RDC: Declaration de l’Association des Journalistes Sportifs du Congo Section du Katanga Ausc/Katanga au Sujet de l’Insecurite des Journalistes (04.02.2019)

RDC: Nouvelle Societe Civile Congolaise (N.S.C.C.) – Communique de Presse (03.02.2019)

DRC: The Fayulu Rally shows his real popularity!

As President Felix Tshisekedi Tshilomba are having his first days in Office. He has already made his first decision. But as that happen, the Opposition Coalition of LAMUKA called to have a Rally at Saint Therese, Ndjili in Kinshasa. This has been notified to the public for a long while, by both Martin Fayulu and Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC) who told the public about it.

Today, we saw the power of Fayulu and the Lamuka. The coalition of MLC, G7 and Ensemble. All of them combined. With the support of Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi. That strength is proven today. That the public is behind Fayulu.

The proof today is that again, we are seeing what a rigged election does. That around 20,000 people gathered around the rally and showed their support for their man. The one who by CENCO got the most votes. Still, he didn’t become the victor, but became a loser as a decision made by the authorities and not by the people. The people who are behind Fayulu and the Lamuka.

The clips from the rally is so powerful. All the pictures of the crowds and the proof of the validated support of him. It was all peaceful and no fuzz about it. No one arrested, no one detained and no one shot. There was no tear-gas or any problems with it. Even if the police was gathering intelligence for over 3000 who planned to deceitful activities there. However, none of that happen.

What we saw today, is yet another sign of somewhere, where the people are being rigged out. Where the public have been used and where the authorities are not their team-mate, but the player who is oppressing them. They might let them out for these occasions, but they will not give them the power or the representation they ask for. Because, if the authorities did so, then the state would not act like it does.

Fayulu deserves better, Lamuka deserves better, but who deserves it even more, is the Congolese people. Who had deserved the proper representation and not just someone handpicked as successor of Kabila. They should have had their say, the 30th December 2018 should have secured this, instead it was taken away in a rouse. Peace.

RDC: Message de Felicitations – A Son Excellence Monsieur le President de la Republique, Chef de l’Etat, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo – Et De Revolte du CACH Grand Bandundu (02.02.2019)

RDC: ENVOL – Communique de Presse No. 001/01/2019 – (31.01.2019)

RDC: B.C.C lettre au President Felix Tshisekendi – “Concerne: detournmentes des fonds du Tresor Public et de la Gecamines” (31.01.2019)

Six months on, Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo now second largest in history (31.01.2019)

This is the 10th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the country’s worst.

BANGKOK, Thailand, January 31, 2019 – Since the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared six months ago on 1st August 2018, more than 740 people – 30 per cent of whom are children – have been infected with the disease, including over 460 who have died, and 258 that have survived Ebola. Alongside the Government and partners, UNICEF is scaling up its response to assist victims, control the spread of the disease and ultimately end the deadly outbreak.

This is the 10th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the country’s worst. It is also the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak in history after the one in West Africa in 2014-2016. The response to this latest outbreak continues to be hampered by insecurity, frequent movement of people in the affected areas, and resistance from some communities.

“While we have been able to largely control the disease in Mangina, Beni and Komanda, the virus continues to spread in the Butembo area, largely because of insecurity and population movement,” said Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “We are scaling up our response and deploying additional staff in the health zones of Butembo and Katwa, where 65 per cent of the new Ebola cases in the last three weeks have occurred.” 

Since the beginning of the epidemic, UNICEF and its partners have deployed more than 650 staff to work with Government, civil society, churches, and non-governmental organizations – to assist people and families who’ve been infected and to raise awareness about the best hygiene and behavioural practices to prevent Ebola from spreading.

UNICEF’s Ebola response focuses on community engagement, providing water and sanitation, making schools safe from Ebola and supporting children and families infected and affected by Ebola. UNICEF aims to control and prevent the spread of the disease, and ultimately stop the outbreak; to reduce Ebola-related deaths among those infected; and to provide protection, alleviate suffering and give assistance to affected children and families.

People who’ve been infected, as well as affected families and their children, including children orphaned by Ebola and unaccompanied children, continue to receive psychosocial support to help them cope with the consequences of the Ebola disease. UNICEF is also providing a protective environment for children in schools and nutrition assistance, including to children and adults in Ebola Treatment Centers.

“Our teams in Mangina, Beni, Oicha, Komanda, Butembo and Lubero are working tirelessly with this multi-pronged approach to end the Ebola outbreak as quickly as possible, and to help affected children and families,” stressed Dr. Rotigliano.

To date, UNICEF and its partners have:

  • Reached out to more than 10 million people in affected areas with prevention messages in collaboration with community leaders and through mass media;
  • Provided drinking water to more than 1.3 million people in public places, health facilities and schools;
  • Trained 8,146 teachers on Ebola prevention measures;
  • Reached 157,133 children in 888 schools with prevention messages;
  • Provided assistance to 830 families directly affected by Ebola;
  • Identified 686 Ebola orphans and provided them with appropriate care.

Mass-graves found of at least 535 killed during ‘organized and planned’ inter-communal attacks in western DR Congo (31.01.2019)

The initial investigation conducted by the Joint UN Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), attached to the mission, has concluded that in addition to the dead, 111 other villagers were wounded.

NEW YORK, United States of America, January 31, 2019 – A preliminary UN investigation into a massacre reportedly carried out in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last month, reveals that “at least 535 civilians were killed in four attacks”, the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, said on Wednesday

In mid-January, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said that according to “credible reports”, hundreds of villagers from the four communities in Yumbi, had been killed during inter-ethnic clashes between the Banunu and Batende communities, during several days, beginning on 16 December. She deplored the “shocking violence” and highlighted the importance of “investigating and bringing the perpetrators to justice”.

The initial investigation conducted by the Joint UN Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), attached to the mission, has concluded that in addition to the dead, 111 other villagers were wounded.

There has been no confirmation of exactly who carried out the killings but the mission said that “the attacks were conducted in an organized and planned manner, and were extremely violent and fast, leaving little time for the populations to flee”.

The wave of violence was allegedly triggered by a dispute over the burial of the customary chief of the Banunu community.

“The team identified a total of 59 burial sites in two of the attacked towns, but do not rule out more sites,” said a statement from MONUSCO on Wednesday. “Furthermore, 967 properties, including churches, schools and health centers were looted or destroyed, and at least 363 boats were destroyed.”

An estimated 16,000 people reportedly fled Yumbi and the surrounding area, to different locations including “some 7,000 persons who, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), sought refuge by crossing the river into the Republic of Congo. The Mission reports that the security situation is currently relatively calm, with national security forces having deployed to the area.”

Ebola outbreak in DRC’s east, now world’s second largest ever

In eastern DRC, the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus disease which began six months ago, has now officially become the second largest ever, the UN reported on Wednesday.

More than 740 people, 30 per cent of them children, have been infected so far, and 460 have died, with a total of 258 surviving the disease. UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, said that I was scaling up its response to help victims, as part of the Government and World Health Organization-led effort to end the outbreak – the largest in the country’s history.

“The response to this latest outbreak continues to be hampered by insecurity, frequent movement of people in the affected areas, and resistance from some communities,” said UNICEF.

“While we have been able to largely control the disease in Mangina, Beni and Komanda, the virus continues to spread in the Butembo area, largely because of insecurity and population movement,” added Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, UNICEF Representative in the DRC. “We are scaling up our response and deploying additional staff in the health zones of Butembo and Katwa, where 65 per cent of the new Ebola cases in the last three weeks have occurred.” 

The UN and its humanitarian partners have dispatched emergency help in the form of medicine, food, water tablets and malaria kits, and further assistance is on the way.

MONUSCO to support authorities, ‘bring justice to the victims’, promote reconciliation

The head of the UNJHRO has reported that each communal grave discovered so far – reportedly dug initially by local Red Cross workers and returning family members who had fled – likely contained dozens of bodies, while there were more than 40 other individual graves unearthed, following the joint fact-finding mission that was conducted along with local authorities.

The outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in December took place just weeks ahead of crucial Presidential elections, which had been delayed for two years. Voters in Yumbi were unable to cast their votes, as the Electoral Commission building was among those totally destroyed.

MONUSCO said it “strongly condemns” the violence and is calling for a thorough investigation. The mission said it was ready to support the Congolese authorities to “bring justice to the victims, and promote reconciliation between the two communities.”

RDC: M.L.C – Communique (30.01.2019)

RDC: Red-Tabara – Communique (29.01.2019)