Friends of the Congo

Why Does Nkunda Repeatedly Call for the Renegotiation of the Chinese Contract?

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:01:00 +0000

In his meeting with Special United Nations Envoy to the Congo, Olusegun Obasanjo, rebel leader Laurent Nkunda repeated as one of his demands the renegotiation of the $9 billion Chinese contract. A deal that swaps Congolese minerals (mainly copper and cobalt) for infrastructure development (road, rail, schools, hospitals, etc).

There are two possible explanations for Nkunda's repeated call regarding the Chinese contract. One is that he is trying to endear himself to the West as western nations and institutions such as the International Monetary Fund consider the Chinese deal to be a threat to their economic interests in the Congo. A second possibly reason is that the West is actually in support of Nkunda's destabilization efforts in order to send a sign to Congo's president Joseph Kabila that he had strayed too far off the plantation by signing such a bold deal with the Chinese without prior consultation or approval from the West. It is not clear which of the two options is correct but time will certainly tell.

It is rather interesting however that in spite of the myriad egregious western contracts (Katanga Mining, Anvil, Banro, Freeport McMoran and many more) that work against the interests of the Congolese people, Nkunda is silent.

Congo: One Hundred Years of Colonialism, Dictatorship and War (1908 - 2008)

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:13:00 +0000

Saturday, November 15, 2008 marked the 100-year anniversary of the removal of the Congo from King Leopold II of Belgium as his own personal property. Global outrage of the King’s brutal rule resulted in his losing the Congo treasure trove on November 15, 1908.

Leopold II accumulated spectacular wealth for himself and the Belgian state during his 23-year dominion (1885 – 1908) over the Congo. During this period an estimated 10 million Congolese lost their lives while Leopold systematically looted the Congo of its rubber and ivory riches. Congo was handed over to Belgium who ruled as a colonial power from 1908 to 1960. Congo finally got its independence on June 30, 1960 when Patrice Emery Lumumba, its first democratically elected prime minister took office. Unfortunately, the western powers, primarily the United States and Belgium could not allow a fiercely independent African to consolidate his power over such a geo-strategic prize as the Congo. He was removed from power in a western backed coup within weeks and assassinated on January 17, 1961. Belgium apologized for its role in Lumumba’s assassination in 2002 and the US still downplays its role in Lumumba’s assassination. The US replaced Lumumba with the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and backed him until he was overthrown in 1997. The overthrow of Mobutu unleashed an ongoing resource war that has caused deep strife and unbearable suffering for the Congolese people, particularly the women and the children. It is estimated that Congo has lost nearly six million people since the 1996 invasion by Rwanda and Uganda with support from the United States and other Western nations.

A century later, Congo is at another crossroads. In spite of the advances in technology and the shrinking of the world, it is curious that there is such silence around the suffering of the Congolese people due to the exploitation of powerful corporate and foreign forces beyond its people’s immediate control. Unlike the early 1900s, remarkably, today there are few if any voices the likes of Mark Twain who wrote King Leopold’s Soliloquy, Joseph Conrad, The Heart of Darkness (PDF) (Often misread as Congo or Africa being dark but he was referring to the dark hearts of the exploiters of the Congo), and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame who wrote Crime in the Congo. The Congo Reform movement that drew from the work of African Americans such as William Sheppard and George Washington Williams and led by European figures such as Robert Casement and E.D. Morel gave birth to the modern international human rights movement.

One hundred years later we are again calling on the global community to be at the side of the Congolese. This time, there is one fundamental difference, the Congolese are agents in this narrative and the call this time is not a hand-over to a colonial power or neo-colonial institutions but rather to the people of the Congo.

The clarion call is for the combating of the forces (local elites and rebels, foreign governments, foreign corporations, and multi-lateral institutions) that have the Congolese people in a death trap. The charity prism of the humanitarian industry is not the answer. It only perpetuates dependency and dis-empowerment. Should Congo be truly liberated, the Darfurizaton (emptying of agency from the afflicted people) of the global movement in support of the Congo
must be avoided at all cost. Congolese must be agents rather than objects in the pursuit of the control of their land and their lives. The sovereignty of the people and control and ownership of the riches of their land is the fundamental human right for which we must advocate. It is a call not only for the Congo but the entire African continent.

Becomea part of the global movement to Break the Silence as the Congolese pursue
true sovereignty and liberty.

Kambale Musavuli, Student Coordinator, FOTC
Maurice Carney, Executive Director, FOTC

Useful links:
Rapper and Spoken Word Artist
Omekongo's "Welcome to the Congo"
Powerpoint Primer on the
History of the Congo (PPT)
Dan Rather All Mines Report on I-Tunes
FAIR on media coverage of Congo

UN Special Envoy Obesanjo Makes the Rounds

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:53:00 +0000

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is making his rounds in the region. On Friday, he met with President Joseph Kabila of Congo. He also met with Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who told him no Angolan troops were in Congo. He plans to meet with Laurent Nkunda as well in an attempt to prepare a way for dialogue between the two gentleman. One should not expect much from these meetings as they almost always deliver less than expected or proclaimed.

Congo's problems are far more profound that shuttle diplomacy on the part of an envoy. The geo-strategic stakes are far to great to be left to talks mediated by an envoy even if it is a former African president.

Where Things Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:05:00 +0000

A few observations are warranted based on the week of activities inside and outside of the Congo:
1. The mainstream media appear to be moving towards a more accurate description of what is taking place in the Congo. The pathological prism through which they often view Congo in particular and Africa in general is broadening to include other factors than the ethnic rivalries narrative. Thursday's New York Times editorial and Time Magazine's article on the Congo presented three elements that moved those institutions in the right direction.
A. They noted that the conflict was a resource war
B. They acknowledge that Rwanda invaded the Congo twice before and was likely supporting the latest upsurge on the part of Rebel leader Nkunda
C. They recognized that only a political solution will resolve the crisis and part of that requires pressure on US ally, Rwanda.

2. African institutions such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union are primed to be more engaged in the Congo issue. Considering Congo's importance to Africa, it is remarkable that they have been silent around the Congo crisis for so long.

3. Rwanda's leader Paul Kagame cannot feel as secure or be as arrogant as he has been in the past. One of his top aid was arrested in Germany as a result of warrants issued by a French court and their is almost global consensus that pressure must be put on him to cease his support of the destablization of the Congo.

4. It is with amazement that we read that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the New York Times editorial board are concerned about another Rwanda occurring in the Congo. What do they think has been happening for the past 12 years, with an estimated 6 million dead and hundreds of thousands of women raped?

5. The internally displaced persons are finally getting food and care. The suffering is still enormous but at least those who were trapped behind rebel lines can now get support.

6. Keep an eye on the mining contracts. As we are all rightly focused on the crisis in the East, do not be surprised if the government moves to approve some of the odious contracts on the table, particularly the grand daddy of them all the FreePort McMoRan deal. See Dan Rather's incisive report on this deal (search All Mines on I-Tunes)

The Kiwanja Massacres: UN Says Its A War Crime

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:37:00 +0000

More Meetings, More Agreements, Less Change

noreply@blogger.com (friends of congo) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:36:00 +0000

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon best sums up the meeting around the Congo on Friday, November 7, 2008 when he said “It’s not a matter of how many agreements. It’s a matter of implementation. It’s a matter of political will.” The fact of the matter is there is little political will from the global community to cease the pilfering of Congo's wealth. At the root of the conflict is continued ease of access to Congo's vast mineral wealth at "dirt cheap" prices. It is for this reason that the West spent $500 million to install a rebel leader with Congolese blood on his hands so they would be assured of someone they can control; or as the International Crisis Group stated in their July 2007 report on Consolidating The Peace; someone who is reliable -- translation -- someone Western nations can rely on to serve their interests and keep the Congolese population in check.

Friday's meeting produced an agreement calling for an end to the conflict and an insertion of African Union troops if the UN troops currently in the Congo are not able to protect the civilian population. The meeting also called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor so that aid can get to the people. Present at the summit were the DRC President Joseph Kabila and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, as well as the leaders of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and South Africa. European and American observers were also present.

The path to peace and stability is clear but the will is weak, Congo is too rich and too easy a prize for greedy elites, Western corporations and foreign governments to cease their backing of greedy, inept leaders and allow the Congolese people shape and determine their own destiny.

Regional Conflict A Distinct Possibility

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:28:00 +0000

On yesterday the United Nations clearly and unequivocally implicated Rwanda in the latest conflict in the Congo. The Associated Press noted that U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie van den Wildenberg reported "that Uruguayan peacekeepers saw Rwandan tanks and other heavy artillery fire into Congo on Wednesday as Nkunda's forces advanced toward the regional capital, Goma." Alan Doss, the top U.N. envoy in Congo, said in a videoconference Monday that the "fire had come across the border from Rwanda near the Kibumba (displaced) camp where hostilities were under way." Read entire article here>>

Today the Rwandan backed rebels of the Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) accused both Angola and Zimbabwe of mobilizing troops for entry into the Congo. Congo is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In the last major war in the Congo in 1998, Laurent Desire Kabila the father of current leader Joseph Kabila called on SADC to confront the invasion of Rwanda and Uganda.

Congo has appealed to Angola for help but there is not yet any evidence that Angola has responded positively to the request. Last week SADC did issue a statement condemning the latest bout of fighting but did not go beyond statements of concern and condemnation.

The regional dimension combined with the great power interests ought to be closely watched as Congo becomes the pawn yet again in a regional and global competition for precious and strategic resources. The weakness of the Congo state and Congolese leadership is a prerequisite for Congo's neighbors and global powers to have their way in the Congo.

Huffington Post Journalist Says Next President Must Address Congo Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:13:00 +0000

The current tragedy in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not an "ethnic conflict," as reported by the US State Department and seconded by the candidates. It is a proxy war, fueled by international competition for the vast mineral wealth of Congo.

Over ten years of war propagated on a scramble for the vast resource wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo has intensified in recent weeks as "rebel" leader General Laurent Nkunda (CNDP) intensified his offensive against the regular Congolese army (FARDC) and threatened to take the city of Goma, headquarters of MONUC, the United Nations Mission to Congo.

Read entire article and make comments so that the Huffington Post can continue to report on the Congo in an in depth manner.

NPR's Gwen Tompkins Gets to the Heart of the Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:46:00 +0000

In recent days we have seen more honest reporting on the Congo. The true cause of the conflict is finally being revealed. This offers some modicum of hope because with correct analysis comes correct prescriptions. Click here to listen to Gwen Tompkins as she articulates the true source of the conflict in the Congo.

Johann Hari Says Congo War is led by Armies of Business

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:55:00 +0000

When we glance at the holocaust in Congo, with 5.4 million dead, the clichés of Africa reporting tumble out: this is a 'tribal conflict' in 'the Heart of Darkness'. It isn't. The United Nations investigation found it was a war led by 'armies of business' to seize the metals that make our 21st-century society zing and bling. The war in Congo is a war about you.

There are two stories about how this war began – the official story, and the true story. The official story is that after the Rwandan genocide, the Hutu mass murderers fled across the border into Congo. The Rwandan government chased after them. But it's a lie. How do we know?

Read entire article >>

Who jendayi Frazer Should See and What She Should Say

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:19:00 +0000

It is reported that Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer was heading to Kinshasa, Congo and would arrive today. She issued a statement on yesterday warning Nkunda's rebel group not to take Goma, capital of the North Kivu province of Congo.

We believe that Secretary Frazer's first stop in the region should be in Kigali to speak to President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. According to La Libre Belgique, rebel Leader Larent Nkunda is also in Kigali convalescing from an illness or injury. She should deliver a clear message to US Allie Rwanda that they should immediately stop supporting Nkunda in the Congo and cease once and for all the destablization of Eastern Congo. Far too many people have died and suffered as a result of Rwanda's intervention in the Congo. Moreover, she should make it clear to Kagame that its time to genuinely participate in a political process that would result in the return of the Rwandans who are now in the Congo.

The United States has considerable leverage on Rwanda and can play a decisive role in bringing this conflict to an end. There is no way that thousands of rebels should be allowed to hold millions of Congolese hostage because of the backing from Rwanda.

New Policy Paper on Dire Situation in Congo

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:09:00 +0000

Perhaps you have heard the recent news - thousands of civilians are being forced to flee in eastern D.R. Congo as CNDP rebel troops move toward the regional capital of Goma. The Congolese military has begun to retreat and people are protesting the UN for its failure to protect them.

Furthermore, local sources allege that two battalions of Rwandan troops are fighting with General Laurent Nkunda, the leader of CNDP. Over the last several months, AFJN has reported on the escalation of violence and the role of Rwanda in the crisis. We reprimand the United States for its outright support for Paul Kagame's government in Rwanda, both in the form of military aid as well as public praise.

Last week, we released a new policy paper entitled "Two Rebel Groups, One Solution to the Crisis in Eastern DR Congo" which analyzes the FDLR and CNDP rebel movements. It projects policy options for the U.S. and ways for citizens to take action to stop the conflict.

Download a copy of the paper here, and then forward this email to spread awareness about the U.S. role in exacerbating Congo's war.

Thank you for your commitment to peace and justice in Africa!

In solidarity,

Rocco, Bahati, and Beth
African Faith and Justice Network

Rebels in Congo Continue to Wreak Havoc

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:50:00 +0000

The situation in eastern Congo is beyond the pale. Due to the fact that the world community and the key players in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa have not fully and comprehensively addressed the root causes of the conflict in the Congo. At the root of the conflict as the scramble for Congo's spectacular wealth.

When Rwanda and Uganda first invaded the Congo in 1996 and again in 1998, the invasions unleashed what the United Nations calls the deadliest conflict in the World since World War Two. Several peace accords later and the holding of historic elections in 2006 have not brought peace and stability to the beleaguered people of the Congo. This is in large part due to the fact that the world community has not demonstrated the will to put the necessary pressure on Paul Kagame of Rwanda to cease his support of rebel groups in the Congo. In addition, the international community's rush to install a weak government that would provide unfettered access to Congo's wealth but not the ability to mobilize a nation to properly deal with its historic challenges has compounded the problem.

The prescriptions for resolving the conflict have been clear for quite sometime now but they require the political will of the global community and they include the following:
1. An understanding that there is no military solution to the conflict. A political solution must be sought.
2. Pressure must be put on Rwanda to stop its support of Launrent Nkunda's rebel movement in the Congo. Rwanda continues to benefit from instability in the Congo.
3. A peace process that engages Rwanda, Uganda, Congo and the Rwandan Hutu rebels in the Congo
4. The creation of political space inside Rwanda that will accommodate disparaged groups in Congo
5. The creation of a system that punishes perpetrators of crimes against humanity, particularly the outrageous rapes of women and children. The climate of impunity in the Congo must be stopped now and the global community can play a constructive role in this process.

Latest News:
Thousands of protesters attacking UN in east Congo

UN: Rebels fire rockets at peacekeepers in Congo

DR Congo rebels seize army camp

Congo Accuses kagame-Nkunda Collaboration

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:02:00 +0000

The Congolese government formally accuses Rwanda of what many people already know. Bloomberg news quotes the Congo government as saying that Rwanda is visibly supporting rebels in the Congo. Congo's foreign minister, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi told the United Nations Security Council that Rwanda's actions are ``in flagrant violation of all the processes in progress'' to end fighting in the region. (Read entire article>>)

The State Department has chimed in but you will hardly hear Rwanda or Kagame mentioned in any of their proclamations as Kagame is a long-time client of the U.S. who will not come in for an admonition or pressure whatsoever.

Is Nkunda Hospitalized in Kigali?

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:23:00 +0000

La Libre belgique has raised the question as to whether rebel leader Laurent Nkunda is injured and residing in a hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. The paper reports that Nkunda may be either injured, sick or even dead. The paper reports that Nkunda may have wound up in Kigali after being refused acceptance in Uganda.

The speculation about Nkunda's travails is fueled by the fact that he has not been in touch with either the United Nations, European Union or the United States since June 9 of this year. Le Soir also cited an interview with Paul Kagame at the end of August where he states that even if Nkunda was to disappear from the scene, the problems of North Kivu would not be resolved.

Bosco Ntaganda is currently the head of the CNDP. He is wanted for commission of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. This does not bode well for peace in the region as Bosco would be less inclined to come to the peace table knowing that he has a warrant on his head.

Truth of the matter it is far beyond time that world leaders utilize their weight to bring an end to the conflict in the Congo which must come through Kigali. Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Bill Gates, Rev. Rick Warren, Cindy McCain, Ted shultz along with the United States government, European Union and United Nations have it well within their means to work with the nations of the Great Lakes to create a framework for lasting peace.

Congo Prime Minister, Antoine Gizenga Resigns

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Antonie Gizenga resigned from his post as Prime Minister today. He was head of the Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU). Gizenga is a long-time Lumumbist who served as Deputy Prime Minister to Patrice Lumumba in 1960 before he was assassinated.

In his brief stint as Prime Minister, from 2006 - present, Gizenga was adamant about excluding those who pilfered state coffers during the war and transition years. It is widely believed that his office was the primary impetus within the government that moved the contract review process forward.

Many observers wondered why President Kabila did not show up for the United Nations Annual Meeting in New York. It is clear now that he remained in the Congo to oversee Gizegna's resignation.

The obvious question is who will replace Gizenga. Leading the talks of a replacement are Planning Minister Olivier Kamitatu, National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe, and Agriculture Minister Francois Joseph Mobutu Nzanga. Should Kabila look to placate Gizenga's home province of Bandundu, he may go with Olivier Kamitatu.

In the final analysis, there are several underlying fundamental issues that will be a challenge for whoever replaces Gizenga. The government is in serious crisis and a shuffling of the decks will not make much of a difference.

Breaking the Silence of 1,500 Deaths Each Day

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:43:00 +0000

By Tim Butcher

FIFTEEN HUNDRED people die in the Congo each day as a result of conflict but the world’s attention remains focused elsewhere. Why?

First, there are those who dispute that figure. Outsiders who have never been to the Democratic Republic of Congo (the current name for a country known previously as Zaire, the Belgian Congo and the Congo Free State) question its accuracy. There has not been a single day in post-Saddam Iraq or Taliban-infested Afghanistan when 1,500 souls have perished and, skeptics argue, how could any conflict be worse those.

Having crossed the vast chaotic country astride the Equator – from one side to the other is the distance from London to Moscow - I have to say the toll of 1,500-a-day published by the Lancet, Britain’s leading medical journal, is horribly plausible. They might not all die in combat but they die nonetheless, mostly through avoidable diseases in a failed state so anarchic public health outside large cities has totally collapsed.

In the north of Katanga province I entered the country’s killing fields, walking through savannah scrub where human bones lay so thick on the ground they had not been buried. Later in my trip when I was making my way by pirogue – a hollowed-out tree trunk canoe – down the Congo River, I met a nursing mother whose baby was dying from dehydration, a condition that can be reversed with the simplest of medical care, re-hydration salt solutions. Her eyes were dull with fatalism as she explained the infant was not the first she had lost to disease. And even in supposedly developed cities like Kisangani, the former colonial centre of Stanleyville and model for Conrad’s Inner Station, I was implored by a Congolese river guide to take his 4-year-old son with me. The guide said I would be ``rescuing’’ his son from the Congo.

Second, the world seems reluctant to grasp the heartache of the Congo because the turmoil is so complicated. The violence in the Congo does not lend itself to tidy categorization; it is not `genocide’, although there are occasionally genocidal components; it is not a `crime against humanity’, although some of the systemic sexual violence against women falls into that category; it is not part of the `War on Terror’, although close attention should be paid to the Congo’s poorly-policed uranium mines in Katanga, mines that produced the uranium refined for the bomb used at Hiroshima, and the proximity in nearby east Africa of al-Qa’eda sympathizers.

But policy makers should not be shy of complexity. The multi-layered and multi-faceted nature of turmoil in the Congo can still be brought back to basic principles such as installing and invigorating the rule of law. The country’s government has made one important decision by calling for the International Criminal Court to help bring perpetrators of chaos in the east of the country to justice. This is an important surrender of an African nation’s sovereignty, basically an admission that `We, the Congolese government, need outside help with justice’.

Such an important concession should be vigorously supported by outsiders who could send the personnel, equipment and means to detain the suspects. At present this job falls to a poorly organized and, frankly, unsuitable force of United Nations peacekeepers. If extraordinary rendition is justified anywhere in the world then surely it is against the killers of the eastern Congo.

Third, cynics bleat it was ever thus in the Congo. They are right the country has a long association with bloody violence. The colonial experience of the Congo was one of the most brutal in Africa and the post-colonial period has been an almost perpetual continuum of rebellion, dictatorship, conflict and instability. But it does not follow outsiders should give up on a region. The outside world helped with elections in the DRC two years ago, the first meaningful poll in four decades. The result is a democratically-elected government but more has to be done to entrench the rule of law. Supporters of the main opposition leader in that democratic election clashed after the poll with government gunmen on the streets of the capital, Kinshasa, killing hundreds.

A hundred years ago this November international pressure helped the Congolese when outsiders, including US congressmen, forced the Leopold II, King of the Belgians, to cease his murderous private rule over the Congo and transfer it to the Belgian government as a colony. It was not the end of the Congo’s problems but it was a definite improvement.

It should inspire us today not to give up on a country and those 1,500 souls.

Tim Butcher’s `Blood River – A Journey To Africa’s Broken Heart’, is published October 2008 by Grove Press

Timbo Tim Butcher Middle East Correspondent The Daily Telegraph + 972 54 569 3698 Author of `Blood River - A Journey To Africa's Broken Heart' Richard & Judy Book Club 2008 Sunday Times No1 Bestseller Shortlisted for Samuel Johnson Prize 2008 British Book Awards 2008 `Read of the Year' Runner-Up Watch the film: http://www.britishbookawards.com/bba/movies/bloodriver.html

Watch the interview http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1484342781/bctid1498976173 www.bloodriver.co.uk

Students and Community Organizers Launch Countdown to Break the Silence Congo Week

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:27:00 +0000

The United Nations says the conflict in the Congo is the deadliest in the world since World War Two. Since 1996, it is estimated that nearly 6 million people have died in the Congo due to conflict and conflict related causes. Throughout the past decade, Doctors Without Borders has consistently reported that the Congo conflict is one of the top ten most underreported stories in the world.

Student leaders and community organizers have responded to the silence surrounding the loss of life in the Congo by organizing throughout the globe to Break the Silence and raise awareness about the situation. They aim to mobilize young people and others in 100 countries and on 1,000 university campuses to participate in a global teach-in and week of activities from October 19 - 25, 2008.

Who: Key student leaders representing North Carolina A&T, Howard University, The University of Maryland, Bowie State, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Friends of the Congo and other supporters.

What: Launch of countdown to Break the Silence Congo Week, October 19 - 25, 2008

When: 10 a.m. - 12 noon, Monday, September 22, 2008

Where: National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
13th Floor, Zenger Room
Washington, DC 20045

For more information about the Press Conference, please call Friends of the Congo at 202-584-6512 or email info@friendsofthecongo.org. Visit www.friendsofthecongo.org or www.congoweek.org for more details.

Speak for the silent

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:20:00 +0000

By Georgianne Nienaber

If 6 million people were killed or simply vanished off the face of the Earth, you might expect an immediate international outcry, in-depth analysis of this humanitarian catastrophe. You’d expect story to be on the front page of every newspaper and magazine in the world. You’d expect broadcast and photojournalists to take every opportunity to document this story.
javascript:void(0)
Publish Post
This story has already happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and there has been no such outcry. This atrocity is surrounded by silence.

Responsible journalists have a duty to not only explore the reasons behind this loss of life, but to also question the “why” behind the lack of journalistic diligence and honesty in covering what is happening in the Congo today. Read more>>

UN Plane Crashes in Congo: 17 Feared Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:03:00 +0000

KINSHASA (Reuters) - A humanitarian plane carrying 17 passengers and crew that went missing in east Democratic Republic of Congo has crashed into a mountain and there is no sign of survivors, the contracting air company said on Tuesday.

Rescuers spotted the wreckage early on Tuesday of the 19-seat Beechcraft aircraft, contracted by Air Serv International, around 15 km (nine miles) northwest of the town of Bukavu, on Congo's eastern border with Rwanda.

Read more>>

Living With Fear: A Survey of the People of Congo

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:44:00 +0000

The International Center for Transitional Justice, the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley and the Payson Center for International Development at Tulane University conducted a survey of 2,620 Congolese between September and December 2007. The study focused North and South Kivu, Ituri, Kinshasa, and Kisangani. The results of the survey were predictable but shocking nonetheless. A summary of the survey revealed:

• 80 percent of respondents said they had been displaced at least three times in the last 15 years
• 75 percent said their cattle or livestock had been stolen
• 66 percent said their home had been destroyed or confiscated
• 61 percent of those polled in the east said they witnessed the violent death of a family member or friend
• 60 percent said one more of their household members had disappeared
• 34 percent said they themselves had been abducted for more than a week
• 53 percent reported being forced to work or being enslaved by armed groups
• 31 percent said they had been wounded in fighting
• 35 percent said they had been tortured
• 46 percent had been threatened with death
• 23 percent had witnessed sexual violence
• 16 percent had been sexually violated and 12 percent multiple times
• 85 percent of people polled believe "those responsible for the violence should be held accountable"

In North Kivu, at the epicenter of the violence, responses to the question "who protects you" were quite revealing. Respondents answered God (44 percent), the army (25 percent), the police (8 percent), nobody (7 percent), U.N. peacekeepers (6 percent).

Click here to read complete 60 page study.

Congo Student Organizes Global Movement

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0000

At the age of 17, I was sad to leave the Congo but happy to be alive. My family and I left a few days before the second invasion of the Congo began. With only four outfits in my luggage, I thought to myself "What is going to happen to my country?"
I lived in Kinshasa 1996 when the Rwanda invasion first happened and, I could only imagine how things would get worse.

I took peace from the fact my siblings and parents made the trip with me.

The purpose of the Break the Silence Congo Week is to raise awareness about the devastating situation in the Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the people of the Congo. It will take place from Sunday October 19 to Saturday October 25. The key organizers are students from North Carolina A&T, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, University of Maryland, Howard University, Bowie University, and Cornell University.

Why should Americans care about the Congo? As Senator Brownback stated "Almost every American owns at least one device in which coltan has been used." American corporations have been making billions off the people of the Congo.

Read more>>

DRC Health Crisis Examined by BBC

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:05:00 +0000

The BBC World Service is running a series on Congo's health infrastructure. Dr. mwamba made the most salient point when he noted "If we had people who were really patriotic it would be different.", He goes on to say "But until now we have just had people scrabbling for positions to make money."

The ultimate key to good health is good governance and Congolese patriots both of which are woefully lacking in the current leadership in the Congo. A new day will come however.

Read entire article and follow the BBC Series.

Kagame Lashes Out Against ICC

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Rwandan president, Paul Kagame lashes out against the International Criminal Court (ICC). His critiques of the ICC -primarily that poor nations are disproportionately targeted- are on point. However, one cannot help but point out that Kagame has deep self-interest in lashing out against the ICC. The two cases against him in both French and Spanish courts for his role in the 1994 assassination of former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana, which unleashed the orgy of Hutu-Tutsi killings in Rwanda remains of concern. In addition, his two invasions of Congo in 1996 and 1998 that triggered the deaths of nearly 6 million people must be hanging over his head. Rwanda should certainly be wary, considering that the International Court of Justice has already ruled that Congo is entitled to $10 billion in reparations from Uganda because of the human rights abuses and the looting of Congo's resources during its participation in the 1996 and 1998 invasions. Rwanda is even more culpable in the Congo than Uganda but because they are not party to the International Court of Justice, no ruling can be brought against Rwanda by the Congo.

Should Kagame's US patrons decide to let him loose at some point in the future, he will be left to the devices of the levers of international justice. Nonetheless, his stance against the ICC cannot sit well with those humanitarian and policy institutions in Washington that have defended his past and current actions in the Congo, especially seeing that many of these institutions and policy analysts would love nothing more than to have the scalp of Sudan's President Omar Bashir's.

Read entire article of Kagame's outburst against the ICC.

U.S. Backs U.N. Official in Darfur Indicted in Rwanda Deaths

Congo Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Scholar) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Peace Process in Danger:
1. Political dialogue increasingly seems the only way of resolving the problem of Rwandan militias in eastern Congo
2. Congo Advocacy Coalition Update
3. Update on Protection of Civilians in Eastern Congo’s Peace Process

Carter Center:
1. Mining Review Press Release
2. National Public Radio Report on Chinese Presence in the Congo
3. Bloomberg report on China in the Congo

Virunga Park and the So-called Charcoal Mafia:
1. Fox-Owned National Geographic Uses Gorillas as Cover for Exploitation of Congo

Greenpeace:
1. Conning the Congo Report
2. Carving Up the Congo (Video)