[Peace-discuss] Congo-Kinshasa

Thu Sep 7 14:19:48 CDT 2006

Also, as promised, find links below to current AI actions on DR Congo. 
Between these 5 actions, and the bill before the house IR committee, anyone 
who wants to do something about DR Congo today can be busy. Visit 
www.aiusa.org and use the country select link to find actions on a 
particular country.

This action focuses on violence against women, particularly rape as an 
instrument of war. As Ricky pointed out, insecurity for women is geeting 
even worse since the inclusive agreement.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=4093

This action focuses on protecting rape survivors:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=3967

This action focuses on arms trafficking into DR Congo, with Rice as the 
target.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=4605

This action focuses on seeking justice for the killing of a human rights 
defender in DR Congo:

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=7147

And this action focuses on ending impunity for soldiers who rape, as well as 
encouraging proper care for Rape Survivors.

http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=4633

best,
scott

*****************
Scott Edwards
Amnesty International, US
Country Specialist for Sudan
___________________________
Gender Projects Manager, CERRV
561-389-7625

>From: "Scott Edwards" <scottisimo at hotmail.com>
>To: baldwinricky at yahoo.com, peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>Subject: RE: [Peace-discuss] ongoing disaster in Congo-Kinshasa
>Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:53:57 -0500
>
>The US administration is doing far too little, but Congress can be doing 
>more, and you can actually play a part.
>
>S. 2125: A bill to promote relief, security, and democracy in the 
>Democratic Republic of the Congo
>
>is a decent bill, and passed the Senate this summer. If I'm up-to-date on 
>its progress, it is still in front of the House Intl Relations committee. 
>If you want to take some action, call members of the committee (names and 
>office numbers can be found here: 
>http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/fullmem.htm ). A handful of 
>calls can make quite a difference, folks. Inquire to the status of the 
>bill, and encourage support for it, if necessary. Tom Lantos, who is on the 
>committee is a strong supporter. If you bother to call Katherine Harris, 
>tell her I say "Yo" from FL.
>
>the text of the bill can be found here: 
>http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-2125
>
>best,
>scott
>
>
>
>>From: Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
>>To: peace discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>>Subject: [Peace-discuss] ongoing disaster in Congo-Kinshasa
>>Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 11:33:51 -0700 (PDT)
>>
>>Following up on recent discussions on the humanitarian
>>catastrophe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I
>>wanted to note that yesterday the UN mission there
>>said: "as many as 1,200 Congolese were dying on a
>>daily basis, mainly as a result of the continuing
>>conflict in the east".
>>
>>A couple of recent articles follow.
>>
>>But please note that the "estimated 150,000 IDPs
>>[internally displaced persons] in Katanga" mentioned
>>are only a fraction of the millions displaced by the
>>last ten years of war, where more people have died
>>than in any other confict since WWII (but the West has
>>barely noticed).
>>
>>But the problem is more than refugees.  There is still
>>fighting in some parts of the country, violence may
>>well break out again before rn-off elections scheduled
>>for Oct. 29, and, for example:
>>
>>"A group of policemen may have raped 60 women,
>>including two minors, and systematically tortured and
>>plundered civilians who were forced to seek refuge in
>>a nearby forest."
>>
>>Add this new revelation to an earlier case in the same
>>region:
>>
>>"In April, a military court in the provincial capital
>>Mbandaka sentenced seven soldiers to life in prison
>>for crimes against humanity committed in Equateur,
>>including the mass rape of at least 119 women [some of
>>them younger than 18]. It was the first time military
>>personnel in the country had been found guilty of
>>crimes against humanity. However, the military
>>garrison court in Songo Mboyo, 600 km northeast of
>>Mbandaka, acquitted five other soldiers of similar
>>charges."
>>
>>Meanwhile, the US continues to ignore the situation
>>(no oil or "terrorists" as we define them) and some
>>European countries may be looking into recolonizing
>>the area (according to Der Spiegel Online).
>>
>>Ugh!
>>
>>Ricky
>>
>>-------------
>>UN Humanitarian Chief Tours Displaced Camp And Meets
>>With Disarmed Rebels
>>
>>UN News Service (New York)
>>NEWS
>>September 6, 2006
>>Posted to the web September 7, 2006
>>
>>The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator spent
>>the second day of his visit to the Democratic Republic
>>of the Congo (DRC) at a camp for internally displaced
>>persons (IDPs) and a demobilization site in the
>>southern province of Katanga.
>>
>>Jan Egeland, who is also the Under-Secretary-General
>>for Humanitarian Affairs, met with a group of recently
>>disarmed former members of the Mayi-Mayi militia, as
>>well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working
>>in the region.
>>
>>According to the Office for Coordination of
>>Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are an estimated
>>150,000 IDPs in Katanga, most of whom fled their homes
>>due to fighting between Government forces and the
>>Mayi-Mayi.
>>
>>In recent weeks, the UN Mission in the DRC, known by
>>its French acronym MONUC, has helped broker progress
>>on the disarmament front, which has allowed for some
>>initial returns of displaced persons.
>>
>>Mr. Egeland is expected to head tomorrow to Bukavu in
>>South Kivu province to visit a clinic that specializes
>>in treating victims of sexual violence.
>>
>>He is also expected to make a stop in Bunia province
>>before continuing on to Uganda and Juba, Sudan, as
>>part of his eight-day trip to three central African
>>nations.
>>
>>Meanwhile, MONUC today expressed concern with the
>>country's "precarious" humanitarian situation. At a
>>press briefing in Kinshasa, it noted that as many as
>>1,200 Congolese were dying on a daily basis, mainly as
>>a result of the continuing conflict in the east.
>>
>>But MONUC did express satisfaction with plans for the
>>upcoming run-off presidential election, scheduled for
>>29 October.
>>
>>The mission said negotiations were progressing well
>>between President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President
>>Jean-Pierre Bemba, the two remaining candidates,
>>following clashes between their supporters after
>>first-round results were released last month.
>>
>>MONUC noted that the printing of ballot papers for the
>>run-off election was well under way in South Africa,
>>as was the distribution of election kits throughout
>>the DRC.
>>
>>Copyright © 2006 UN News Service. All rights reserved.
>>Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
>>
>>------------------------------
>>New Cases of Rape And Abuse By Police in Equateur
>>
>>UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
>>NEWS
>>September 7, 2006
>>Posted to the web September 7, 2006
>>Lubumbashi
>>
>>The human-rights division of the United Nations
>>Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has
>>reported new cases of mass rape and abuse of civilians
>>in Equateur Province.
>>
>>"A group of policemen may have raped 60 women,
>>including two minors, and systematically tortured and
>>plundered civilians who were forced to seek refuge in
>>a nearby forest," Jean-Tobbie Okala, the spokesman for
>>the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, said on
>>Wednesday in Kinshasa, the nation's capital.
>>
>>In the latest case, Okala said, nine of the suspected
>>policemen had been arrested and two of the victims had
>>already presented testimony to the military in
>>Equateur's Bolongo district, where the alleged crimes
>>took place.
>>
>>In April, a military court in the provincial capital
>>Mbandaka sentenced seven soldiers to life in prison
>>for crimes against humanity committed in Equateur,
>>including the mass rape of at least 119 women. It was
>>the first time military personnel in the country had
>>been found guilty of crimes against humanity. However,
>>the military garrison court in Songo Mboyo, 600 km
>>northeast of Mbandaka, acquitted five other soldiers
>>of similar charges.
>>
>>The convicted soldiers committed the crimes in
>>December 2003 at Songo Mboyo. The soldiers initially
>>served in the former rebel movement known as Mouvement
>>pour la liberation du Congo (MLC), which is now a
>>political party. Among the charges the soldiers faced
>>were mass rape, crimes against humanity, robbery,
>>distribution of weapons and ammunitions and
>>insubordination. The court heard that some of the
>>women raped were younger than 18.
>>
>>According to MONUC, a group of inspectors from its
>>human-rights division went to Equateur Province in
>>April 2004 to conduct investigations against the
>>alleged rape on a massive scale. The team established
>>that on the night of 21 December 2003, the Congolese
>>army battalion based in Songo Mboyo, which were
>>actually MLC troops, had raped 119 women and girls.
>>The battalion rebelled against its commanders, whom
>>they had accused of keeping part of their salaries.
>>The soldiers then robbed almost all the homes in the
>>villages of Songo-Mboyo and Bongandanga.
>>
>>[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views
>>of the United Nations ]
>>
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