Democratic Republic of Congo : Didier Reynders satisfied with the announcement of the compromise (31.12.2016)

dr-congo

On 31 December 2016, a compromise has been reached between different Congolese parties after a dialogue which was facilitated by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO). Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders welcomes the announcement of this compromise facilitated by Congolese actors and congratulates the CENCO for its engagement.  The text is an important and positive step towards a swift and inclusive transition.

This will enable the organization of free elections in 2017, the reopening of the democratic space and the consensual management of the transition with respect for the Constitution. These essential measures are the key to an exit from the crisis, which was caused by not organizing presidential elections in 2016 provide for by the Constitution.

Belgium calls upon the negotiators to pursue their work in the same spirit so that the final details can be settled quickly. Belgium calls upon the Congolese institutions as well, to clarify and intensify the operations which will lead to these elections before the end of 2017.  Operational and financial transparence has to be increased significatively.  This will create the right conditions for good governance and external support, lacking for the moment.

Belgium will closely follow the implementation of the text, as well as the measures that will be taken to recreate a democratic space and the rights and freedoms. This will enable all opinions to thrive within the country. Thus, the elections will become an authentic reflection of the aspirations of the Congolese people.

RDC: “Message des vœux de SEM le Président de la République Joseph Kabila, Chef de l’Etat” (31.12.2016)

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RDC: Petiton – “Aux Messigneurs members du presidium du dialogue de la CENCO et aux delegues des autres composantes” (31.12.2016)

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Monusco: “Le Representant special du Secretaire General des Nation Unies en RDC se felicite de l’accord politique signe entre les acteures politiques en RDC” (01.01.2017)

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President Nkurunziza proves to the world that he has the Big-Man complex!

Burundi AMISOM

“Although African villages are often models of democracy, the concentration of power at higher levels across much of the continent feeds the cult of personality and one-man rule” (Chicago Tribune, 2000 – link: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-08-28/news/0008280177_1_nigeria-transition-from-military-rule-president-olusegun-obasanjo)

Burundian government are really trying to show strength to their donors and within the foreign affairs. There reports that the Burundian Government thinking of leaving the AMISOM mission because of lacking funds from the European Union to their brigades in the Somalia Peacekeeping mission. Have you heard this before? Yes you have, they have come with the same sort of words when coming to the peacekeeping mission in the MINUSCA in the Central African Republic.

If there is no payment by January, Burundi will recall the more than 5,400 troops from the 22,000-strong regional force protecting Somalia’s weak government from al-Shabab extremist attacks, President Pierre Nkurunziza said” (…) “Burundi’s troops have not been paid allowances for 11 months amid a standoff between Burundi’s government and the EU after the EU accused Burundian authorities of human rights abuses” (New York Times, 30.12.2016).

The Burundian Peacekeepers have come under fire of late, with their neglect and their also past-history as human rights violation at home has come to surface. Therefore the European Union doesn’t want to pay and submit funds to a draconian government that let people vanish, tortured or assassinated. That is within doubt a noble quest, but still hard when the EU doesn’t want to commit to settle battle-torn areas of Central African Republic and the Federal Republic of Somalia.

Because as this action happens as the troublesome Inclusive Inter-Burundian Dialogue is stalled by their questioning of chief negotiator H.E. William Mpaka, the term of President Nkurunziza happens without questions as the Police and even Youth Party Members Imbonerakure are taking away men and woman who has “insulted the President”. That is the law now. So the dialogue between the fractions behind in Burundi where the Opposition is under leach, as it has been since the start of Nkurunziza’s third term. While he today has claimed it is the International Community and the International Mining Corporations fault for the troubles in his country.

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Nkurunziza said this today at his press conference:

“The crisis of 2015 was just related to the stakes around the minerals in Burundi. The mandate was just a pretext” (…) “Burundi has given the Waga-Nyabikere mines to the AMS consortium, with Europeans and Americans. But it was not enough” (…) “The Western powers behind the Burundi crisis in 2015 wanted to have the Musongati mining deposit” (…) “With this mining deposit of Musongati, it is not coltan that counts more. But iron and plutonium”(www.bujumburanewsblog.wordpress.com, 30.12.2016).

There might be some who would see it like this, others would say that he countered the constitution and used the courts to run for a sham election, that he won as the intimidation and the spark of violence erupted. There we’re no run for the mill for the mines or international community discussing the values of deposits except for the minor companies’ deals to the Government of Burundi. This is a valid display of trying to wash their hands of blood and blame others. A common strategy of the ones who are sanctioning the acts of atrocities, it isn’t new, it’s like saying it isn’t the drunk driving that is the cause, but the car-manufacture who didn’t have a alcohol lock on the door. The same is what the Burundian President trying to do.

He is blaming the European Union for their non-direct payment to his Government for the provided services in AMISOM mission, as they are trying to shift the funds directly and pay directly to the soldiers. That gives way for the Government to not handle the monies and the EU funds. So they cannot withhold or embezzle funds to other projects as the non-transparent entity of CNDD-FDD; who runs the country with machetes and violence.

Just as you thought that was enough the President continue to put blame on others:

“Kigali : This morning, during a public issue in the province of Rutana (South-East of Burundi), the President of the Republic of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, took it out in Rwanda” (…) “According to SOS Médias Burundi, President Pierre Nkurunziza said that the “Burundi has never represented a threat to the security of Rwanda” and has “called the Rwandans to stop disrupting the safety in Burundi.” (Rwanda News Agency, 30.12.2016).

Early in 2016 the authorities of Burundi claimed that Rwandese guerrillas we’re trained in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo we’re coming in 2015 to have a coup d’état to oust President Nkurunziza. This was dined by the Rwandan Government at the time and they also offered to expel the Burundian Refugees if this sentiment continued. Still, after all that and a month after Nkurunziza continues to blame the Rwandese for interference. As even close connected to the government have had to flee.

We can now see that President Nkurunziza tries to show power and be grand. Be big and ambitious; try to show the European Union and the neighbours to show that he is the man. As his reputation and his holding abroad is shrinking as much as the donors and funds are also becoming meagre.

Nkurunziza is under-fire and righteously so after the fraudulent attempt of controlling the republic and taking a third term. Now he is speaking of a fourth term with ease and saying if “people want me too”. Just like he learned from President Museveni and others who has done the same trick; because they think with fear they can install themselves forever in power.

Even if he pulls the Burundian brigades from AMISOM and MUNISCA he still needs foreign exchange and other donor funds. The concern for the Nkurunziza should be to mend the fences and try to be nice, but that isn’t his character as he uses youths to scare the population and take the people who doesn’t follow his party line. Therefore people are fleeing and staying in refugee camps in Rwanda, Tanzania and the DRC.

The world shouldn’t give in to the threats of Nkurunziza as he thinks he can outsmart the AMISOM. The Big-Man complex comes to the surface and also to world. That he is the one-man to rule and to control the republic without interference. If the world is getting involved it has to be on his accord. Not on somebody else, it’s his watch and his words that matters. That the EU is trying to avoid paying the government is a disgrace to Nkurunziza and that Kagame is threat is known. So the response should be with caution and with knowledge of this. The International Community should be worried and know that CNDD-FDD are not a democratic party, but a front for a centralized and militarized government who only cares for ruler, that he can rule by all means. Peace.  

RDC: L’ACAJ recommande à Thambwe Mwamba d mettre fin aux grossiers judiciaires ctre les opposants emblematiq dt Katumbi (27.12.2016)

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RDC: G-7 Communique – “En levant l’immunité du Prés. G. Kyungu en pleine négociation, le pouvoir continue à s’engluer dans sa funeste logique d’affrontements” (27.12.2016)

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RDC: Declaration des Organisations Non-Gouvernementales des Droits de l’Homme relative a la manifestation du 19 decembre 2016 et aux comportements des forces de l’ordre et de securite de la Republique Democratique du Congo (27.12.2016)

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Opinion: Polarization will be the key protocol to follow in 2017!

History Immigration

No matter if it is local politics, if it international or trade, the most important backbone to policies in the next year will be polarization. That is not Polar Bears dancing on the dwindling ice, if so the U.S. TV station would have better ratings. No, this is the importance of local and national industries, while stressing ignorance towards immigration and imports to add more GDP value and also stop inflation. A balance that is hard to carry as the trust in local currency and local production doesn’t change overnight. That has to happen with steady policies and ability to trade products and create market for the ones that we’re in the past produced far away.

Definition of polarization

1:  the action of polarizing or state of being or becoming polarized: as

a (1) :  the action or process of affecting radiation and especially light so that the vibrations of the wave assume a definite form (2) :  the state of radiation affected by this process

b :  an increase in the resistance of an electrolytic cell often caused by the deposition of gas on one or both electrodes” (…) “2 a :  division into two opposites b :  concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum” (Merriam-Webster – Polarization, link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polarization).

We are dividing ourselves while the world is into more conflicts that need assistance and securities to secure peace. There internal conflicts in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Where the conflict is bloody, where people are detained for the political affiliation, where innocent dies in the streets and where guns are imported to silence the ones who is not succumbing to the regimes who hold power.

We are living in a time where opposition victors doesn’t get into power, because the leaders of old are not allowing and keeping power by the gun, are using the police force and army to monitor the opposition and even rigs the election to secure the “validation” of their rule. This has happen in many Republics and Nations this year and proves that progress of governance and accountability is dying, like innocence and justice is impartial and only for the elites. The rest of us just have to be lucky to see just systems and laws for the common folk.

Like Adama Barrow is the President-Elect in Gambia, Jean Ping should have become the President in Gabon, Dr. Kizza Besigye in Uganda and Moise Katumbi should have risen to power in DRC if there we’re any justice and transition of Power in the Republic. But the big-man and long ruling Presidents of these nations doesn’t give-in or leave office. They continue to stay without any fear or without any mercy as the monarchs they acts of. Instead keep polarising the political elites and societies with paying the elites and silencing the ones who stand in their path. Also, by forging alliances with nations to make sure justice doesn’t prevail in their path.

While these tragedies are appearing in front of our eyes in our times, the borders and the helping hands are not appearing, the funds and allocations of necessary funds to the refugee camps, the direct food aid and agents of humanitarian actions are not sufficient. The reality of these missing steps should boggle our mind and should freeze our hearts out, as the news of burning convoys into Aleppo, lack of food into refugee camps in Adjumani in Uganda and the lacking rations of food in refugee camps in Tanzania. These should all be a reminder of the fate we have put our world in. The steps of lost grace and mercy on the weakest of humanity, where hospitals and humanitarians are put in the lines of bullets and grenades in between the battlefield as the soldiers fight for keeping merciless tyrants to stay in power.

While the superpowers are claiming the fight for justice, the innocent dies, the towns are battlefields and turns into dust, the graves are not cleared and the lives are lost in vain. This while UN cannot impose arms-embargoes or create a possible cease-fire to get civilians into safety, this while Italian and Greece authorities are working and trying to find ways to impose fleeing civilians on Turkey, because the rich European states fears that fleeing civilians could be terrorists. The humanity and just behaviour is dying while the states are flogging their responsibility to the ones in need.

We can question ourselves if this is right, if we can sleep knowing the indebtedness we have in riches. In the time of peace in our states, where we have possible houses and shelter for the ones fleeing possible genocides and acts against humanity; Europe impose stricter rules on immigration and Brexit proves the fear of Polish and other ethnic groups as they want to secure their borders as key argument to stop being an EU Member State.

We can wonder why the world has come to this that polarization of between ourselves the ones who see the innocent die and the ones who want to keep their own by any means. That the own nationals are going against each other and seeing it as only fit, instead of thinking for instance for a hot minute, what if the war came to our shores and to our homes, wouldn’t we flee? Wouldn’t we do what we could to leave our wealth, our riches to save our own?

Why shouldn’t the Syrians and all other who are in conflicts leave grenades, tanks and bombs, would we live on the streets with daily shooting and killing if we had an option to flee? Would we stay and risk everyday our lives to get a loaf of bread? I doubt that. We would travel to safety and to places where we could resettle and rehash the future of ourselves and our kids. If not we would be risking ourselves and the future of our kin. That is because it’s natural.

Still, the Europeans and citizens of fellow states don’t see it this way with fear-mongering politics and internal polarization of demagoguery, which is out of proportion. This will continue as these conflicts leads to more hurt and damage of lives, where more shelter and more merciless killings to stay in power, where more rigging of elections and more police-states are controlling the civil society. Where the states are more totalitarian and the power controlled by a little elite, while the average citizens are struggling, they will seek fortunes other places instead of in their birth-nations. Just as we would do if our destiny we’re in the limbo, if our homes were shacks and our sockets could electrocute us.

So the world of 2017, will be inflicted with the unfinished business of past, like all years has been, with as much uncertainty as the start of 2016, but with new issues and new struggles, with new people behind bars because of political affiliation, more families lost loved ones because of demonstrations, more people fleeing as the machetes and burning villages for land-grabbing, foreign investors taking land while locals cannot get deeds, as the central government are getting needed funds to supply the army with equipment and salaries, civil servants are left behind with reunification and it is happening so many places. Nobody confess nobody impose on it or even sanction this. We should question the economic challenges and the way they allocate funds, especially when many of these states get based government loans from the IMF and World Bank to basically could function; together with the reasonable taxation they can be able get from their citizens.

We shouldn’t silent on the merciless acts of men, we shouldn’t be ignorant of the world of oppression and fear, as the grand masters of our times are destroying and depleting lands for fortunes, as the multi-national companies see only profits and not see the populations they are forcing into unjust working conditions to trade resources into high profits abroad. These acts shouldn’t be forgotten, as industries and the trade are made for the international companies to gain and not all locals, therefore the polarization are created in these, create more havoc and even more injustice, as the unfair world we live in doesn’t give hands to ones in need. The rich can get it all, while the poor is lucky if they have enough for a jerry-can to buy water. That isn’t justice, that isn’t right when others are only drinking imported expensive French Water.         

We should questions the systems and revise them for more balanced between the rich and poor, for more functioning United Nations, for more diplomatic efforts and for stronger laws that cannot make Presidents into Emperors! The reality is that 2017 will start where 2016 and that is not in positive looks into the future, because the powers we have, the armies and police are targeting fellow citizens who deserves better. We all deserve better and we all should know better. Peace.

Accountability for killings of protesters vital, Zeid says, as DRC crisis continues (23.12.2016)

telema

GENEVA (23 December 2016) – Reports that dozens of people have been killed by police and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past few days are deeply troubling and point to growing instability in the country, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Friday.

Over the past week, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO) has documented at least 40 killings of civilians in Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi, Boma and Matadi, mainly of people protesting against President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down at the official end of his mandate on 19 December. Some 107 people have been injured or ill-treated and there have been at least 460 arrests.

“Such high casualty figures suggest a serious disregard by the various police, defence and security forces of the need to exercise restraint in policing demonstrations. Not only are soldiers participating in law enforcement operations, but all the forces involved are heavily armed and using live ammunition,” Zeid said.

The High Commissioner recalled that law enforcement officials, including the military acting in that capacity, must never use firearms except against someone representing an imminent threat to life or of serious injury and only when less extreme means are insufficient.

“The failure by the DRC authorities and the security forces, to abide by their international obligations to guarantee people’s right to freedoms of expression and of association and assembly is to be deplored,” he stressed.

The violence of the past few days has not been limited to Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi and the east but has also been reported in several regions, which indicates that the political crisis is leading to wider destabilisation, Zeid noted.

“Violent repression of dissenting voices and a heavy-handed and irresponsible response to demonstrations risk provoking violence in return by demonstrators and possibly even tipping the constitutional crisis over the president’s future into further conflict across the country,” the High Commissioner warned.

The High Commissioner noted that to date no one has been held accountable for the deaths of 54 people in Kinshasa in September when the defence and security forces used excessive force against demonstrators calling for constitutional deadlines to be respected and for President Kabila to step down at the end of his second and final mandate.

“Such impunity for past violence appears to have fostered a belief among security personnel that they can open fire against demonstrators without being held accountable for their actions,” Zeid said.

The High Commissioner reiterated calls by, among others, the National Episcopal Conference (CENCO) which has been trying to mediate an accord between the opposition and the ruling party, for an independent and transparent inquiry into the recent violence.

“It is essential that all those, at whatever level, who are responsible for human rights violations are held accountable. Without such a credible response from the government, the risk is that violent situations or ongoing conflict, including between communities over resources, could degenerate further,” Zeid said.

Among the violations documented by UNJHRO:

  • On 20 December, 13 civilians were killed in Kinshasa by defence and security forces and another two people were killed on 22 December. Eleven of these killings are attributable to the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC, including six by the Military Police (MP) and one by the Republican Guard (RG). Two policemen were killed by protesters. In addition, at least 12 people were injured by defence and security forces, and at least 150 people were arrested.
  • On 20 December in Lubumbashi, at least eight men and two children were killed and at least 60 civilians were injured by the security forces. During demonstrations in Lumbumbashi on 20 December, at least 130 people were arrested. A further 145 people, including 23 minors, were arrested in their houses during search operations on 21 and 22 December
  • In Matadi, on 20 December, at least three men were killed by officers from the National Police (PNC). Five people were injured by PNC officers and FARDC soldiers, and the police arrested at least 26 people.
  • On 20 December, in Boma, 12 civilians, including three women, were killed and 12 others were wounded by PNC officers and FARDC soldiers.
  • Between 17 and 22 December, at least 102 people were arbitrarily arrested in Goma, including 24 activists from the Lucha youth movement, a journalist and 10 members of opposition political parties.
  • Eight Lucha activists were also arrested in Mbuji-Mayi by agents from the National Information Agency (ANR) on 21 December.
  • In Oicha, at least 30 people, including 16 women, were arrested by PNC officers on 19 December.

ENDS