U.S. Gov: Treasury Sanctions Two Individuals for Threatening the Stability of and Undermining Democratic Processes in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (28.09.2016)

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Action Targets Current and Former Government Officials
 
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two individuals, Gabriel Amisi Kumba and John Numbi, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13413, as amended by E.O. 13671, following increasing indications that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to suppress political opposition in the country, often through violent means.  Specifically, OFAC designated John Numbi for engaging in actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the DRC, and Gabriel Amisi Kumba for being the leader of an armed group that has threatened the peace, security, or stability of the DRC.  As a result of today’s actions, all of the designated individuals’ assets within U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.
“These current and former Democratic Republic of the Congo government officials have engaged in actions that undermine democratic processes in the DRC and repress the political rights and freedoms of the Congolese people, risking further and more widespread instability in the DRC, and the broader Great Lakes region,” said John E. Smith, Acting OFAC Director.  “Today’s action builds on the United States’ continued commitment to disrupt this destructive behavior and foster a better and more stable future for the DRC and the Congolese people.  Today’s action is not directed at the people of DRC.  It is intended to alter the behavior of the targeted individuals.”
DRC state agents have reportedly continued to violate human rights and fundamental freedoms, have engaged in politically motivated detentions of members of civil society and opposition representatives, and have used excessive force in response to demonstrations.  In several areas of the country, defense and security forces have violently repressed demonstrations organized to oppose a new draft electoral law that many fear would allow President Kabila to run for a third term.
Gabriel Amisi Kumba
Major General Gabriel Amisi Kumba (Amisi) is a Commander in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).  He is the leader of FARDC units in the First Defense Zone, which covers the provinces of Bandudu, Bas Congo, Equateur, and Kinshasa. These units have reportedly engaged in violent repression of political demonstrations.  Increasing violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly have been reported in the western provinces, particularly in Kinshasa.  FARDC soldiers have used excessive force and lethal weapons during demonstrations and political rallies, particularly during demonstrations organized by opposition leaders and civil society actors in January 2015.
In August 2014, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) reportedly denounced the fact that no judicial investigation had been opened against Amisi.
John Numbi
General John Numbi (Numbi) is the former National Inspector for the Congolese National Police.  During the March 2016 gubernatorial elections in the DRC’s four ex-Katangan provinces, Numbi used violent intimidation to secure victories for candidates affiliated with President Kabila’s MP coalition.  Numbi threatened to kill opposition candidates who did not voluntarily withdraw from the race, and on the same day these exchanges purportedly took place, three candidates withdrew.  Numbi also reportedly gave provincial deputies a unique numeric code to write on each of their ballots so he could verify their votes after the election.  Though he is no longer a DRC Government official, Numbi is reportedly an influential advisor to President Kabila.

RDC: Prend acte du sit-in qu’organise les notabilites du Nord Kivu le vendredi 30/09/2016 devant le Gouvernorat de province (28.09.2016)

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The latest from Beni, DRC: Conflicting reports on killings over the Weekend, but certainly ADF-NALU attacked on the 22nd September; sharing the knowledge of the origin of violence in the Kivu’s!

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The embattled city of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo has heavy day of deaths again. First was a rumour that I haven’t gotten verified that there been a FARDC Soldier on rampage killing 13 people. Even ABC in the U.S. and The Guardian in the UK have written their piece on it. But the intelligence from the DRC, which I believes says this.

The rumour we’re spread by this official source:

“Seventeen people were killed Saturday, September 24th in Beni and several others are missing, mainly children, following a stampede caused by rumors of an incursion of ADF in this city of North Kivu. According to the head of Civil Protection of Beni, the situation was aggravated when a FARDC soldier in civilian clothes started shooting in the air. He stated that the balance sheet is still provisional” (…) “During this panic, as it was raining heavily, there are children who have been lost. We are still investigating these children. They took the road Mangina, Butembo and other road, the road of Oïcha. And with respect to human damage, we have 15 deaths by drowning and two by crisis. We are still waiting to receive more bodies to be recovered” (…) “The mayor of Beni, Nyonyi Bwanakawa , called the population fled to the neighboring cities of Beni to return to their homes. “There was panic yesterday [ Saturday, September 24 ] , today there is no panic. The city regained its calm since yesterday. My constituents who went to Mangina in Butembo also everyone back home”, says the mayor of Beni” (…) “What I do have secure sources of is 4 people died by accident, 8 by drowning, 4 people by getting to bottom of Congo Kilokwe, 1 person died in the river Kalinda, 3 people by the river of Munyubelu and 1 person of the market of Kilokwa. So the total of deaths alone in the last day has been 17 persons. Not the ten of the rumour. Still, the verification of the matter and deaths is still worrying how easily these people are dying and to what extent” (Radio Okapi – ‘Beni: 17 morts suite à la rumeur d’une incursion des ADF’ 25.09.2016, link: http://www.radiookapi.net/2016/09/25/actualite/securite/beni-17-morts-suite-la-rumeur-dune-incursion-des-adf?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+radiookapi%2Factu+%28Radiookapi.net%29).

So the rampage of certain soldier is not verified by the Mayor of Beni this time around, even if the 17 people died are more than enough by the scare of the weather and rain. This proves the volatile and scarcity of secure areas in and around Beni.

The ADF-NALU we’re attacking Beni on the 22nd September 2016, there we’re 7 dead by assault, 3 missing and 3 hurt. The ADF-NALU burnt the houses of the ones connected to the FARDC in the town as they we’re assaulting it.

Some say the drunk soldier we’re in a military base or compound where he shot bullets in the air together with the bad weather and with the knowledge of the recent ADF attack made the general public scared that the bullets shot from the soldier we’re a prequel to more horror form the guerrilla.

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Interview of Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi on the 22nd September 2016:

Journalist: “You just mentioned the “M23”. What do you say, by cons, some officials who accuse you of being behind the ADF rebels, which are suspected, rightly or wrongly, the massacres of the population of Beni?”

Antipas: “In October 2014, I was the first to raise his voice to say he is going serious things in Beni. I can tell you that the killings of Beni organizer is the General Mundos [Editor’s note: General Muhindo Akili, aka Mundos]. For almost two years. Gradually, everyone starts to realize that there is something fishy. There are even reports that the UN no longer say in easy explanations consisting of pointing accusing fingers towards opponents. Everybody is beginning to realize that the sponsor of these massacres is at the top of the Congolese state. I can not be both the author and the informer of a crime. Why are the authorities so far unable to apprehend the perpetrators of these murders? As directory you can see, I do not live in Beni” (Les Depeches – ‘Antipas MBUSA NYAMWISI expose tous les secrets désagréables de Joseph KABILA’ (25.09.2016) link: http://benilubero.com/antipas-mbusa-nyamwisi-leve-le-voile-sur-les-secrets-desagreables-de-joseph-kabila/).

The reports of the mattes is still sad and strong, the silence of the matter and the little heart of all the fellow human beings dying while the valuable resources are traded showing how cold the world are. While bloody mess are traded with the resources that are exported to all kind of industry and products the world needs. Still, all this silence of the killings from either ADF, FARDC and all the leaders who take charge of the death of innocent civilians in the greed and violence; neither if it is former EX-FARDC Gen. Mundos Muhindo Akili and his fellow EX-FAR.

We cannot know about this and look away. That is madness and no honour. The international media is running wild on the 13 dead by the Soldier, while my intel says the drunk solider just made the Beni, DRC scared by the bullets.

We can all question who is reliable and where this is heading. The FARDC if they can even control the ADF-NALU at this point or if they really want to stop Gen. Mundos Muhindo Akili… Because the killings continue, but the quickness of Mayor Bwanakawa claiming otherwise, but the ADF did just recently attack the town again and a drunken soldier shooting in the air days after skirmishes of a guerrilla sound credible to me. This happens together with bad weather and insecurity of Beni.

So we know there is Ill Will and Ill intent in the Kivu’s and weak state that are only in it for the money and not in it for the security of the citizens. If they had cared than they have had a decade to ‘clear the air’ and make sure the citizens we’re safe. But since the MONUSCO and the FARDC is still there and the ADF still roams the area with violence. There are too many questions while the Rwandan Government still earns heavy currency on precious metals or resources they cannot even produce in quantities and quality minerals that isn’t possible to produce and mine. This happens while the guerrillas are attacking civilians and export to take it Kigali and sell it worldwide. The knowledge of this is open and the world should know by now, but doesn’t sanction them in any way it matters while this resources the fuel guerrillas or insurgents that gets wealthy on the deaths of innocent Congolese.

Beni, Beni dies for the mercy of minerals that helps the world go around, while the world doesn’t really care about the deaths and killings in Beni as they are continuing.

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As this old page show’s how the ghost of the past continues to hunt the Congolese:

The United States paid only minor lip service to the charges of human rights abuses during the anti-Mobutu rebellion. This was clearly due to the established connections the RPF regime had with Washington, D.C…the Clinton administration declared its sympathy with Kabila’s assertion that the UN and human rights organizations were trying to impose “Western values” on Africa. As one US official stated, “We have to respect the African point of view” (…) “Perhaps the most ominous indication that the violence in the Congo has yet to see its most extreme devastation is that the North Kivu province contains over 80% of the world’s coltan. Coltan will arguabley be the 21st century’s most important mineral, as it is essential for all the digital technology (microchips) used today. North Kivu resident Vincent Machozi reports that both U.S. and Chinese governmental operatives are active inside North Kivu” (Caroline Smartt – ‘The Roots of the Kivu forgotten tragedy’ (25.04.2008) link: http://benilubero.com/the-roots-of-the-kivu-forgotten-tragedy/ ).

With the knowledge of this and for those who doesn’t know. Now you know the importance of the Kivu’s. That’s why the killings in DRC and Beni are worrying as the world doesn’t do anything to really make the silent war die there. The continued bloodshed and horror of any kind. There we’re once a guerrilla named “Terminator” and surely other will rise to secure the payments for the Coltan and Rare-Earth Minerals from there. Will there be change in Beni and North and South Kivu of the DRC? Peace.

Readout for the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa (19.09.2016)

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The Secretary-General and the President discussed the importance of inclusive political dialogue in South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

GENEVA, Switzerland, September 19, 2016 – The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Jacob ZUMA, President of South Africa. The Secretary-General thanked South Africa for its many contributions to peace and security in Africa.

He urged South Africa to ratify the climate change agreement as soon as possible. He also drew attention to migration and refugee challenges and stressed the need for a truly global sharing of responsibilities.

The Secretary-General and the President discussed the importance of inclusive political dialogue in South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Communique de Presse: De la NDSCI a Suite de la Situation d’Insecurite qui Prevaut sur l’Axe Kabare-Nord en Province du Sud-Kivu (18.09.2016)

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RDC: Communiqué du Chef d’État Major des FARDC RDC pour le secteur opérationnel SUKOLA au Kivu (30.08.2016)

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Beni : le Chef de la MONUSCO Maman Sambo Sidikou estime qu’il faut une stratégie différente contre les massacres (30.08.2016)

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Beni – 30 août 2016 : « Il est évident que pour la MONUSCO, les discours et la compassion ne suffisent plus ! Il faut travailler avec le gouvernement et de façon très rapprochée. Il est évident qu’il faut travailler avec les FARDC de façon très rapprochée et arrêter une stratégie différente.» a déclaré le Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général de l’ONU en RDC (SRSG), Maman Sambo Sidikou, lundi 29 août 2016 à Rwangoma, localité située à 4 km du centre-ville de Beni.

«Parce que nous comptons les morts, les uns après les autres et ça ne peut plus continuer », a expliqué le chef de le MONUSCO.

C’est à Rwangoma que le 13 août dernier, une cinquantaine de personnes ont été massacrées par des présumés ADF.

M. Sidikou, accompagnait le nonce apostolique, Luis Mariano Montemayor, dans sa visite pastorale au Diocèse de Butembo-Beni. Le nonce apostolique a d’ailleurs présidé une célébration en la mémoire des disparus, avant d’insister sur la protection des civils, priorité majeure du mandat de la MONUSCO.

Le mardi 30 août 2016, trois temps forts ont rythmé la fin de la visite du SRSGG à Beni : une rencontre avec les leaders religieux – imams, pasteurs, protestants -, une autre avec la société civile ainsi qu’une conférence de presse.

Pour l’essentiel, ces échanges ont permis de comprendre que la gestion d’un tel dossier nécessite l’implication et la collaboration de tous les acteurs qui, par leurs propositions, leurs idées, peuvent contribuer à la résolution d’une telle crise.

Le chef de la MONUSCO a encore une fois insisté sur le fait que le remède à cette crise n’est pas seulement militaire, que seule une approche multidimensionnelle peut apporter une réponse à cette problématique et qu’il y a lieu de revoir la stratégie actuelle.

C’est dans cette optique que M. Sidikou a annoncé que, très prochainement, en compagnie d’autorités politico-militaires congolaises, il se rendra à nouveau à Beni.

Alain Coulibaly

RDC: Communique du G7 (28.07.2016)

G7 27.08.2016

“Du sable et des cailloux” pour lutter contre l’armée congolaise – RDC #Reporters (Youtube-Clip)

RDC – Mesure de Decrispation Politique (26.08.2016)

RDC 26.08.2016 Free Activist