EDITORIAL

The UN’s landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) opened for signature in New York on Monday, 3 June, with 67 states penning the agreement by the close of day.

Reports indicate that the devastating slaughter of central Africa’s elephants is being driven by rebels such as the Lord’s Resistance Army, seeking to fund their activities through the insatiable demand for ivory on the Asian markets. Meanwhile, as momentum appears to be gathering behind the development of the African Union’s crisis force, the US Ambassador to the UN has called upon the LRA task force to recommence operations in the DRC .

In North Kivu this week, the presence of one third of the MONUSCO intervention brigade has seen the commencement of patrol operations by these troops in Goma. In Beni, civil society appeals for state intervention to quell a spike in abductions and abuses by armed groups has been met with the dispatch of a special police unit, said by local actors to be inadequate to meet the region’s security needs. In Pinga, normalcy remains elusive amid heightened anxiety following clashes between the Sheka militia and the APCLS; MONUSCO reports over 150 deaths in Pinga since the end of May. Whilst the security situation in Shabunda, South Kivu, appears to have improved and FARDC have retaken localities in Mwenga from Raia Mukombozi control, villages in Kaleh territory have been subjected to Mai-Mai attacks. In Katanga, 13 women are reported to have been burned alive by the Mai-Mai Bakata Katanga in Lwelakalunga, Manono, triggering military deployment to the area. 50 police officers have been dispatched to restore order in Likasi, as the FDLR are said to be attacking travellers on the Kyoto-Kalemi axis. InProvince Orientale an attack by Moragn’s militia on park wardens has resulted in FARDC deaths.

In the Central African Republic the national army are said to be recruiting LRA rebels into their ranks whilst Micheal Djotodia issued an arrest warrant this week against former President Bozize for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity. The country has seen reports of kidnappings on the border with Cameroon and cross-border attacks by Sudanese rebels on the town of Oda. CAR has issued a moratorium on the exploitation of diamonds, as calls were made at Kimberly’s inter-sessional meeting for reform of the process including the restructuring of its mechanism and the redefinition of “conflict diamonds” to include government as well as rebel abuses.

Burundi has sparked international concern this week after introducing a media law that threatens press freedom and freedom of expression

Arms Trade and Security in the Great Lakes Region

Recent news on conflict, security and arms trade across the Great Lakes Region.
Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) opens for signature

UN Chief says new arms treaty will end ‘free for all’ nature of weapons trade | 3 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Journée historique à l’ONU pour l’ouverture à la signature du premier traité sur le commerce des armes | 3 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that countries have a historic opportunity to eliminate excessive and poorly regulated weapons transfers through the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which opened for signature today at the world body’s Headquarters in New York.

Political leaders challenged to deliver on Arms Trade Treaty promises | 3 June 2013 | Amnesty International
Amnesty fait appel aux dirigeants politiques afin qu’ils tiennent leurs promesses concernant le traité sur le commerce des armes | 3 June 2013 | Amnesty International
Amnesty International today challenged governments to deliver on their promises to rapidly and rigorously implement the lifesaving Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), as 67 states signed the landmark agreement at the United Nations in New York on Monday.

The Arms Trade Treaty: A Step Forward in Small Arms Control? | 3 June 2013 | Small Arms Survey
On 2 April 2013 the UN General Assembly adopted the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an international instrument designed to regulate the transfer of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons. The ATT opens for signature on 3 June 2013, and it will come into effect 90 days after being ratified by 50 UN member states.

United States Welcomes Opening of Arms Trade Treaty for Signature | 3 June 2013 | US Department of State
The United States welcomes the opening of the Arms Trade Treaty for signature, and looks forward to signing it as soon as the process of conforming the official translations is completed satisfactorily.

Les droits de l’homme au centre du premier traité sur le commerce des armes | 3 June 2013 | RFI
Ce lundi 3 juin s’est ouvert à la signature le traité sur le commerce international des armes conventionnelles. L’adoption de ce traité par 156 pays, le 2 avril dernier, a été le fruit d’une longue négociation. Il est destiné à mieux contrôler le commerce mondial des armes conventionnelles. L’Argentine a été le premier pays à apposer sa signature, sous les applaudissements, lors d’une cérémonie aux Nations Unies à New York, suivie par une soixantaine d’autres Etats en ce jour d’ouverture.

UNDP Praises Countries for Signing Arms Trade Treaty | 4 June 2013 | UNDP | allAfrica
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has commended countries that have signed the landmark UN-backed Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the first of its kind to regulate both the legitimate and illicit multibillion-dollar trade in conventional weapons.

Commerce des armes – Les Etats francophones invités à signer et à ratifier au plus vite le Traité de l’ONU | 4 June 2013 | Agence de Presse Sénégalaise | allAfrica
Abdou Diouf, le secrétaire général de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), appelle les Etats francophones à signer et à ratifier au plus vite le Traité de l’ONU sur le commerce international des armes conventionnelles.

67 pays signent le traité sur le commerce des armes | 4 June 2013 | La Tribune | allAfrica
67 countries have signed the ATT upon its opening for signature.

Elephant poaching financing rebel groups in Central Africa

OP-ED: Incessant Killing of Elephants is Killing Africa’s Future | 31 May 2013 | Inter Press Service
Illegal Ivory Trade Funds Rebels in Central Africa | 31 May 2013 | Voice of America
International and Cameroonian wildlife organizations blame rebel groups for the slaughter of almost 12,000 elephants in Central African countries since 2004. They say the rebels are working with corrupt government officials to sell the Ivory to Asia to finance their insurgencies.

Kony’s Ivory: How Elephant Poaching in Congo Helps Support the Lord’s Resistance Army | 3 June 2013 | Enough Project
LRA Rebels Linked to Elephant Poaching in Central Africa | 3 June 2013 | Voice of America
Lord’s Resistance Army funded by elephant poaching, report finds | 4 June 2013 | The Guardian
A report, based on field research conducted by Kasper Agger and Jonathan Hutson in January 2013, documents new evidence that the Lord’s Resistance Army has turned to elephant poaching as a means to fuel its atrocities. The report is a co-production of the Enough Project, The Resolve, Invisible Children, and the Satellite Sentinel Project (with DigitalGlobe).

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

U.S. Offers Reward for Leaders of Lord’s Resistance Army | 30 May 2013 | US Department of State | allAfrica
Les É.-U. offrent une récompense dans la poursuite des dirigeants de l’Armée de résistance du Seigneur | 31 May 2013 | US Department of State | allAfrica
The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest, transfer or conviction of three leaders of the Lord’s Resistance Army, which has been committing atrocities in central Africa and the Great Lakes region of the continent.

Uganda: LRA Terror Can Be Stopped, Say U.S. UN | 30 May 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
The U.N. Security Council and the United States said Wednesday that the Lord’s Resistance Army’s decades-long reign of terror can be stopped if the international community helps the African Union capture fugitive warlord Joseph Kony and his henchmen.

Rebel amnesty reinstated in Uganda | 30 May 2013 | IRIN
Civil society in northern Uganda has welcomed the reinstatement of legislation granting blanket amnesty to members of armed groups who surrender. Key sections of Uganda’s Amnesty Act were allowed to lapse in May 2012, meaning that members of armed groups, notably the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), no longer automatically escaped prosecution if they willingly abandoned their armed struggle.

Kony’s Ivory: How Elephant Poaching in Congo Helps Support the Lord’s Resistance Army | 3 June 2013 | Enough Project
LRA Rebels Linked to Elephant Poaching in Central Africa | 3 June 2013 | Voice of America
A report, based on field research conducted by Kasper Agger and Jonathan Hutson in January 2013, documents new evidence that the Lord’s Resistance Army has turned to elephant poaching as a means to fuel its atrocities. The report is a co-production of the Enough Project, The Resolve, Invisible Children, and the Satellite Sentinel Project (with DigitalGlobe).

Susan Rice Supports Restarting of Counter-LRA Mission, U.N. Action in Congo | 3 June 2013 | Enough Project
In a welcome move on May 29, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called on the Ugandan/African Union mission against the Lord’s Resistance Army to restart operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

African Union force for immediate response to crises

Analysis: AU prepares its shock troops | 31 May 2013 | IRIN
Analyse: L’UA prépare ses troupes de choc | 4 June 2013 | IRIN
A newly sanctioned African Union (AU) force for quick deployment in conflicts such as in Mali is being promoted as a stop-gap measure ahead of the planned formation of the “rapid deployment capability” (RDC) African Standby Force (ASF).

Enhancing Africa’s responsiveness to crisis situations? | 3 June 2013 | Institute for Security Studies
Almost ten years after the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) was established, the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) has gained a new tool: the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC). After intense discussions, the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, decided on 26 and 27 May to create this mechanism designed as a transitional arrangement to fill the gaps revealed by the shortcomings of an African-led response to the crisis in Mali.

Addis Ababa Peace Agreement

President Kikwete Says No to Kigali Demand for Apology | 2 June 2013 | Tanzania Daily News | allAfrica
President Jakaya Kikwete will not apologise for the advice he made to Rwandan Government to enter into talks with rebels to end 16 years of war because the country has failed to settle the matter through combat.

Dialogue avec les forces rebelles: Dar-es-Salam refuse de s’excuser auprès de Kigali | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Tanzanian Ambassador to the DRC, Emedy Ngaza, has rejected the notion of the need for an apology by Dar es Salaam to Kigali, who protested against a proposal that it engage in dialogue with the FDLR.

DRC

UN Intervention Brigade

RDC : la brigade d’intervention de la Monusco pourrait être opérationnelle d’ici juillet | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
The MONUSCO intervention brigade responsible for fighting armed groups in eastern DRC should be operational by mid-July, said Deputy Secretary General of the UN in charge of peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, on Wednesday, May 29.

RDC: 19 ONG demandent à Ban Ki-Moon de veiller à l’efficacité de la brigade d’intervention | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
NGOs concerned about new DRC Intervention Brigade | 31 May 2013 | IRIN
Nineteen international NGOs working in the DRC have expressed concern at the continuing violence in the east of the country. In an open letter to UN Secretary General during his stay in the DRC, they asked Ban Ki-Moon to ensure the effectiveness of the MONUSCO intervention brigade charged with neutralizing armed groups in the east.

RDC: la brigade d’intervention de la Monusco entame ses patrouilles à Goma | 3 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
MONUSCO’s intervention brigade began patrolling despite its still small number. Approximately 870 soldiers of the 3000 strong brigade are already in Goma ,and have begun to conduct day and night patrols with other elements of MONUSCO.

RDCongo : la brigade d’intervention a entamé des patrouilles dans l’est (ONU) | 3 June 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
La brigade d’intervention de l’ONU chargée de combattre les groupes armés dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a commencé à patrouiller à effectif réduit, a annoncé lundi l’ONU.

RDC: la brigade d’intervention de l’ONU se regroupe et se prépare à Goma | 4 June 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
Un tiers des effectifs de la brigade d’intervention de l’ONU chargée de combattre les groupes armés dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) est arrivé à Goma, a annoncé mardi à Kinshasa un porte-parole militaire des Nations Unies.

RDC : le tiers de l’effectif de la brigade d’intervention est déjà arrivé à Goma | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
One third of the MONUSCO intervention brigade has already been deployed to Goma, according to Lieutenant Colonel Prosper Basse, military spokesman MONUSCO. This brigade should consist of 3069 men provided by Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa.

Force neutre: la CIRGL accepte de restituer à la RDC 19,4 millions USD | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
At the request of the Congolese government, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region will return to the DRC the funds it had available to it for the deployment of a neutral international force. However, it has stated that of the $20 million collected, more than $500,000 has already been used.

M23

RDC: l’armée continue de consolider ses positions autour de Goma | 30 May 2013 | RFI
Autour de Goma l’armée congolaise continue de consolider ses positions. « Goma est mieux défendue que jamais » affirme le gouverneur de la province Julien Paluku.

Uganda Arrests Suspect Recruiting for M23 Rebels | 31 May 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
Authorities in the western district of Kiruhura have arrested a 32-year-old man suspected of recruiting Ugandans into the Congolese M23 rebel group activities.

Les FARDC repoussent une tentative d’infiltration du M23 à Buvira | 5 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) ont repoussé mercredi 4 juin à Buvira (Nord-Kivu) une tentation d’infiltration de la rébellion du M23, la mettant « en garde contre toute tentative de provocation dans leurs positions ».

Security Reform in the DRC

RDC: Joseph Kabila promulgue la loi portant statut du personnel de carrière de la police | 5 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
President Joseph Kabila has issued a law on the status of career staff of the Congolese National Police (PNC). This law, which contains 266 items, fixes rules for recruitment to the police and the police disciplinary system.

Violence against women

La première dame de France pour l’adoption d’une résolution sur les viols en RDC | 31 May 2013 | RFI
Valérie Trierweiller, la première dame de France, a appelé à l’adoption d’une « résolution pour mettre fin à l’impunité » sur les viols en République démocratique du Congo, jeudi 30 mai à Genève.

Panel de haut niveau contre les violences faites aux femmes en RDC | 31 May 2013 | Organisation internationale de la Francophonie | Reliefweb
A l’occasion de la 23e session du Conseil des droits de l’homme à Genève, la Fédération Internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme (FIDH) et la Fondation France Libertés ont organisé, avec le soutien de l’OIF, de la Mission Permanente de la France et de Human Rights Watch un évènement parallèle intitulé « RD Congo : le Conseil des droits de l’homme doit agir pour mettre fin à l’impunité ».

DRCongo to get hotline for violence against women | 31 May 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RD Congo: 4267, le numéro vert contre les violences faites aux femmes | 31 May 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RDC : bientôt un numéro vert pour lutter contre les violences faites aux femmes | 1 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The NGO Green Phone will commission a hotline to allow for the reporting and prevention of violence against women in the DRC. Pretty Okako, coordinator of Green Phone, told the French news agency that the toll-free number is to “enable women who call to report violence against them.”

Human Rights situation in the DRC

RDC : les civils sont les premières victimes des violences, selon Amnesty International | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
The civilian population of the DRC are the first victims of violence, according to the 2013 Amnesty International annual report. The report accuses armed groups in the DRC as well as the regular army and other security services of being responsible for abuses against civilians.

Province Orientale

Province Orientale : les hommes de Morgan ont tué deux soldats des FARDC dans une attaque à Adusa | 3 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Armed men who belong to the militia of Sadala Paul Morgan are said to have killed two Congolese soldiers during an attack on Sunday, June 2, against a position held by park wardens supported by the FARDC in Adusa, a locality located 340 kilometers south-west of Bunia. A park guard and three women were injured in the attack, say witnesses. Rumors of the attack are said to have circulated last week.

Djugu : le commandement des FARDC annonce la suppression des barrières routières | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
FARDC commander in Ituri, Colonel Fall Sikabwe,has announced the removal of a dozen barriers that Congolese soldiers had erected illegally for several months on the road between the Iga-barrier and Fataki in the territory of Djugu (Eastern Province).

North Kivu

Le ministre de la Défense annonce le déploiement imminent des unités spéciales de la police à Beni | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
The DRC’s Defence Minister, Alexander Luba Tambo announced the deployment “within a few hours of special police units” to secure the area of Beni, on Wednesday. Militia abductions and abuses against the civilian population have increased in recent weeks.

Nord-Kivu : des communautés disent non à l’intégration d’étrangers ou de rebelles dans l’armée | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
Ethnic communities in North Kivu have asked the Congolese government to avoid including foreign criminals or rebels in the ranks of the FARDC.

Nord-Kivu: des militaires impayés accusent Vodacom et Rawbank de bloquer leurs soldes | 31 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
Unpaid soldiers gathered on Friday, May 31, at the Development Bank of the Great Lakes in Goma in North Kivu to claim their balances. Some have not been not paid for two months and others for four months. Yet others have been omitted from the payroll list since the banking system for military payroll began. They accuse the companies Vodacom and Rawbank of being the cause of these problems.

Nord-Kivu : les policiers déployés à Beni sont en nombre insuffisant, selon la Société civile | 1 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Civil society in Beni, North Kivu, has said that the number of police deployed on Wednesday, May 26, by the Congolese government to secure this territory is insufficient. An intervention Legion of about seventy-five national police have arrived in Beni territory, but the Congolese authorities stand accused of not taking insecurity in the area seriously enough.

Nord-Kivu: les activités tardent à reprendre à Pinga après les affrontements entre Maï Maï | 3 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Life has not yet returned to normal in Pinga, in Walikale territory since clashes a month ago between the Sheka militia and the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS). Walikale Civil society says that shops, markets and schools do not function Pinga where most houses were looted by both militias.

Goma: des hommes armés attaquent la résidence d’un député provincial | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Gunmen attacked the Goma residence of the Provincial Deputy for North Kivu, Jaribu Muliwavyo, on Monday, June 3. No report has yet been provided. Police sources indicate that the attackers fled after a response of the guard member.

Nord-Kivu – Plus de 150 personnes tuées dans la zone de Pinga | 5 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Plus de 150 personnes ont été trouvé la mort depuis fin mai dans la zone de Pinga, au nord-est du territoire de Walikale (Nord-Kivu), a annoncé mercredi 5 juin à Kinshasa le Bureau de coordination de l’ONU pour les affaires humanitaires en République démocratique du Congo (OCHA-RDC).

Congo conflict masks deadly volcano threat | 5 June 2013 | Reuters
Eleven years after an eruption of Mount Nyiragongo devastated the sprawling lakeside city of Goma, killing hundreds of people, eastern Congo’s armed conflict is preventing scientists from predicting the volcano’s next deadly explosion.

South Kivu

Sud-Kivu: amélioration de la situation sécuritaire à Shabunda | 31 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Security Council of Shabunda and local civil society, under the supervision of OCHA, have said during a meeting Thursday, May 30, in Shabunda-center and the security situation in the locality has improved.

Sud-Kivu: des bandits armés pillent 6 véhicules à Kahembari | 1 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Gunmen raided six vehicles at the Nakahule bridge in the town of Kahembari, 6 km from center-Walungu (South Kivu) on the night of Friday, May 31. Sources on site indicate that the attackers also robbed the people on board these vehicles of all their property before returning to the bush.

Sud-Kivu : une attaque attribuée à la milice Nyatura fait 3 morts à Katuro | 2 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Militia have reportedly attacked the village of Katuro in Kalehe territory on Friday, May 31. Local civil society assigns to attack to the Mai Mai Nyatura and reported three people to have been killed. However, the administrator of the territory has stated that the incident was a conflict between the two communities and does not confirm this civil society assessment.

Sud-Kivu : les FARDC reprennent 3 localités occupées depuis une semaine par une milice | 5 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
FARDC have resumed control of three localities in Mwenga following their seizure by the Raya Mukombozi militia. These localities were Lukatu, Kikolongo and Kakamba. Military sources indicate that five militiamen and four soldiers were killed during the fighting after FARDC’s 1009th Regiment launched their attack against the group in the town of Lukatu on Tuesday.

Katanga

Katanga : 50 policiers venus de Kinshasa sont arrivés à Likasi pour renforcer la sécurité | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
Fifty police officers from the National Intervention Legion (Leni) from Kinshasa arrived on Wednesday May 29 in Likasi in Katanga. At the official presentation of the special unit of the Congolese National Police (PNC), the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police Likasi, André Kapinga Yenga, explained that these elements will enhance the security of people and their property in this city.

Katanga: une ONG accuse des FDLR d’attaquer des véhicules à Kabulo | 31 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
The League for the development and welfare (Lidas) accused has accused the FDLR of robbing civilians on the Kyoto-Kalemie axis. According to the NGO, the rebels have attacked vehicles on the road and robbed passengers of their belongings.On Thursday night these fighters are said to have attacked two buses going to the Kabulo town, 52 km from Kalemie.

Katanga: les Maï-Maï Bakata Katanga ont brulé 13 femmes à Lwelakalunga | 1 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Mai-Mai Bakata Katanga are reported to have burned 13 women alive after they were locked in a straw house in the town of Lwelakalunga in the territory of Manono. The NGO Voice of Indigenous Minorities says that eight of these women were pregnant. Several other inhabitants of this town were injured by bullets and arrows and have now sought refuge in the bush. District commissioner of Tanganyika, Koni Ngoie Moses, is very concerned about the incident and announced the deployment of soldiers to the area.

Katanga : des voyageurs attaqués par des hommes armés entre Kalemie et Nyunzu | 3 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Two buses carrying passengers and a dozen motorcycle taxis travelling from Kalemie to Nyunzu, were attacked by gunmen on Sunday, June 2. This is the fourth attack in three weeks on the road. Traffic has increased on this route since its restoration by the provincial government.

Uganda

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Rebel amnesty reinstated in Uganda | 30 May 2013 | IRIN
Policy Alert: Uganda Reinstates Key Tool to Boost Defections from the Lord’s Resistance Army | 5 June 2013 | Enough Project
Civil society in northern Uganda has welcomed the reinstatement of legislation granting blanket amnesty to members of armed groups who surrender. Key sections of Uganda’s Amnesty Act were allowed to lapse in May 2012, meaning that members of armed groups, notably the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), no longer automatically escaped prosecution if they willingly abandoned their armed struggle.

M23

Burundi

Retour des rivalités ethniques au Burundi sur fond de conflits fonciers | 30 May 2013 | RFI
C’est une épine sur le chemin de la réconciliation au Burundi. La recrudescence des conflits fonciers nés du rapatriement des réfugiés hutus. Durant les années de crise, et au cours des différentes guerres interethniques qu’a connues le pays, près de 700 000 Burundais hutus ont fui pour se réfugier à l’étranger. Depuis 2002, une grande partie d’entre eux a été rapatriée. Mais à leur retour, les terres ou maisons qu’ils possédaient étaient occupées.

Burundi: la main lourde de la justice après les émeutes de la semaine dernière | 6 June 2013 | RFI
Il y a plus d’une semaine, des émeutes avaient éclaté alors que la police était en train d’expulser une famille tutsie d’une maison devant être rendue aux héritiers d’un Hutu « spolié » durant les massacres de 1972.

CAR

Resolution on the situation in Central African Republic | 30 May 2013 | FIDH
Resolution of the 38th FIDH Congress, 23-27 May 2013, Istanbul (Turkey). Presented by the Ligue Centrafricaine des Droits de l’Homme

Centrafrique : Michel Djotodia livre des enfants soldats à l’Unicef | 31 May 2013 | Afrik.com
Le président centrafricain de la transition, Michel Djotdia a remis officiellement à l’Unicef plus d’une cinquantaine d’enfants soldats enroulés dans les rangs de la coalition de la rébellion Séléka.

Central African Republic issues arrest warrant for ex-president | 31 May 2013 | Reuters
François Bozizé visé par un mandat d’arrêt par le parquet de Bangui | 1 June 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka | Fondation Hirondelle
RCA: François Bozizé visé par un mandat d’arrêt international | 1 June 2013 | RFI
Centrafrique: Une cascade de mandats d’arrêt internationaux contre Bozizé et Cie | 1 June 2013 | Africa Info (Douala) | allAfrica
The new government of Central African Republic has issued an international arrest warrant against deposed former president Francois Bozize, accusing him of “crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide”, the state prosecutor said on Friday.

Are LRA fighters being drafted into CAR army? | 1 June 2013 | The EastAfrican
It is emerging that members of the Lord’s Resistance Army, whose main hideout is in the Central African Republic (CAR), are being recruited into the country’s army.
Sources familiar with LRA operations confirmed to The EastAfrican that the fighters co-opted into the national army are mainly CAR nationals numbering about 30, who had been abducted in their own country and forced into LRA ranks.

Centrafrique : le président annonce un nouveau gouvernement “d’ici 72 heures” | 2 June 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
Centrafrique : consultations en vue de former un nouveau gouvernement | 2 June 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
RCA: Michel Djotodia promet la formation d’un nouveau gouvernement plus ouvert | 2 June 2013 | RFI
En Centrafrique, le président de la transition, Michel Djotodia, a entamé le tour des capitales de la sous-région pour rencontrer ses pairs. Il a fait escale vendredi 31 mai et samedi 1er juin à Oyo, où il a rencontré Denis Sassou-Ngueso, le président congolais. Michel Djotodia a annoncé la formation, dès mardi 4 juin, d’un nouveau gouvernement qui prendrait en compte toutes les sensibilités du pays. Il a également évoqué le processus de cantonnement des troupes de l’ex-rébellion de la Seleka.

Centrafrique : le FDPC exige 10 millions de FCFA pour la libération des otages | 3 June 2013 | Afrik.com
Le mouvement rebelle du Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain (FDPC), dirigé par Abdoulaye Miskine, a enlevé au début de la semaine dernière une dizaine de personnes dans la zone frontalière de la Centrafrique avec le Cameroun, précisément à Garoua-Boulaye. Les ravisseurs exigent du gouvernement centrafricain, le versement d’une rançon de dix millions de francs CFA à raison de 1 million par otage.

Former CAR leader Francois Bozize leaves Cameroon | 3 June 2013 | BBC Africa
François Bozizé – Une vie d’errance après le pouvoir? | 3 June 2013 | Fasozine (Ouagadougou) | allAfrica
L’ex-président centrafricain François Bozizé a quitté le Cameroun pour le Kenya | 4 June 2013 | RFI
Centrafrique : François Bozizé attendu en Afrique du Sud ? | 4 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Exil – Pourquoi Bozizé part du Cameroun | 4 June 2013 | Mutations | allAfrica
The ousted president of the Central African Republic, Francois Bozize, has left Cameroon, where he fled in March after rebels seized power. The BBC’s Jean-David Mihamle reports from Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, that he took a flight to Kenya. Sources said Mr Bozize was bound for South Africa.

RCA: l’enquête se poursuit sur l’attaque de la ville d’Obo | 4 June 2013 | RFI
En Centrafrique, le 24 mai dernier, un groupe d’assaillants venu du Soudan du Sud avait lancé une attaque sur la ville d’Obo, à l’extrême sud-est du pays.

Un sommet extraordinaire de la Cemac annoncé | 4 June 2013 | Africa Info (Douala) | allAfrica
De sources diplomatiques, c’est à partir du 14 juin à Libreville, la capitale gabonaise que le Conseil des ministres de la Communauté économique et monétaire d’Afrique centrale soumettra les conclusions de ses travaux à la Conférence des chefs d’Etat.

Centrafrique: 150 soldats congolais envoyés à Bangui pour des opérations de maintien de la paix | 5 June 2013 | RFI
Quelque 150 hommes, sur les 200 supplémentaires que le Congo a décidé d’envoyer à Bangui, ont quitté Brazzaville mardi 4 juin pour la capitale centrafricaine, où ils doivent participer aux opérations de pacification et de maintien de la paix.

Refugee and IDP Reports

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

Attacks on Rwandan refugees

What is happening to Rwandan refugees in Uganda? | 5 June 2013 | Le Monde diplomatique
Attacks are fuelling anxiety ahead of a global edict for Rwandan refugees to return home.

DRC

Humanitarian reports

Democratic Republic of Congo: Population Movement DREF operation n° MDRCD012 – final report | 3 June 2013 | IFRC | Reliefweb

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Refugees, Returnees and IDPs (as of 30 April 2013) | 3 June 2013 | UNHCR | Reliefweb

ECHO Factsheet Democratic Republic of Congo – May, 2013 | 4 June 2013 | European Commission Humanitarian Aid department | Reliefweb

IDPs

Kang Kyung-wha: «Les retombées des conflits armés constituent le principal défi des humanitaires» | 30 May 2013 | Radio Okapi
“The impact of armed conflict is the main challenge for humanitarian actors in eastern DRC,” said the Secretary General of the UN for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang visiting the DRC on Wednesday. There are around 2.6 million displaced people live in the Kivus.

Beyond emergency needs in DRC | 30 May 2013 | IRIN
Humanitarian response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should broaden beyond emergency needs to encompass underlying dynamics of conflict, according to a report by the international refugee NGO Norwegian Refugee Council.

The brutal violence in Eastern DR Congo has gone on for too long – Assistant Secretary-General Kang | 31 May 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
L’ONU appelle à la « fin des horreurs » dans l’est de la RDC | 31 May 2013 | UN News Centre
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-Wha Kang: press remarks on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, noon briefing, New York, 4 June 2013 | 4 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Conférence de presse de la Sous-Secrétaire générale aux affaires humanitaires sur sa mission en République démocratique du Congo et en Ouganda | 4 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
DR Congo: Senior UN officials relay hopes for latest Great Lakes peace effort | 4 June 2013 | UN News Centre
The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, ended her four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Mulamba, a remote village in the eastern province of South Kivu, where humanitarian actors are assisting people who have fled armed violence and settled around the village, and with host families, in recent months.

Sud-Kivu: 500 déplacés en détresse à Kahwizi | 4 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
More than five hundred displaced persons in the locality of Luhololo live in difficult conditions in Kahwizi. According to local sources, these people fled their villages two weeks ago after the murder of a resident by unknown gunmen. They cite lack of food and money for medical care for the IDPs.

CAR

Refugees

UNHCR Reaches Sudanese Refugees in Remote Region of Central African Republic | 31 May 2013 | Radio Dabanga | allAfrica
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has established contact with some 3,500 Sudanese refugees who made their way to north-east Central African Republic (CAR) after fleeing inter-tribal conflict in Sudan’s Central Darfur region two months ago.

IDPs

Red Cross is Providing Food Aid to Families in Central African Republic | 3 June 2013 | Voice of America

Central African Republic: UN humanitarian fund allocates $7 million for lifesaving aid | 4 June 2013 | UN News Centre
L’ONU alloue 7,1 millions de dollars aux personnes touchées par la crise en République centrafricaine | 4 June 2013 | UN News Centre

Justice and Tribunals

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

DRC

ICC trial against Bemba

Cpi : l’impossibilité d’avoir des témoins crée un handicap au procès Bemba | 1 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | Digitalcongo.net

Five Upcoming Bemba Witnesses to Testify Via Video Link | 4 June 2013 | Bemba Trial Website | allAfrica

Chebeya case

RDC: trois ans après la mort de Floribert Chebaya, les parties civiles dénoncent une «farce judiciaire» | 2 June 2013 | RFI
Il y a trois ans jour pour jour, le 2 juin 2010, le corps de Floribert Chebeya, assassiné, était retrouvé à Kinshasa. Le militant des droits de l’homme, responsable de l’ONG la Voix des sans voix avait disparu la veille. Des policiers avaient été condamnés par la Cour militaire de Kinshasa, en 2011. Depuis un an, ils sont rejugés en appel devant la Haute cour militaire. Les parties civiles, qui considèrent le chef de la police comme le suspect numéro 1, se sont retirées du procès.

Rwanda

UK Arrests

Rwandans held in Britain on genocide extradition request | 30 May 2013 | Reuters
Rwandans arrested in UK over 1994 genocide | 30 May 2013 | BBC
UK Arrests Five Genocide Fugitives | 30 May 2013 | The New Times | allAfrica
Rwanda: Génocide des Tutsis – Cinq suspects arrêtés en Grande Bretagne | 30 May 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency | allAfrica
Rwandans accused of genocide arrested in London | 31 May 2013 | The Guardian
Five Rwandans accused of involvement in the genocide that killed 800,000 people in just 100 days were arrested in Britain on Thursday after an extradition request from Rwanda, London police said.

Rwandan genocide suspects face UK extradition battle | 5 June 2013 | Reuters
A group of Rwandans accused of taking part in the 1994 genocide appeared in court in London on Wednesday at the start of a second legal battle by four of them to avoid extradition to Kigali.

Norwegian arrest

Un Rwandais arrêté en Norvège | 30 May 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency | allAfrica
A Rwandan wanted in Rwanda for his alleged role in the genocide of Tutsis in 1994, was arrested on Wednesday in Norway.

ICTR winding up

ICTR Last Detainee to Be Transferred to Rwanda | 31 May 2013 | The New Times | allAfrica
The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) yesterday upheld the ruling ordering the transfer of Bernard Munyagishari to Rwanda for trial. Munyagishari is the last person currently in the custody of the Tanzania-based tribunal, as it winds up, giving way to the International Residual Mechanism.

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region

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

Natural resource management

Resource Drain Cost Africa U.S.$1.4 Trillion – Afdb Report | 30 May 2013 | Daily Trust | allAfrica
Illicit Deals Cost Africa Billions – Report | 30 May 2013 | The Herald | allAfrica
A new joint report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Global Financial Integrity (GFI), launched yesterday at the 48th AfDB Annual Meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, reveals that the African continent has been a long-term net creditor to the rest of the world. The report finds that Africa could have suffered between US$597 billion and US$1,4 trillion in net outflows between 1980 and 2009 after adjusting net recorded transfers for illicit financial outflows.

Central African mining governance needs strengthening – Crisis Group | 3 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
Mining governance in the Central African region remains weak and requires strengthening to calm investor fears, International Crisis Group’s Central African project director Thierry Vircoulon said on Monday.

Japanese investment in the DRC

Abe Offers $32 Billion to Africa as Japan Seeks Resources | 1 June 2013 | Bloomberg
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged 3.2 trillion yen ($32 billion) to Africa as his government seeks to catch up with China in pursuing resources, markets and influence on the continent. Abe announced the five-year commitment of public and private support in a speech at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development. Officials from about 50 nations attended the meeting, held every five years, which is the biggest African development event outside the continent since it began in 1993.

DRC

Mining governance

Logging

Province Orientale: un exploitant en bois appelé à concrétiser ses promesses à la population | 3 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Civil society in Basoko territory has called upon the logging company Forabola to meet its commitments vis-à-vis the population in Mongandjo, more than 150 km west of Kisangani (Eastern Province). Local communities accuse the company of failing to honor its commitment to build schools and health centers of a decent quality in over fifteen communities where it operates. Farabola is said to have performed less than 40% of the commitments specified in conjunction with its logging agreement and to have supplied poor quality building materials for the projects.

Province Orientale: plus de 10 000 plantules pour reboiser la cité de Bunia | 5 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Environmental Coordination Unit in Ituri district has supplied Bunia with more than ten thousand seedlings to be distributed to the people of Bunia and its environs to secure the reforestation of the city, which is gradually emptying of trees.

”Bois illégal” du bras de fer entre la société civile de la RDC et Bruxelles : la fin d’un feuilleton | 3 June 2013 | Digitalcongo.net
La cargaison du bois Afrormosia saisie au Port d’Anvers en Belgique le 25 mars 2013 a été libérée par les autorités du Bureau belge de la Convention sur le commerce international des espèces de faune et de flore sauvages menacées d’extinction (CITES).

National parks protection award

Le prix Abraham pour la conservation de la nature décerné aux garde-parcs de la RDC | 5 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Alexander Abraham Foundation has awarded the Abraham Conservation Prize to guards protecting Congolese parks and protected conservative areas. According to the head of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), Cosma Wilungula, this award recognizes individuals who demonstrate “courage” in protecting sites considered to be “World Heritage”.

Uganda

Rare earths

‘Busoga has wonder mineral’ | 30 May 2013 | The Observer (Kampala)
Large tonnes of aluminous clays lie in eastern Uganda, in the Busoga sub-region, which have the potential to transform the economic outlook of Uganda and the region in ways unimagined, according to a company mining there.

Gold

Gold rush could help transform Uganda’s wild west | 6 June 2013 | The Guardian
Precious metal boom gathers pace in Uganda’s poorest and most marginalised region but some fear locals will not benefit.

CAR

Moratorium on diamond exploitation

Michel Djotodia : “On ne parlera plus de diamant de guerre en Centrafrique” | 5 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Le président centrafricain Michel Djotodia a annoncé un moratoire sur l’exploitation des diamants afin de moraliser le secteur, alors que son pays a été temporairement suspendu du Processus de Kimberley pour la certification des diamants.

Centrafrique: l’industrie diamantaire, un secteur opaque | 5 June 2013 | RFI
La République centrafricaine entend décréter un moratoire sur l’exploitation de diamants. Le gouvernement porté au pouvoir par la rébellion du mouvement Seleka, souhaite prendre plusieurs mesures afin de moraliser ce secteur.

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

Mining

Delrand Resources Identifies Numerous High-Interest Diamond Targets for Follow-Up Work | 30 May 2013 | Delrand Resources Limited | Marketwire
Delrand Resources Limited has identified numerous high-interest targets for further follow-up work subsequent to a review of a large diamond exploration database, as part of an agreement with Rio Tinto, covering areas in the Kasai region of the southern DRC well in excess of 100,000km².

Titan Goldworx Resources Inc.: Letter of Intent for Congo Project | 31 May 2013 | Titan Goldworx Resources Inc. | Marketwire
Titan Goldworx Resources Inc. announces that it has entered into a Letter of Intent with Falcon Copper Ltd. for the exploration and development of mineral concessions located in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Rio drops iron in Oriental province | 31 May 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
Rio Tinto is pulling out of Province Orientale in its turn following the withdrawal of mining giant BHP Billiton from Lower Congo in 2012 after an aluminium smelter project fell through. (Subscription required).

Telferscot Resources Announces USD 20 Million Financing of Its Kolwezi Copper Project | 4 June 2013 | Telferscot Resources Inc. | Marketwire
Telferscot Resources Inc. announces that its subsidiary Kolwezi Copper Corp. has entered into a binding agreement with an arms length, third party to provide USD 20 million of funding to advance its Kolwezi Project in the copper-cobalt rich Kolwezi District located in Katanga Province, DRC.

Oil

Oil in the Great Lakes | 30 May 2013 | International Alert
As oil and gas exploration gathers pace on Uganda’s northwestern border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), efforts are being made to minimise conflicts among border communities and ensure that the border remains tension-free.

Total mulls strategy on block 3 | 4 June 2013 | Africa Energy Intelligence
Despite environmental issues linked to the Virunga national park and security concerns, Total is continuing to press ahead with exploration in eastern Congo-K. (Subscription required).

Electricity

Luapula a lifeline for miners | 4 June 2013 | Africa Energy Intelligence
The hydroelectric potential of the Luapula river promises to meet the power needs of mining companies in Katanga and the Copperbelt. (Subscription required).

Strong push for Inga 3 | 4 June 2013 | Africa Energy Intelligence
During a closed-door meeting with donors in Paris on May 19, Congo-K’s electricity minister, Bruno Kapandji Kalala, made a strong pitch for work to begin on Inga 3 in October, 2015. (Subscription required).

Uganda

Oil

RPT-Tullow lifts a corner on Africa’s oil payments curtain | 3 June 2013 | Reuters
Africa-focused Tullow Oil Plc took a step this week towards the extra openness on government payments anti-corruption legislators want, releasing figures by country, and by payment type, for the first time.

Japanese Want Oil Pipeline Deal | 3 June 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
Two Japanese companies have expressed interest in investing in Uganda’s energy sector.

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
Kimberley Process Inter-sessional summit – Call for reform

The World Has Changed, the Kimberley Process Should Too: Civil Society Says Kp Must Reform – or Lose All Relevance | 3 June 2013 | SARW | allAfrica
Kimberley Process Must Be Reformed | 3 June 2013 | OSISA | allAfrica
Kimberley Process Must Change | 5 June 2013 | The Namibian | allAfrica
With the KP Intersessional summit in Kimberley from June 4-7th, the organisations called for major changes to the structure of the conflict diamond mechanism and to the very definition of ‘conflict diamonds’ to ensure that the KP remains relevant given all the rapid changes in Africa – and the new realities of the continent’s diamond trade.

More than 99% of diamond trade is conflict-free – Shabangu | 4 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu on Tuesday said more than 99% of diamonds currently traded globally were conflict-free and that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) must accelerate initiatives to ensure the remaining 1% was also conflict-free.

Blood diamond trail leads to loopholes in Kimberley Process | 5 June 2013 | The Guardian
Pressure to extend oversight to government – as well as rebel – abuses as monitoring group meets in South Africa.

DRC

Conflict minerals rules

Investors Support Conflict Minerals Rule | 30 May 2013 | PRNewswire
Investors representing $458.67 billion of assets under management released a statement (bit.ly/13Za1jc) expressing their support for the “Conflict Minerals” final rule, Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The statement comes exactly one year before companies will have to send the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) their first Conflict Minerals Reports and the importance of human rights reporting was highlighted.

Conflict over conflict metals | 5 June 2013 | Resource Investor
Much has been said of the massive scope of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Lisa Reisman, managing editor of MetalMiner.com, sees opportunity in the controversial provisions governing conflict minerals. In this interview with The Metals Report, Reisman discusses how companies are dealing with the new requirements and names companies closest to production in the crucial tantalum, tungsten and tin space.

A local researcher’s perspective on the Congo’s conflict minerals and due diligence | 5 June 2013 | Obama’s Law
Perspective on due diligence by Zacharie Bulakali who has worked for the last eight years as a mining researcher for the Bureau d’Etudes Scientifiques et Technique (the Office for Scientific and Technical Research). He now works as a researcher for IPIS in South Kivu.

CAR

Suspension from Kimberley Process

Rough diamonds grow scarcer in India | 1 June 2013 | Mineweb
Diamantaires in Mumbai and Surat have been advised against importing rough diamonds from the suspended Central African Republic following rebel conflict.

Other

Burundi

Contested media law promulgated

Burundi enacts media law that reporters say curbs press freedoms | 4 June 2013 | Reuters
Burundi’s Pierre Nkurunziza approves media law | 4 June 2013 | BBC Africa
New Law’s Promulgation Sets Burundi Back 20 Years | 4 June 2013 | Reporters sans Frontières | allAfrica
Burundi: le président Pierre Nkurunziza promulgue la loi controversée sur la presse | 5 June 2013 | RFI
Burundi : les journaux locaux interdits de communiquer sur l’inflation | 5 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Burundi’s president has approved a media law that forces journalists to reveal sources and forbids stories deemed to undermine national security, drawing condemnation from reporters and rights groups on Tuesday.

UN chief ‘regrets’ new Burundi media law which may curb press freedom | 5 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Ban préoccupé par une loi restreignant la liberté de la presse au Burundi | 5 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed regret that a new media law in Burundi was promulgated with provisions that may have a negative impact on the freedom of the press.

Burundi: le président défend la loi | 5 June 2013 | BBC Afrique
Le président burundais, Pierre Nkurunziza a défendu mercredi la nouvelle loi controversée sur la presse, promulguée la veille.

Iwacu readers’ comments suspended

Burundi: Media Regulator Suspends Comments On Press Group’s Website | 31 May 2013 | Reporters sans Frontières | allAfrica
Reporters Without Borders is disturbed to learn that the National Communication Council (CNC), Burundi’s media regulator, has ordered the Iwacu press group to prevent visitors to its website (www.iwacu-burundi.org) from posting comments for the next 30 days.

Burundi: Online Newspaper Forum Suspended | 3 June 2013 | Human Rights Watch
The decision by the National Communication Council to suspend the readers’ forum of the Burundian newspaper Iwacu infringes on the right to freedom of expression.

30 May – 5 June 2013

EDITORIAL

DRC

Uganda

Burundi

CAR

DRC

CAR

Justice and Tribunals

DRC

Rwanda

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region

DRC

Uganda

CAR

DRC

Uganda

Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility

DRC

Other

Burundi

Contact

IPIS in the News

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