RDC: Lucha – “Beni: Les etudiants et militants de la LUCHA doivent etre liberes sans condition” (11.11.2018)

RDC: Alert I Enlevenent d un militant de la LUCHA a Goma – Sa vie en danger (10.11.2018)

RDC: FCC – Communique Officiel du Front Commun pour le Congo (09.11.2018)

RDC: CENI – Mise au Point sur les Allegations de Monsieur Shekomba (08.11.2018)

RDC: CENI – Communique de Presse (07.11.2018)

RDC: Declaration des Candidats President de la Republique et des Leaders de l’Opposition en Rapport avec les Atteintes Deliberees Portees au Processus Electoral par le Pouvoir Sortant (07.11.2018)

RDC: Bruno Tshibala – “Concerne: Suspension de missions de controle” (07.11.2018)

RDC: Red-Tabara – Communique (05.11.2018)

RDC: Declaration Commune des Forces vives et Politiques sur la Machine a Voter et sur un Scrutin Credible et Transparent en Republique Democratique du Congo (02.11.2018)

North Kivu: Violent events and fatalities in the province has surpassed last year already!

If you ever thought, it would be peaceful and not be problems in the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. You are wrong and sadly so. As The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) released an report on this year’s activity in the Province and the numbers are striking. They are not in the positive aspect, but more fatalities and more events that are violent have been registered this year.

This meaning, that the North Kivu are seeing and are more hurt by the FARDC and the ADF in the region. Both parties are battling and these battles are costly. The FARDC alone is registered with 19 killings, while the total in the province is 801 and that is six more than whole of last year. This is up to October, so the numbers might be worse by the time ticking into 2019.

Let ACLED explain:

“The number of violent events in North Kivu in 2018 thus far has surpassed the number of violent events recorded for all of 2017. In 2017 there were 307 violent events and protests recorded in the province, resulting in 795 reported fatalities; in 2018 to date, there have been 493 violent events and protests, responsible for 801 reported fatalities. Much of the increase in violence in 2018 is driven by an increase in the targeting of civilians by rebel groups and community militias, as well as battles between armed groups and the government, as demonstrated in the graph below” (…) “Despite the difficulties in tracking ADF activities, recorded events suggest that the group is becoming more active in 2018. Violent events involving the ADF in North Kivu have surged more than 140% from 2017, rising to 92 violent events in 2018 thus far. The government’s offensive may be behind the increased number of activities involving the rebel group, as well as behind the increase in civilian targeting by rebel groups” (…) “The Congolese security forces have also targeted civilians in North Kivu in 2018. This year, there have been 17 events in which the Congolese security sector targeted civilians, resulting in a reported 19 fatalities. This increase in civilian targeting may be a function of the difficulty of discerning civilians from rebel group members; according to the Congo Research Group, though the ADF was not founded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it has cultivated significant ties with the local community and pursued integrative strategies” (ACLED – ‘Layered Insecurity in North Kivu: Violence and the Ebola Response’ 26.10.2018).

These reports from ACLED is really compelling as the North Kivu are hit again and again. By not only militias taking lives of civilians, but also the FARDC. This is happening, as the MONUSCO still has a mission and supposed to be the balanced force, but the province are still seeing violence and fatalities.

These sorts of reports are important, because they shows the bigger picture and also shows the signs of either progress or not. This report from ACLED is accurate and has the sources for their numbers. Therefore, I can trust these numbers as they have reported. That there is issues in North Kivu and that it is ongoing is telling.

This is happening in the year of the postponed elections. The Insecurity continues and who knows who earns on the fatalities. That is the sad thing, all of them, every single one of the fatalities is one to many, and none of them should have been lost. Peace.