HRW: Eastern Congo - Rebels' Persecution of Rights Activists

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source: Human Rights Watch
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Eastern Congo: Rebels' Persecution of Rights Activists

(New York, August 21, 2001)

The Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD-Goma), a rebel group based in 
eastern Congo, has stepped up abuse of civil society activists, Human 
Rights Watch charged today.

Civil society leaders are set to play an important part in the 
inter-Congolese dialogue meant to bring peace to the war-torn 
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As preparatory discussions for the dialogue opened yesterday in 
Gaborone, Human Rights Watch denounced the rebel authorities for 
having detained, beaten, and threatened leaders of civil society.
RCD-Goma also initially delayed, but later authorized the departure 
of Gervais Chirhalirwa, leader of a coalition of civil society groups 
in Bukavu, who was to attend the meeting.

"Just as the international community is inviting Congolese leaders of 
civil society to say what they think is needed for peace, the RCD is 
trying to shut them up," said Alison Des Forges, Senior Advisor for 
the Great Lakes region with the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch.

On August 9 agents of the RCD Department of Security and Intelligence 
abducted Pastor Claude Olenga, head of the Justice and Peace 
Commission of the Archdiocese of Kisangani, and took him to their 
office where they forced him to disrobe and beat him severely.
They interrogated him about the content of radio and television 
programs that he had broadcast on Amani, a station owned by the 
Catholic Church, and about contacts with other activists and the 
Archbishop of Kisangani.
When released later that day, Olenga was ordered to keep silent about 
his ordeal.

Congolese activists have campaigned for the demilitarization of 
Kisangani, the second largest Congolese city.
RCD troops have thus far refused to quit the city as called for by the U.N.
Security Council, delaying the arrival there of U.N.
peacekeeping forces known as MONUC.
Kisangani may serve as the site for the inter-Congolese dialogue.
In 2000, Rwanda, which backs the RCD, and Uganda fought for the 
control of Kisangani, killing hundreds of civilians and causing great 
property damage.
Kisangani activists are demanding that the two governments pay 
reparations, as urged also by the U.N. Security Council.

Activists have also delivered information about human rights abuses 
by the RCD to visiting foreign dignitaries, including the U.N.
Special Rapporteur for the DRC and the Belgian Prime Minister.
In addition, they have called repeatedly for an international court 
to prosecute war crimes committed in the DRC war.

To silence and isolate critical activists, local RCD authorities 
denounced them on the radio and in public rallies as informants and 
agents of hostile foreigners.
They also prohibited activists from traveling and sent soldiers to 
intimidate them with nightly visits to their homes.
Among those so harassed were Dismas Kitenge, chairman of the Lotus 
Group, Jean-Pierre Badideke of Justice and Liberation, Firmin 
Yangambi Libote, head of Peace on Earth, Floribert Ngongo, a 
journalist active with Lotus, and Abisa Bokanga, coordinator of a 
civil society coalition.

RCD authorities in Uvira, South Kivu, have also detained, beaten, and 
threatened local leaders whom they charge with supporting the 
Mai-Mai, a local militia fighting to expel foreigners from the Congo.
When opponents of the RCD disrupted a rally meant to celebrate the 
third anniversary of the start of the rebellion on August 2, local 
authorities detained scores of alleged Mai-Mai accomplices, among 
them staff of Elimu and the Action Committee for Integrated 
Development, local civil society groups.
At least two of the detainees were beaten, one so severely as to 
require hospitalization. Prominent activists were soon released, but 
others remain detained in harsh conditions.

"If the inter-Congolese dialogue is going to work," said Des Forges, 
"activists--like leaders of the political opposition--must be free to 
talk to each other, to express their ideas publicly, and to travel 
from place to place.
RCD-Goma must guarantee these basic rights, even to those who hold 
opinions different from their own."

Human Rights Watch called on the RCD-Goma to put an immediate end to 
the harassment and threats of civil society and rights activists, and 
in particular to immediately release those still detained for no 
reason other than their opinion and activities they undertook in 
fulfillment of the mandate of their organizations.
The RCD-Goma should investigate all reports of torture and 
ill-treatment of detainees and hold those responsible accountable.



For more information on the Democratic Republic of Congo, please see:

- Congo: Activist Held in Kinshasa (HRW Press Release, June 22, 2001) at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/06/drc0622.htm

- Congo: A Continuing Human Rights Disaster (HRW Focus Page) at
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/congo/




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