Abuses in Congo's North Kivu province condemned
East Africa Regional Refugees Research & Advocacy Unit Kampala, August 12th, 2016
Press Release
Kampala/Kinshasa/Paris— On 8th August 2016 more than 3 armed groups and tribal militias (APCLS, NYANTURA, FDLR and NDC) have perpetrated massacre against civilian in Kibirizi and Nyanzale where more than 60 houses were burned and 11 civilians killed as more wealth stolen in the sight of the Congolese army in these villages. According CODHO’s observers many civilian especially women and children continue to flee from these villages and walk along many kilometers to search for a single grain of peace and now the cycle of IDPs and returnee become a common alternative in this Province. These affect to the settlement of lasting peace and threats to the bright future of women and children who believed to return to their villages and restart a new sustained life.
Major consequences are recorded as children did not go to school as parents are marginalized by a repetitive turn part of endless armed conflicts and violence, millions of families sought to return peacefully in their villages but always there are barriers of fears of reprisals as well as retaliations by armed groups responsible of atrocities and crimes. Now the IDPs of last month became refugee yesterday and today returnee then tomorrow will be again a refugee from the country he/she left.
As these attacks against civilian resumed threats to international humanitarian law and are aligned to the list of international crimes as stipulated to the Rome status of the ICC (International Criminal Court) as the crime against humanity, crime of war and crime of genocide when it’s targeting one ethnic group as it is done in North Kivu province.
Since, the Congolese government has never been able to arrest and prosecute the authors and perpetrators of these crimes including those in FARDC, where the intervention of ICC jurisdiction have to act against these cases of mass atrocities that Congolese government failed to prevent.
Remember, torn apart by a 25 years bloody conflict, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most stricken areas of the world. In a region with colossal economic potential, many armed groups without specific goals regularly engage in fighting with dramatic consequences for the local populations. The armed conflict in the Kivus is extremely complex and made up of a mix of regional politics, anarchic exploitation of mineral wealth, ethnic rivalries, land conflicts, weakness of the state and political opportunism. A seemingly inextricable maze in which the territory of Masisi, Walikale, Nyiragongo, Rutshuru, Lubero, Beni, North Kivu, occupies a central place. If the recent dismantling of M23, ADF-NALU, FDLR etc… were not brought opportunity to open a new window for peace in the region, many deep-rooted challenges remain of great concerns.
We strongly call all stakeholders to;
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Pressure Congolese government to take their responsibility in protecting civilian in conflicts zone and make accountable all authors of crimes and grave human rights violations,
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Advocate for humanitarian assistance of IDPs especially women, elders, PWDs, vulnerable children (orphans and unaccompanied minor)
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Write to United Nation Secretary General and UNSC for an immediate resolution that reinforces the capacity of MONUSCO in protection of civilian in the region.
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The countries of asylum to consider asylum seekers who comes from these conflict zone and provide durable protection to refugees
CODHO—EAST AFRICA Office
COMMITTEE OF OBSERVERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS
COMITE DES OBSERVATEURS DES DROITS DE L’HOMME
CODHO-KAMPALA
Tel. +256717512262
Email : codho.kampala@gmail.com ,
codho_kinshasa@yahoo.fr, codho.france@gmail.com
Najjanankumbi, Entebbe Road, Opposite Silver Microfinance
Kampala, Uganda
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