work of the ICTR.
Nairobi, 27 April 2001
[ENDS]
[IRIN-CEA: Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin-cea@ocha.unon.org ]
[This item is delivered in the "africa-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial sites requires written IRIN permission.]
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2001