WEEKLY BRIEFING 2ND - 8TH MAY 2012

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Editorial

IPIS' News

IPIS’ Latest Publications

Arms Trade and Security in the Great Lakes Region
DRC
Uganda
Rwanda
Burundi
Other

Refugee and IDP Reports
DRC
Rwanda

Justice and Tribunals
DRC
Rwanda

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region
DRC
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Extractive Companies, Energy, Trade and Foreign Investment
DRC
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Rwanda

Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility
DRC

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IPIS Recent publications

EDITORIAL

Security and control in the Kivus has continued to fluctuate. Significantly, in North Kivu, the FARDC reconquered areas in Masisi territory that had recently been occupied by ex-CNDP rebels who deserted the national army. Another ex-CNDP commanding officer - Col Sultani Makenga – has deserted the FARDC, constituting a new one named M23. Bosco Ntaganda is still at large.

Around 5000 refugees have consequently continued to stream across the border into Rwanda. Almost 20,000 IDPs have resulted from the clashes, bringing the total number of IDPs in the DRC to 2 million.

In Burundi, the Interior Minister has ordered Human Rights Watch to cancel a press conference in the capital, Bujumbura, in which a report on political violence in Burundi was intended to be released.

IPIS' News

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IPIS’ Latest Publications

Etat des lieux du développement socio-économique dans les zones minières au Nord-Kivu (territoires de Walikale et Masisi) | March 2012 | ASSODIP | IPIS (editorial advice)

At a moment when the attention of both the national and international communities is focused on the reorganisation of the mining sector in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the local civil society organisation ASSODIP considered it opportune to carry out a study of the impact of mining exploitation on the socio-economic development in North Kivu’s Walikale and Masisi territories. These territories are among the richest in mineral resources of eastern DRC, with the exploitation and trade in minerals adding greatly to public revenues. Nonetheless, the concrete situations as presented in this paper sufficiently show that the development of the local mining communities has never been taken into due account.

Assessment of existing practices regarding end-user certification | February 2012 | UNODA | IPIS

Already, in 2002, the Security Council called upon States to establish an effective national end-user certificate system and to study the feasibility, as appropriate, of developing such a system at the regional and global levels, as well as information exchange and verification mechanisms. This study assesses existing practices regarding end-user certification in a wide range of countries. It examines concepts, documents and procedures relating to the regulation of end use and end users of conventional arms. It also endeavours to identify political and practical obstacles to the development of an international framework for authentication, reconciliation and standardization of end-user certificates. Finally, it proposes practical guidelines to assist States in the development of a reliable system of end-user certification.

Transparancy and Accountability. Monitoring and Reporting Methods Under An Arms Trade Treaty | February 2012 | TransArms R | IPIS

Without an understanding of the existing practices of States regarding their commonly agreed standards for the monitoring and reporting of their international transfers of conventional arms, it will be very difficult to draft many of the basic provisions of the Treaty to ensure compliance and enforcement. This report therefore seeks to clarify and discuss existing terminology and reporting practices for State regulation of international transfers of goods and services and for international transfers of conventional arms. It is hoped that this will also help contribute to the development of common international standards for monitoring and reporting international transfers of conventional arms. Standardization of statistical requirements and reporting methods is of paramount importance for the ATT to be effective.

Arms Trade and Security in the Great Lakes Region

Recent news on conflict, security and arms trade across the Great Lakes Region.

Illegal arms trade in Africa
Continent Urged to Fight Illegal Weapons | 5^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
African countries have been called upon to cooperate in the fight against illegal fire arms trade and possession. The call was made, yesterday, at the closure of a two-day regional conference on illegal Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Kigali.

Continent Urged to Cooperate to Fight Illegal Possession of Light Weapons | 4^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
A two-day regional conference on illegal Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), underway in Kigali, yesterday highlighted the need for African countries to cooperate in the fight against illegal fire arms trade.

Arms Trade Treaty long overdue, as new research shows billions spent on illicit weapons deals by states under embargo | 3^rd May | Oxfam | Reliefweb
Oxfam says lack of global rules on arms trade is main factor for embargo violations.

LRA
Kony Manhunt To Intensify | 8^th May | Voice of America
Four Central African nations are preparing to ratchet up the hunt for the fugitive outlaw Joseph Kony and members of his rebel Lord's Resistance Army. Military leaders are organizing a coordinated campaign to put an end to nearly three decades of LRA terror.

Khartoum Supports LRA Rebels, Bombs Towns in Unity State | 6^th May | The Citizen (Juba) | allAfrica
The Sudan People's Liberation Army SPLA spokesperson, Col Philip Aguer Panyang, said yesterday that Khartoum government is supporting militia, especially the Lord Resistance's Army LRA, to attack the SPLA positions at the borders.

Africom privilégie le renseignement dans la traque de Joseph Kony | 5^th May | RFI | allAfrica
If Joseph Kony is hiding somewhere in the forests of southeastern Central African Republic, it is important to localize him exactly. In its anti-Kony strategy, Africom insists on the need to develop communications and human information in the CAR, for example by providing radios to the villages.

Central African Republic: LRA Victims in Dream of Kony's Demise | 3^rd May | UNHCR | allAfrica
Obo — The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been terrorizing south-east Central African Republic for years, forcing thousands to seek refuge in towns like Obo. But since the deployment here last October of US special forces, locals have begun hoping things will change and that LRA leader Joseph Kony will finally be captured.

Lord’s Resistance Army Update (as of 29 April 2012) | 2^nd May | Small Arms Survey | Reliefweb

DRC

Ex-CNDP mutiny in the Kivus
Congo warlord Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda 'replaced' | 8^th May | BBC News
Army mutineers in eastern Democratic Republic Congo loyal to warlord Bosco Ntaganda, known as "The Terminator", have replaced him as their leader.

Nord-Kivu: reprise des activités dans les localités reconquises par les FARDC | 8^th May | Radio Okapi
Peace and security are gradually coming back to Masisi territory. The civilians who had fled last week’s confrontations between the FARDC and the insurgents, have started to regain their homes.

Nouvelle mutinerie au Kivu | 8^th May | Le carnet de Colette Braeckman
Renegade general Bosco Ntaganda has been put aside by his fellow ex-CNDP general Sultani Makenga, who has founded a new rebel movement, called M23.

DR Congo Tension Palpable As Army’s Ceasefire Ends | 8^th May | Voice of America
A Democratic Republic of Congo researcher says north Kivu residents are expressing concerns about a resumption of violence as the national army’s imposed ceasefire expires Wednesday. Fidel Basilemba, who is also a consultant for the Enough Project, a U.S.-based rights group, said it is unlikely residents, who fled the fighting between the national army and renegade soldiers formerly loyal to General Bosco Ntaganda, will return to their homes.

Guerre à l'est - Quelle base arrière pour le nouveau mouvement rebelle ? | 8^th May | The Potentiel | allAfrica
New turn after the mutiny by Bosco Ntaganda’s ex-CNDP elements. A new rebel militia, under the name of ‘National Army of Congo/CNDP’, is officially declared. Who will support it? Rwanda? Uganda? Burundi?

Gen. Ntaganda Is Only a Pawn in a Wider Game | 8^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
“When strangers wail louder than the bereaved, you must be on your guard. Something is not quite right. They are hiding something, probably some involvement in the cause of the bereavement. Or they are plotting something sinister against the grieving people or their neighbours.
The wailing is very often unnaturally loud that it must surely be contrived. Other times it is so vicious you can't distinguish between the loud cries and baying for blood.
This seems to have been the case in the Eastern DRC in the last several weeks. The wailing about innocent Congolese civilians killed by armed groups has picked up and is growing louder by the day. As you would expect, the wailers are not Congolese. They are a coalition of foreign activists, NGOs, international organisations and governments.”

Is this the end or the beginning of a rebellion? | 7^th May | Congo Siasa
Euphoria has been spreading within the Congolese army over the past several days, as its officers declare victory against the mutineers led by Bosco Ntaganda. Over the weekend, their troops took control of key towns in the Masisi highlands, perhaps making this this first time since the beginning of the RCD war in 1998 that Kinshasa might have effective control over this CNDP heartland. The self-congratulatory mood was enhanced by the fact that many Congolese officers have resented the ex-CNDP power and privilege within the army, positions that they obtained precisely because Kinshasa had been unable to defeat them fully before.

Fighting Erupts in North Kivu Province, Displacing Thousands | 7^th May | The Enough Project
On Wednesday, May 2, the Enough Project witnessed FARDC troops firing artillery on the mountaineered forces of Bosco Ntaganda, in the town of Sake, 27 km west of Goma. The fighting forced Ntaganda's rebels to lose ground and reportedly retreat to Kirolirwe near Virunga National Park, 22 km north of Sake.

Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda loses ground to DR Congo army | 7^th May | BBC News
The army of the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has regained control of the entire eastern area of Masisi from rebels loyal to warlord Bosco "Terminator" Ntaganda.

RDC : un nouveau mouvement rebelle | 7^th May | BBC Afrique
The soldiers close to general Bosco Ntaganda who mutinied these last weeks in eastern DRC have decided to officialise their establishment of a rebel militia under the name of ‘National Army of Congo/CNDP’.

DR Congo army vows to pursue mutineers | 7^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
The army in Democratic Republic of Congo vowed Monday to go after mutinous troops who fail to return to its ranks before the expiry of an ultimatum issued at the weekend.

L'armée traquera les mutins encore en fuite à la fin de l'ultimatum | 7^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
The army of the DRC will resume its operations in the unstable province of North Kivu against the ex-rebel mutineers that have not rejoined its ranks by the end of the 5 day ultimatum launched on Saturday.

Nord-Kivu: les FARDC suspendent l’offensive lancée contre les mutins | 6^th May | Radio Okapi
FARDC operations against the insubordinate soldiers have been suspended since the night of 4 May. The army’s General Staff affirms that the military situation in the operational sector of Masisi territory and part of Rutshuru territory is now under control and that over 70 deserters have rejoined the army’s ranks.

DR Congo army says mutiny under control | 6^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
The Congolese army said Sunday it has suspended military operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where it claimed to have brought a mutiny under control.

RDC: l’opposition réagit différemment sur l’arrestation de Bosco Ntaganda à la CPI | 6^th May | Radio Okapi
Opposition parties are not unanimous on general Bosco Ntaganda’s transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC), in case he is arrested.

Local, DRC Military Chiefs Hold Talks in Kigali | 5^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
A high-powered Rwandan military team held an overnight meeting with a seven-member Congolese delegation in Kigali on Thursday as both sides continued talks aimed at finding immediate peaceful resolution of the renewed conflict in eastern DRC, it has emerged.

Incertitude sur le sort de Bosco Ntaganda et tension croissante dans le Nord-Kivu | 5^th May | RFI | allAfrica
While the regular army tries to capture Bosco Ntaganda, other officers close to Ntaganda have deserted. On Friday 4 May the Congolese army affirmed they had surrounded Bosco in a part of the Virunga Natural Park.

Est du pays - Controverse autour de l'arrestation de Bosco Ntaganda | 5^th May | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
The arrest of general Bosco Ntaganda and his transfer to the ICC are interpreted in different ways.

Congo: Will it ever be stable? | 5^th May | The Economist
Another rebellion is brewing in Congo’s lawless east. General Bosco Ntaganda, nicknamed “the Terminator”, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes committed in eastern Congo in 2002 and 2003. In March the court convicted another former Congolese rebel leader, Thomas Lubanga, who ravaged another eastern area, for using child soldiers. Rumours swirled around the hills of eastern Congo that the court was coming for Mr Ntaganda next. So he took 300 soldiers deep into the heartland of North Kivu province, where he keeps his farm and his beloved cattle, and where many of the locals are fellow Tutsis.

Nord-Kivu: des hommes armés attaquent le camp de déplacés de Mugunga et emportent 10 tonnes de vivres | 5^th May | Radio Okapi
Armed men have attacked the IDP camp in Mugunga (North Kivu). According to the district head, the assailants have taken away at least 10 tons of rice and beans.

Pourquoi le Nord-Kivu s'enflamme de nouveau | 5^th May | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Since several weeks, the Congolese army confronts the mutineers close to Bosco Ntaganda, an ex-rebel wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). After having protected Ntaganda for a long time, Joseph Kabila now seems determined to arrest him, with the risk of restarting war in the Kivu. Pierre Jacquemot, researcher at IRIS, explains why violence persists in the region and why Joseph Kabila and Paul Kagame have decided to “drop” him.

Assemblée nationale : les élus du Nord-Kivu demandent à Matata Ponyo « de se rendre immédiatement » dans cette province | 5^th May | Radio Okapi
The MPs elected in North Kivu have asked Prime minister Matata Ponyo to go immediately to their province to examine the security issues there and find a definitive solution.

Col Makenga joins rebellion | 4^th May | Congo Siasa
According to various reports, Col Sultani Makenga joined the CNDP mutiny during the night. This is a significant development, since Makenga was the second highest ranking CNDP officer behind Bosco in the Amani Leo structure as the deputy commander of South Kivu. If confirmed, it will bring a new élan to the mutiny, which had been rocked over the last week by the massive deployment of army troops and attacks on various fronts.

The CNDP changes its tune | 4^th May | Congo Siasa
Listening to various CNDP representatives on the radio, one might think that the rebellion launched by Bosco Ntaganda in early April had a political objective. As their spokesperson, Jean-Baptiste Rudaseswa, explained on BBC Swahili service, the mutiny was prompted by the failure March 23, 2009 agreement, in particular by the fact that Congolese Tutsi refugees have been unable to return home from Rwanda.

DR Congo army closes in on wanted general: military | 4^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
The army in eastern DRC said it was closing in Friday on a farm where a former rebel leader and indicted war criminal Bosco Ntaganda was holed up.

Rwanda, DRC Military Chiefs Meet Over Clashes | 4^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
The Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Forces, Lt Gen Charles Kayonga and his Congolese counterpart, Lt Gen Didier Etumba, Wednesday met at the border district of Rubavu as Kigali sought a peaceful resolution to the escalating security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), The New Times has reliably learnt.

Congolese Refugees Fault Gov't Over Years of Violence | 4^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
Rabavu — Refugees fleeing from the fighting between government forces and rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have blamed their government for years of violence and insecurity in the region.

Nord-Kivu: la société civile organise des marches de soutien aux FARDC | 4^th May | Radio Okapi
North Kivu’s civil society has organised, this Friday 4 May, peaceful marches in the streets of some large towns in the province, to promote peace and support the Congolese army, fearing that the province is heading for a new war.

Bosco Ntaganda nargue Kinshasa | 4^th May | Le Phare | allAfrica
Attacked since Sunday 29 April 2012, in the territory of Masisi (North Kivu), by insurgents identified as ex-officers and soldiers of the CNDP, the Congolese army is still engaged in operations against these ennemies of peace.

Les civils doivent être protégés de l'escalade de la violence dans l'est de la RDC | 2^nd May | Amnesty International
Nord-Kivu: Amnesty international invite les FARDC et les mutins à protéger les civils | 4^th May | Radio Okapi
In a press statement, Amnesty International calls on the FARDC and the deserters considered loyal to general Bosco Ntaganda to spare and protect the civilians.

Security Council press statement on Democratic Republic of the Congo | 3^rd May | UN Security Council | Reliefweb
Le Conseil de sécurité appelle à la cessation immédiate des attaques des groupes rebelles dans la partie Est de la RDC | 5^th May | Digital Congo
The President of the UN Security Council for the month of May, Mr Agshin Mehdiyev from Azerbaijan, has read a Declaration concerning the situation in eastern DRC, urging that the attacks by rebel groups should stop immediately.

Le ministre Muyej confirme les reconquêtes des FARDC au Nord-Kivu | 3^rd May | Radio Okapi
Richard Muyej, spokesman of the outgoing government and coming Interior Minister, has assured that the FARDC are gradually re-establishing order in the two Kivu provinces.

DR Congo forces advance towards ex-rebel chief holdout | 3^rd May | AFP | Reliefweb
The Congolese army Thursday said it had advanced towards the holdout of renegade general Jean Bosco Ntaganda who has been blamed for fomenting violence and displacing tens of thousands of people.

Nord-Kivu : la Monusco renforce ses patrouilles à Sake et Masisi pour protéger les civils | 3^rd May | Radio Okapi
The Monusco Blue Helmets have been deployed to assure the protection of the civilian population in the areas where the military and the insurgents confront each other.

Kinshasa-Ntaganda - Les masques tombent ! | 3^rd May | Le Phare | allAfrica
The masks are beginning to drop bit by bit in the deal that was struck in January-February 2009 between the Government of the DRC and the ex-rebel movement CNDP.

DRC rebels target Congolese of Rwandese origin for recruitment | 3^rd May | EastAfrican | Reliefweb
Forces loyal to General Bosco Ntaganda are forcefully recruiting Congolese of Rwandese origin to fight for them in the ongoing renewed conflict in the Eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, The EastAfrican has learnt.

RDC: le PPRD s’oppose au transfert de Bosco Ntaganda à la CPI | 3^rd May | Radio Okapi
President Kabila’s party PPRD is opposed to delivering general Bosco Ntaganda to the International Criminal Court and believes he should be judged by a Congolese court.

Joint NGO Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton On Bosco Ntaganda | 3^rd May | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
Joint NGO Letter to UK Foreign Secretary William Hague On Bosco Ntaganda | 3^rd May | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
Joint NGO Letter to Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders On Bosco Ntaganda | 3^rd May | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
Enough Project Leads Coalition of 142 NGOs Calling for U.S. Support in the Arrest of Bosco Ntaganda | 3^rd May | The Enough Project
RDC : des ONG pour l'arrestation de Ntaganda | 3^rd May | BBC Afrique
Une centaine d’ONG réclame l’implication des Etats-Unis pour arrêter Bosco Ntaganda | 5^th May | Radio Okapi
In a letter sent today, 142 Congolese and international NGOs called on the US, the UK and Belgium to provide urgent diplomatic leadership supporting the governments of Congo and Rwanda in the arrest of the notorious warlord Bosco Ntaganda.

DR Congo: UN envoy concerned about possible sexual violence amid latest fighting | 3^rd May | UN News Service
L'ONU inquiète du risque d'un retour de la violence sexuelle à l'Est | 3^rd May | United Nations | allAfrica
Margot Wallström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, has voiced her concern about the latest wave of fighting in eastern DRC, especially in areas that have previously witnessed sexual violence committed against civilians by members of armed groups.

Is President Joseph Kabila’s Call for Ntaganda’s Arrest a Move Towards Justice in the DRC? | 3^rd May | Institute for Security Studies
In March 2012 the International Criminal Court (ICC) found Congolese rebel leader Thomas Lubanga guilty of recruiting and enlisting child soldiers. The ICC verdict brought attention to Lubanga’s co-accused, General Bosco Ntaganda, for whom the ICC issued an arrest warrant nearly six years ago.

Même si “Terminator” se termine, les problèmes du Kivu demeurent posés | 3^rd May | Le carnet de Colette Braeckman

Les vrais enjeux de Goma | 2^nd May | Le carnet de Colette Braeckman

Ntaganda nie toute implication dans les affrontements dans l'Est | 2^nd May | RFI | allAfrica
General Bosco Ntaganda claims he is not implicated in the violent confrontations between the army and ex-members of the rebellion of which he was Chief of Staff.

Nord-Kivu : les militaires reprennent la cité de Kitshanga occupée par des mutins | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
The military have reconquered the town of Kitshanga (North Kivu) that was occupied by insurgents. They controlled it since several weeks after they had refused to be deployed in other provinces.

Nord-Kivu: les FARDC récupèrent quelques localités occupées par les insurgés | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
In a counteroffensive launched Monday 30 April in the evening, the FARDC have regained a number of places in Masisi and Rutshuru territories that were occupied by the mutineers since two days.

Julien Paluku: «Bosco Ntaganda doit être arrêté et il doit passer devant la justice congolaise» | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
RDC : Kinshasa veut traduire le général Ntaganda en justice | 2^nd May | Jeune Afrique
Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda wanted over DR Congo mutiny | 3^rd May | BBC News
République démocratique du Congo: Kinshasa se prépare à juger le général Ntaganda | 3^rd May | SlateAfrique
Kinshasa menace de poursuivre Bosco Ntaganda jugé responsable des combats dans l'Est | 3^rd May | RFI | allAfrica
Renegade general Bosco Ntaganda is to be arrested for leading a recent mutiny in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities have said.

New Efforts to Recruit Child Soldiers Reported in DRC | 2^nd May | Voice of America
Rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reportedly stepped up efforts to recruit child soldiers, as fighting in North Kivu continued Wednesday between the Congolese army and defecting soldiers.

North Kivu - New alliances between armed groups
Nord-Kivu: les groupes armés scellent des nouvelles alliances entre eux | 7^th May | Radio Okapi
Local sources indicate that these last two weeks three alliances have been concluded between the different armed groups in the territories of Walikale, Lubero and Masisi.

Walikale (North Kivu) – FARDC attacked
Nord-Kivu: des hommes armés attaquent la base des FARDC à Ngora | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
Armed men, believed to belong to the coalition between the CNDP and Mayi-Mayi Cheka, have attacked a base of the 803^rd FARDC Regiment in Ngora.

Walikale (North Kivu) – Families fleeing insecurity caused by Mayi-Mayi and FDLR
Nord-Kivu : 770 familles ont fui l’insécurité dans leurs villages à Iboko | 7^th May | Radio Okapi

Shabunda (South Kivu) – Population regains village after attack by Raïa Mutomboki
Sud-Kivu : les habitants de Kikamba regagnent leur village après 4 jours dans la forêt | 7^th May | Radio Okapi

Fizi (South Kivu) – FARDC recover village occupied by Mayi-Mayi Yakutumba
Sud-Kivu: les FARDC récupèrent la localité de Sebele | 4^th May | Radio Okapi
La localité de Sebele situé à 24km au sud de la cité de Baraka dans le territoire de Fizi est, depuis ce vendredi 4 mai matin, sous le contrôle de l’armée régulière.
Les éléments réfractaires du groupe Yakutumba, qui occupaient cette localité depuis un mois, se seraient retirés du côté de Kinkonde, plus au sud-ouest, a signalé l’administrateur de ce territoire du Sud-Kivu.

Uvira (South Kivu) - Burundi rebel leader killed
Burundi army says attack mastermind dead | 4^th May | Reuters
Burundi Rebel Chief Shot, Killed in DRC | 4^th May | Voice of America
Burundi rebel leader killed in DRCongo | 4^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
Un chef rebelle abattu, le gouvernement le considère responsable du massacre de Gatumba | 4^th May | MISNA | Reliefweb
A former rebel commander suspected by Burundi's security forces of masterminding the murder of 36 people in an attack last year in the western city of Gatumba has been killed by the Congolese army, a senior Burundian officer said on Friday. Claver Nduwayezu, also known as Carmel or Mukono, was believed to lead an armed gang operating between Burundi and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. He was also a senior commander in the former Forces for National Liberation (FNL) rebel group.

Province Orientale – UNOCHA Report
Bulletin d'Information Humanitaire - Province Orientale N° 17/12, 02 mai 2012 | 2^nd May | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
The FARDC invite the FRPI militia from south Irumu to enter a DDR programme.
Over 3,000 people displaced following the military operations against the Mayi-Mayi in Mambasa-Epulu.

Mambasa (Province Orientale) – Attack by Mayi-Mayi Simba, FARDC violence against civilians
27 Killed By Mai Mai Simba Militia in DR Congo | 8^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
At least 27 people were killed and 60 others injured in an attack by the Mai Mai Simba militia in the northeastern province of Orientale in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), local sources reported on Sunday.
The Mai Mai Simba militia are present in the southwestern part of Maiko national park. Their area of operation also includes Lubutu territory in Maniema province
The militia targeted bases of the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC) in Mambasa territory on Friday, killing 26 civilians and a FARDC captain, according to civil society sources in the region.

Ituri : les chefs coutumiers déplorent les conditions humanitaires et sécuritaires des déplacés à Mambasa | 4^th May | Radio Okapi

Bunia: les FARDC accusées de commettre des exactions sur la population à Niania | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
The soldiers of the Congolese army deployed in Niania to fight poachers and Simba rebels are being accused of rape, pillage and illegal gold exploitation in the Okapi Faunal Reserve.

Irumu (Province Orientale) – Civil society calls on authorities to resolve armed conflict between FARDC and rebel militia
La société civile d’Irumu appelle le gouvernement à dialoguer avec Cobra Matata | 3^rd May | Radio Okapi
La société civile d’Irumu en Ituri dans la Province Orientale appelle les autorités gouvernementales au dialogue pour résoudre le conflit armé entre les FARDC et les miliciens dans la collectivité de Walendu Bindi.

Security situation “calm” in the west of the DRC, according to MONUSCO
La situation sécuritaire s'améliore dans l'ouest du pays | 7^th May | Le Potentiel | allAfrica

Uganda

East Africa: 300,000 Small Arms Smuggled Into Region | 8^th May | The New Vision | allAfrica
A total of 300,000 small arms and light weapons have been smuggled into Uganda and other East African community countries for the last 10 years. This is as revealed by the executive secretary East Africa Action Network on small arms (EAANSA), Richard Mugisha. Mugisha said the importation of illegal small arms was high in East Africa due to the existing arms embargoes which are too easy to break or ignore by different countries.

Khartoum Appeals to MPs Over Conflict With South Sudan | 8^th May | The New Vision | allAfrica
The Sudanese government has appealed to the Parliament of Uganda to explore ways of mediating in its current raging armed conflict with South Sudan.

UN says Sudan halts direct Darfur-Uganda flights | 8^th May | Reuters
KHARTOUM - The Sudanese government has asked African Union/U.N. peacekeepers to halt direct flights between its troubled region of Darfur and Uganda, the mission's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

UPDF Ready to Shoot Down Sudan War Planes | 5^th May | The New Vision | allAfrica
The Uganda Peoples' Defence Force (UPDF) is ready to fend off any attack, be it from a foreign force, using superior war planes like those Khartoum is using against South Sudan.

Somalia: Uganda Deploys Additional 1,700 Troops in Volatile Country | 5^th May | Shabelle Media Network | allAfrica
Ugandans deployed an additional 1,700 troops in volatile Somalia, bringing the total number of Ugandan peace-keepers in the Horn of African country to 8,000, a military spokesman said here on Monday.

Somalia, Museveni and Militarising the Region | 3^rd May | The Independent | Pambazuka News

Rwanda

Rwanda Genocide Aftermath - Survivors Still Haunted | 3^rd May | Times of Zambia | allAfrica
The Rwandan genocide which took place in April 1994 has left survivors with difficulties in receiving refugee status and right of asylum to allow them to settle out-side of the country.

Burundi

Human Rights Watch on political violence
"You Will Not Have Peace While You Are Living". The Escalation of Political Violence in Burundi | 2^nd May | Human Rights Watch
Burundi: Escalation of Political Violence in 2011 | 2^nd May | Human Rights Watch
Aggravation de la violence politique en 2011 | 3^rd May | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
Scores of people have been killed in political attacks in Burundi since the end of 2010, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The killings, some by state agents and members of the ruling party, others by armed opposition groups, reflect widespread impunity, the inability of the state to protect its citizens, and an ineffective judiciary.
This 81-page report documents political killings stemming from the 2010 elections in Burundi. These killings, which peaked toward the middle of 2011, often took the form of tit-for-tat attacks by members of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie, CNDD-FDD) and the opposition National Liberation Forces (Forces nationales de libération, FNL). In the vast majority of cases, justice has been denied to families of the victims.

Burundi bans report on political assassinations | 2^nd May | BBC News
Burundi's government has banned Human Rights Watch from holding a press conference about its report into the escalation of political violence.
Burundi: Effort to Block a Report About Political Killings | 4^th May | Human Rights Watch
The Burundian Interior Minister ordered Human Rights Watch to cancel a news conference in the capital, Bujumbura, on May 2, 2012, that was planned to release a report on political violence in Burundi, Human Rights Watch said today. The police also ordered Human Rights Watch to stop distribution of the report in Burundi.

UN on impunity
Impunity remains a concern in Burundi despite progress on human rights – UN official | 3^rd May | UN News Service
Burundi: L'ONU salue les progrès des droits humains mais demande la fin de l'impunité | 3^rd May | United Nations | allAfrica
Burundi is making progress in improving it human rights record, but impunity remains a challenge, a senior United Nations official said, stressing that the envisaged establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission will be a real test of country’s commitment to upholding human rights.

Burundi rebel leader killed in DRC
Burundi army says attack mastermind dead | 4^th May | Reuters
Burundi Rebel Chief Shot, Killed in DRC | 4^th May | Voice of America
Burundi rebel leader killed in DRCongo | 4^th May | AFP | Reliefweb
Un chef rebelle abattu, le gouvernement le considère responsable du massacre de Gatumba | 4^th May | MISNA | Reliefweb
A former rebel commander suspected by Burundi's security forces of masterminding the murder of 36 people in an attack last year in the western city of Gatumba has been killed by the Congolese army, a senior Burundian officer said on Friday. Claver Nduwayezu, also known as Carmel or Mukono, was believed to lead an armed gang operating between Burundi and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. He was also a senior commander in the former Forces for National Liberation (FNL) rebel group.

Other

Refugee and IDP Reports

Non-comprehensive overview and selected articles on the status of refugees in the Great Lakes Region

DRC

IDPs fleeing clashes between ex-CNDP insurgents and Congolese army in North Kivu
Près de 20 000 personnes ont fui le renouveau des combats au Nord-Kivu à l'est de la RDC | 7^th May | UNHCR | Reliefweb
Nord-Kivu : Caritas plaide pour une aide d'urgence aux déplacés de guerre | 7^th May | Caritas | Reliefweb
Nord-Kivu : 1912 ménages des déplacés vivent dans des conditions difficiles à Mugunga 3 | 6^th May | Radio Okapi
Minova: plus de 800 familles des déplacés vivent difficilement | 6^th May | Radio Okapi
Nord-Kivu: des hommes armés attaquent le camp de déplacés de Mugunga et emportent 10 tonnes de vivres | 5^th May | Radio Okapi
Insécurité à l'est - Le nombre des déplacés internes a franchi la barre de 2 millions | 4^th May | Le Phare | allAfrica
Thousands Head Towards Goma in East to Escape Conflict | 4^th May | UNHCR | allAfrica
Almost 20,000 Flee Fresh Fighting in Eastern Congo's North Kivu Province | 4^th May | UNHCR | allAfrica
Les combats dans le Nord-Kivu font fuir des milliers de personnes | 4^th May | RFI | allAfrica
Nord-Kivu : 15 000 déplacés enregistrés en 4 jours à Mugunga | 4^th May | Radio Okapi
UN refugee agency providing aid to people fleeing fighting in eastern DR Congo | 4^th May | UN News Service
Le HCR fournit de l'aide aux 20.000 personnes fuyant les combats dans l'Est | 4^th May | United Nations | allAfrica
Displacement in the DRC: A Desperate Situation Getting Worse | 4^th May | Refugees International | Reliefweb
Situation humanitaire en République Démocratique du Congo - Note d’information hebdomadaire à la presse, 2 mai 2012 | 2^nd May | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Combats dans l’est de la RDC: 2 millions de déplacés enregistrés | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
Civilians Must Be Protected Amid Escalating Violence in Eastern DRC | 2^nd May | Amnesty International | allAfrica
Thousands flee fighting in Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2^nd May | The Guardian
Le Nord-Kivu vit dans la peur | 2^nd May | Radio Netherlands Worldwide | allAfrica

Katanga – Over 53,000 displaced in the “Triangle of Death”
Plus de 53.000 déplacés de guerre enregistrée dans le triangle de la mort au Katanga | 8^th May | Digital Congo

Province Orientale – More than 3000 displaced following military operations against Mayi-Mayi in Mambasa territory
Bulletin d'Information Humanitaire - Province Orientale N° 17/12, 02 mai 2012 | 2^nd May | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Rwanda

Justice and Tribunals

Non-comprehensive overview and selected articles on major trials and tribunals for crimes committed in the Great Lakes Region

DRC

Rwanda

UN tribunal for Rwandan genocide commutes convicts’ life sentence on appeal | 8^th May | UN News Service
Rwanda: La perpétuité annulée en appel pour un ancien major de l'armée rwandaise | 8^th May | United Nations | allAfrica
The appeals chamber of the United Nations tribunal trying key suspects implicated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda today commuted a convict’s life sentence to 35 years in prison after reversing convictions on some counts in his indictment, and upheld the prison terms of two other men. Appeal judges in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) reduced the life term imposed on Aloys Ntabakuze, a former Rwandan army major, after he was found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious violations of the Geneva Conventions.

UN genocide tribunal in Rwanda swears-in judges selected to finish its work | 7^th May | UN News Service | Reliefweb
Nine judges were sworn-in today to be part of the mechanism set up in 2010 to finish the work of the United Nations tribunal dealing with the worst war crimes committed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Grassroots Justice in Rwanda | 8^th May | Africa Research Institute | allAfrica
The conviction of former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, by the Special Court for Sierra Leone has once again put the spotlight on the efficacy and objectives of international criminal tribunals. On the other side of the continent, in Rwanda, a radically different - and equally controversial - judicial process will conclude in June 2012. In ‘How Rwanda judged its genocide’, the latest publication in Africa Research Institute's Counterpoints series, Dr Phil Clark scrutinises the gacaca community courts set up to prosecute crimes committed during the 1994 genocide.

Over 20 Genocide Ideology Cases Reported | 3^rd May | The New Times | allAfrica
Since the beginning of this year, at least 22 people have been arrested for promoting or exhibiting the genocide ideology.

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region

Recent news on issues relating to natural resource extraction and governance in the Great Lakes Region.

UN Peacekeeping Set to Benefit From New Environmental Practices, According to New UNEP Report | 2^nd May | United Nations Environment Program | allAfrica
Nairobi — The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has today released the findings of a two-year analysis of how peacekeeping missions around the world affect, and are affected by, natural resources and the broader environment.

DRC

An Open Letter to Government - Stop Oil Exploration in Virunga National Park | 8^th May | Greenpeace International | allAfrica
A British oil company, SOCO, and others including Total, are looking to explore for oil reserves in the Virunga National Park. Despite an outcry from the international community and bodies like UNESCO, IUCN, the EU, and many others including Greenpeace, the DRC government and SOCO are continuing to develop oil exploration plans. An international collection of NGOs recently wrote this open letter to the Congolese government to encourage them to "consider the concerns and reasons expressed...by local communities living in and around the Virunga National Park who are faced with the prospect of oil exploration and exploitation."

Atelier d'évaluation du Programme d'appui au contrôle dans le secteur minier | 4^th May | Digital Congo
Thursday 3 May in Kinshasa a workshop started to evaluate and plan the ‘Support programme for transparency and control in the mining sector’, 2^nd phase.

Kinshasa : le comité de direction du CEEC accusé de mauvaise gestion | 3^rd May | Digital Congo
Labor unions accuse the CEEC of bad management.

RDC: des ressortissants chinois exploitent illégalement de l’or en Ituri, selon une ONG | 3^rd May | Radio Okapi
A human rights NGO, Justice Plus, says a group of Chinese citizens since seven months illegally produces 10 kg of gold per day with semi-industrial machines in Mambasa territory (Province Orientale).

Pour lutter contre la fraude minière, la RDC dispose d’un certificat pour les minerais de la partie Est du pays | 3^rd May | Digital Congo
A document to certify the origin of commercial minerals in the Great Lakes region is available for the DRC and the other States of this region, in the framework of the fight against mining fraud.

Katanga : la CMKK dément l’utilisation des enfants dans ses mines | 2^nd May | Radio Okapi
Mining cooperative CMMK (‘Madini Kwa Kilimo’ = ‘Minerals for agriculture’) denies it exploits children on its site.

Uganda

Doubts Loom Over Local Content Capacity | 3^rd May | The Observer | allAfrica
Doubt continues to loom large over the ability of local companies to meet the demands of the oil industry even as government sets rules to prioritize the development of local content. With an estimated five years to Uganda producing its first barrel of oil, questions remain as to whether local firms will fully exploit the opportunities in the sector.

Extractive Companies, Energy, Trade and Foreign Investment

Recent news on national and international extractive and energy companies and investment in the Great Lakes Region

DRC

Oil concessions in Albertine Rift (North Kivu, Ituri)
An Open Letter to Government - Stop Oil Exploration in Virunga National Park | 8^th May | Greenpeace International | allAfrica
A British oil company, SOCO, and others including Total, are looking to explore for oil reserves in the Virunga National Park. Despite an outcry from the international community and bodies like UNESCO, IUCN, the EU, and many others including Greenpeace, the DRC government and SOCO are continuing to develop oil exploration plans. An international collection of NGOs recently wrote this open letter to the Congolese government to encourage them to "consider the concerns and reasons expressed...by local communities living in and around the Virunga National Park who are faced with the prospect of oil exploration and exploitation."

Graben Albertine - Le principal actionnaire de Caprikat déclare faillite | 7^th May | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
The main shareholder of Caprikat, the nephew of South Africa’s president Zuma, has gone bankrupt. The allotment of Block 3 in the Albertine Rift to hazy Caprikat had resulted in a public outcry, the more so because it had been previously promised to British Tullow Oil, already active on the Ugandan side.

UK parliament investigates into opaque mining deals
Mining firms face scrutiny over Congo deals | 8^th May | The Guardian
Campaigners argue natural resources exploited to benefit multinationals rather than local population. MPs are set to launch an investigation into the involvement of British-connected shell companies and London-listed mining groups in opaque deals to acquire prime mining assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the poorest countries on Earth.
News of the potential inquiry, which could involve top FTSE 100 mining executives being called to give evidence, comes as campaigners argue that natural resources deals are benefiting multinationals rather than the DRC's population. Commodity trader Glencore will also face calls to explain its involvement in the resource-rich central African country.

Randgold – Kibali project (Province Orientale)
Randgold looks to engineer local support | 7^th May | The Financial Times
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, close to the border with Uganda, Randgold Resources is pressing ahead with work on its Kibali mine in the latest example of how mining companies must juggle local concerns with larger production goals.
A successful ramp-up of operations at the mine, which is expected to yield its first gold by the end of next year, should help lift the FTSE 100 group’s annual gold production from about 700,000 ounces to more than 1m by mid-decade. It also involves the tricky issue of relocating more than 15,000 people from in and around a gold field first developed under Belgian colonial rule.
In an area scarred by bloody post-colonial conflict that persisted into the past decade, Mark Bristow, Randgold’s chief executive, insists the project has not just won the support of the DRC’s government, but local people who are being relocated into newly built villages. Engineering such support is a delicate matter for major mining companies who are often accused of callously disregarding the welfare of people forced out by mine development.

Congolese management for giant Kibali mine – Randgold | 3^rd May | Mining Weekly
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – More than half of the management team of Randgold Resources' new Kibali gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are Congolese, a continuation of the London-listed company’s policy of appointing nationals to management positions.

AngloGold Ashanti – Mongbwalu (Ituri, Province Orientale)
Congo ex-rebels threaten AngloGold mining project | 2^nd May | Reuters | Mining Weekly
AngloGold Ashanti said on Monday its Mongbwalu gold mine in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces the obstacle of tens of thousands of ex-fighters already mining the area who do not want to leave.

Erongo Energy – Giro Gold project (Province Orientale)
Erongo Energy expands foothold in DRC with gold project | 8^th May | ProactiveInvestors Australia
Erongo Energy (ASX: ERN) is targeting the expansion of its gold exploration footprint in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with plans to acquire a 60% interest in the Giro Gold Project. The project, which covers 850 square kilometres in the Oriental Province, lies in the same geological setting as Randgold Resources’ 20 million ounce Kibali Gold Project 30 kilometres to the east. The Giro Gold Project is hosted within the Kilo-Moto Belt, one of the world’s principal Precambrian orogenic-metallogenic provinces.

Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) (Katanga)
Kazakh miner ENRC climbs on hopes of international spin-off | 8^th May | The Guardian
Mining shares have come under pressure on worries about a slowdown in global growth, but an exception is Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation. The Kazakh miner has climbed 5p to 525p after it said it was looking at various options to deliver value to shareholders. The statement was prompted by weekend reports about a possible demerger of its international assets, including its mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from its core Kazakh business.

Miner ENRC mulls carving off international assets | 6^th May | Reuters
(Reuters) - ENRC (ENRC.L), one of the largest London-listed mining groups, is considering options to boost its value that include a possible split of its international arm, comprising its mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from its core Kazakh assets.

Glencore (Katanga)
Mining firms face scrutiny over Congo deals | 8^th May | The Guardian
Campaigners argue natural resources exploited to benefit multinationals rather than local population. MPs are set to launch an investigation into the involvement of British-connected shell companies and London-listed mining groups in opaque deals to acquire prime mining assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the poorest countries on Earth.
News of the potential inquiry, which could involve top FTSE 100 mining executives being called to give evidence, comes as campaigners argue that natural resources deals are benefiting multinationals rather than the DRC's population. Commodity trader Glencore will also face calls to explain its involvement in the resource-rich central African country.

Global Witness appelle aujourd’hui la compagnie Glencore à s’expliquer sur des contrats potentiellement corrompus qu’elle a conclus en République démocratique du Congo, et lui demande instamment de fournir de plus amples détails sur les relations qu’elle entretient avec un homme d’affaires israélien qui joue un rôle clé dans les investissements miniers considérables de la compagnie dans ce pays. Ces préoccupations, présentées en détail dans un document d’information à l’attention des actionnaires de Glencore, sont publiées le jour où la compagnie tient sa première assemblée générale en tant que société cotée en bourse.

Glencore ‘should explain potentially corrupt deals in Congo’ – Global Witness | 5^th May | Global Witness
Glencore « devrait s’expliquer sur des contrats potentiellement corrompus au Congo », affirme Global Witness | 8^th May | Global Witness
Global Witness is today calling on Glencore to explain potentially corrupt deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is calling on the company to provide more details about its relationship with Dan Gertler, an Israeli businessman who is key to its substantial mining investments in the country. The concerns, detailed in a briefing for Glencore’s shareholders, are being published on the day of the company’s first AGM as a publicly listed company.

Miners will battle resource grabs: Glencore | 5^th May | Reuters
ST GALLEN, Switzerland - Mining companies will fight growing resource nationalism and could pull out of countries where governments are demanding too large a share of the pie, commodities giant Glencore warned on Friday, a day after Argentina nationalised the country's biggest oil firm.
"African states are going to have to be very careful because there are minerals all over Africa and if they start this nationalism or if they start taking a bigger profit, we will go elsewhere," he said.
Glencore, the world's largest diversified commodities trader, operates across Africa, with key production assets on the continent in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea.

Minmetals (Katanga)
Minmetals says power cuts hit copper target at Congo mine | 2^nd May | Reuters
China's Minmetals Resources said on Wednesday its Kinsevere copper mine in Democratic Republic of Congo would fall short of production targets due to power disruptions.

Malaysia Smelting Corporation Bhd (MSC)
MSC to look for new tin resources | 5^th May | The Star
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia Smelting Corp Bhd (MSC) will continue to pursue opportunities to expand its tin resources in Pahang, Kedah, Terengganu and Perak, group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Ajib Anuar said.
However, the prospective tin mineralised areas required more exploration, he said.
Internationally, MSC is evaluating several prospects in Congo, which has been a significant source of concentrates for its tin smelting business.
Ajib said the company planned to invest in tin mining there, either via securing a concession area from the government or the acquisition of tin mining assets.
He said the company was waiting for the new Congolese cabinet to be formed in one or two months before it could get any feedback on its proposed venture there.

Catoca Mining Society (SMC)
SMC to Explore Diamonds in DRC and Zambia | 2^nd May | AngolaPress | allAfrica
Société minière de CATOCA compte exploiter du diament en RDC et en Zambie | 2^nd May | AngolaPress | allAfrica
Saurimo (Angola) — The general director of Catoca Mining Society (SMC), Ganga Júnior, said that his company intends to explore in coming years diamonds in DR Congo and Zambia.

Uganda

Facing Corruption Allegations, Tullow Goes Public | 3^rd May | The Wall Street Journal (blog)
When Tullow Oil PLC was confronted with allegations of bribery in Uganda, it did what few companies have done under similar circumstances, it defended itself publicly.

Power Cuts Reduce, Bujagali Releases More Electricty | 7^th May | East African Business Week | allAfrica
A few months ago, Ugandans have been struggling with 24 hour load shedding which left many business operators and industrialists battling with the increasing costs on fuel to run generators as the power alternatives.

Power Cuts to Reduce, Bujagali Dam Is Commissioned Today | 3^rd May | The New Vision | allAfrica
President Yoweri Museveni is set to launch $45.14m Bujagali interconnection project increasing access to less expensive and more reliable electricity supply to the national grid.

Ghost Town Kilembe Awaits Cabinet Nod for Revival | 3^rd May | The Observer
Once a beacon of western Uganda, Kilembe Mines Limited today remains in tatters, its future uncertain, and offers the perfect example of a riches-to-rags analogy.

2,900 Hectares of Land Set Aside for Oil Refinery | 2^nd May | The New Vision | allAfrica
Government has earmarked 2900 hectares of land for the development of the oil refinery in Kabaale Parish, Hoima district.

Rwanda

U.S.$600 Million Rusumo Power Project to Kick-Off Soon | 7^th May | The New Times
Kirehe -The long awaited construction of the multimillion Rusumo hydro-electric power plant is set to commence soon.

Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility

Non-comprehensive overview and selected articles on legal and reputational issues relating to businesses operating in the Great Lakes Region

DRC

Gov. O’Malley Signs Maryland’s Conflict Minerals Bill | 3^rd May | The Enough Project
On May 2, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law the Maryland State Procurement and Congo Conflict Minerals Bill, making Maryland the second state to pass such legislation.
The law addresses the link between the minerals in electronics products and the ongoing violence in eastern Congo. It requires that the state of Maryland does not conduct business with companies that fail to comply with the federal laws on conflict minerals passed in 2010 as a provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. This provision requires publicly listed companies that use conflict minerals—defined as tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold—to disclose whether or not they source the material from the Democratic Republic of Congo or any of its neighboring countries. Further, it requires that if companies are sourcing from this region that they engage in due diligence measures to determine if their procurement is directly or indirectly financing armed conflict.

Other

Paul Kagame - You Can Not Build Democracy on Sand | 5^th May | The New Times | allAfrica
Interview with President Kagame: as the President of a small poor country whose economic and social progress is indisputable, the Head of State elaborates on his concept of good governance, and reveals the two sides of him: both democratic and authoritarian.

IPIS Recent Publications

Upstream Pilot Implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas Baseline Report on the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten | November 2011 | OECD | IPIS

IPIS executed the research for and writing of this OECD report. The present baseline report is the first in a cycle of three reports on the implementation by upstream companies of the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (hereafter “the Guidance”). The objective of this report is to understand where upstream companies currently stand with the implementation of due diligence.

Violence against women in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Whose responsibility? Whose complicity? | November 2011 | ITUC | IPIS

IPIS contributed the research for and writing of this ITUC report. Summary: Eastern DRC has been ravaged by war and violence since the mid-1990s. Civilians carry the greatest burden of the conflict. Women and girls are especially vulnerable to such attacks.. Hundreds of women and girls get sexually violated in their homes and at their workplace. Fuelled and motivated by Congo’s minerals, rebel and army forces are inclined to maintain an insecure environment that ensures the continuation of the status quo. Congo’s conflict minerals go through a convoluted, yet manageable and traceable, supply chain and end up in industrialised consumer products. The introduction of transparency and governance into the mining sector is advancing, but still much has to be done.

Bisie. A one-year snapshot of the DRC’s principal cassiterite mine | November 2011 | IPIS

Much has happened in the mining sector of Eastern DRC over the last year. President Kabila imposed a ban on all mining activities last fall, during which production fell considerably. As soon as the suspension was lifted in the spring of this year, the major global electronic companies stopped buying minerals from the region, provoking a de facto embargo on Congo’s minerals with detrimental effects on the sector. At the same time, the Congolese government has taken major steps to restructure its army in the east of the country. These different decisions in the mining and security sectors have affected the nature and volume of minerals production and export and have reconfigured the security situation in the region. The consequences of these actions are discussed and illustrated with the use of the most important and well-known cassiterite mine in North Kivu called Bisie.

“Véhicules civils militarisables” and the EU arms embargo on Sudan | September 2011 | IPIS | TA-R | ASER

In this case study we will focus on the use of European manufactured trucks in the Darfur region, and more specifically what the defence industry calls “véhicules civils militarisables” - commercial vehicles that can be militarized. All armed actors in the conflict require vehicles to transport combatants through the vast Darfur deserts. Japanese Toyota (Landcruisers) pick-up trucks are the most common vehicles that are spotted in the region. Usually they are mounted with machineguns, and as such compose an important assault instrument. Furthermore, a wide array of military trucks or civilian trucks modified for military purposes are being used in Darfur, e.g. anti-aircraft guns are mounted on a variety of trucks to function as support and/or attack vehicles. Some of these trucks are European models, assembled by a local company: GIAD Automotive Industry Company.

Conflict motives in Kenya’s North Rift region | September 2011 | IPIS intern series

Kenya's North Rift Region continues to suffer from violent conflict in which a series of actors are involved. Armed groups perform widespread and devastating raids against neighbouring communities. The strength of these warrior groups varies regionally and from case to case. Security operations are often characterised by their disproportionate brutality. Power figures are known to instigate violence or organise and finance armed militias. Uasin Gishu and Trans-Nzoia bore the brunt of the post-election violence in 2007 and 2008. The violence mainly pitted Kalenjin warrior groups against Kikuyu communities in a struggle over political injustices and power but also over economic discrepancies and feelings of ethnic antagonism.

Kenya’s role in the trade of gold from Eastern DRC | August 2011 | IPIS | Justice et paix

On 11 September 2010, the Congolese Ministry of Mines put out a statement in which it announced President Kabila’s decision to suspend all exploitation and export of minerals from the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema. The aim of the mining ban was to break the link between mining and armed conflict in eastern DRC. This paper shows, however, that, even during the period of the embargo, Congolese minerals continued to find their way to the world market. The Kenyan capital of Nairobi appears to have served as an important hub for regional and international gold traders eyeing the mineral riches of eastern DRC.

The Arms Flyers - Commercial Aviation, Human Rights, and the Business of War and Arms | July 2011 | IPIS | Ta-R

In the last decades, the “business of war” has attracted thousands of civilian transport and logistics companies, especially in the aviation sector. State and non-State actors engaged in armed conflicts or in military operations that require substantial logistic support have increasingly resorted to the services of civilian transport operators to fulfil their transport and logistics needs. This report firstly presents a series of cases - that illustrate and document the continuous involvement of aviation companies in the business of war. The report then offers an analysis of international and national laws on the transport of weapons by air and a discussion of air safety regulations as enacted in the US and in Europe. The report also deals with the fundamentally flawed research that has sought to use air safety initiatives as a weapon in the fight against arms trafficking by air and has thus unfortunately constituted much of the basis for European Union projects to fight arms trafficking by air. An analysis of the present situation in air cargo markets and its influence on the logistics of wars and humanitarian operations concludes the report.

From Kanga to Kitenge: exploring patterns of cultural change in the Kigoma region | May 2011 | IPIS

The article discusses the current changes occurring in Kigoma, one of the poorest regions of Tanzania. For decades, the far-western corner and the point of convergence between Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seen as peripheral within its national state. However, the steady move away from socialism to liberalism and the relative stability in the Great Lakes Region together with the associated reduction of refugee flows led to the gradual revaluation of Kigoma as a strategically important (business) centre. The case of women's wear is used to explore whether and how recent national, regional and global social and economic changes affected Kigoma's cultural set-up.

Guide to Current Mining Reform Initiatives in Eastern DRC | April 2011 | IPIS

US legislation has brought on a variety of initiatives aiming at mining reform in EDRC. This paper describes the basic elements of these initiatives, their genesis, the current state of affairs, the inkages between the initiatives and the main challenges they face. Further, the paper briefly evaluates the initiatives while focussing on the steps ahead.

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	©2013 IPIS vzw - Italiëlei 98a - Antwerpen
	©2013 IPIS vzw - Italiëlei 98a - Antwerpen