BRIEFING

Weekly Briefing: 30TH October – 5TH November 2014

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NEWS IN BRIEF

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, events in Burkina Faso this week are said to have prompted Congolese authorities to clamp down on demonstrations against constitutional reform in Kinshasa with 200 arrests. Ongoing violence in North Kivu was in the spotlight this week as Joseph Kabila visited Beni, promising to put an end to the violence attributed to ADF militia and requesting an increased MONUSCO presence in the region. Further massacres this week – 14 dead in the village of Kampi ya Chui on Wednesday night and around 8 killed by gunmen in Rwenzori on Saturday – has seen public anger prompt further protest about the insecurity. On Monday, clashes erupted between the ADF and FARDC on the outskirts of Beni town, with unconfirmed reports of three deaths by the second day. On Wednesday an joint operation between MONUSDCO and the Congolese police saw the announcement of over 200 arrests in connection with  the killings – among them Congolese citizens. In Katanga the preceding week reportedly saw ten Bakata Katanga attacks within the space of a week in Moero sector, Pweto territory, whilst this week has seen thousands flee following attacks on villages in Mitwaba territory. A military offensive against the group has been launched in Moba territory whilst FARDC claimed to have dislodged the group from Musumari on Wednesday morning.

IPIS relaunched its interactive web map on mining site presence of armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last Friday, together with an analysis of data collected by local teams between March 2013 and 2014.

In the Central African Republic, this week has seen exchange of fire between armed men and international forces in Bangui’s northern Boy Rabe district following MINUSCA disarmament operations in the anti-balaka stronghold. UN agencies report that ongoing insecurity has seriously damaged food security in the country. The latest UN panel of experts report is said to find that gold and diamonds continue to be used to finance conflict, requesting the monitoring of mining sites to clamp down on illicit trade and the deployment of troops to the north of the country.

The US has raised the alarm of an Al Shabab terrorist threat in Burundi, advising against all but essential travel to the country. Two more bodies have been found floating in lake Rweru this week, with the Burundian authorities prohibiting inhabitants from fishing the bodies out of the water.

IPIS’ Latest Publications

Mapping Conflict Minerals: Eastern DRC (2013-2014) | 31 October 2014 | IPIS
In collaboration with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI), mining service SAESSCAM and representatives from local civil society organisations, IPIS organised a series of field visits to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups and criminal networks in mineral exploitation and trade. This resulted in the publication of an interactive web map providing information on e.g. the on-site presence of armed groups and criminal elements within the Congolese army (FARDC) and their activities, as well as indicators of the relative importance of the mining site. It shows the location of 150 trading centres and nearly 1100 mining sites in Eastern DRC. An accompanying report provides an analysis of the data collected by the local teams between March 2013 and March 2014 as presented by IPIS on its web map. It analyses the most striking findings, focussing on developments surrounding security and how they have impacted on Eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector. Finally, the report also explains how the map can be used to assess risks in mineral supply chains.

Supply Chains and Transport Corridors in East Africa ❘ June 2014 ❘ IPIS and TransArms-Research
Transport infrastructure plays a key role in boosting a country or region’s economic development. IPIS and TransArms have ascertained on several occasions that the underdevelopment or degeneration of transport infrastructure is a problematic issue across a number of African countries and regions. This report analyses the current logistics situation in Eastern Africa, and the logistic challenges faced by various actors in that region. It is based on desktop research, and interviews and data collected by the authors during several field missions to East and Central Africa. At the time of writing, however, logistic and other challenges to cost-efficient trade and overall economic development are yet to be addressed. Further research and policy actions to effectively tackle current shortcomings are much needed. A strategy relying on a piecemeal approach (e.g. on ad hoc investments in infrastructure) is likely to result in a ‘quick fix’ to ship raw materials out of the African continent rather than in an effort to boost sustainable economic development.

De Belgische ontwikkelingssamenwerking en fragiele staten: een kloof tussen beleid en praktijk? ❘ May 2014  11.11.11 i.s.m. IPIS
Zo goed als de helft van de Belgische middelen voor ontwikkelingshulp gaat naar partnerlanden waar de overheid niet de capaciteit, wil en/of legitimiteit heeft om de publieke zaken efficiënt te beheren, voor veiligheid te zorgen en om de bevolking uit de armoede te halen. Omdat traditionele hulprecepten in deze ‘fragiele staten’ op hun limieten stuiten, is er de laatste decennia een internationaal beleid ontwikkeld dat een blauwdruk voorstelt voor een gedifferentieerde aanpak om deze landen te ondersteunen in het traject richting meer weerbaarheid. De Belgische ontwikkelingssamenwerking onderschrijft de internationale engagementen over fragiele staten die hieruit ontstonden, zoals de fragiele staten principes (FSP’s) en de New Deal. In 2013 werd er een Belgische strategienota voor fragiele situaties goedgekeurd. Positief is dat België zich, ondanks de moeilijke context, rond dit thema blijft engageren – zowel op internationaal beleidsniveau als binnen haar eigen ontwikkelingsbeleid.

IPIS Insights: The EU draft law on conflict minerals due diligence: a critical assessment from a business & human rights standpoint  30 April 2014 ❘ IPIS
On the 5th of March 2014, the European Commission proposed a responsible trading strategy for minerals from conflict zones. The proposal took place within a specific and timely context. As IPIS has long documented, the exploitation of natural resources can have adverse human rights impacts. Businesses operating in conflict-affected or fragile regions should therefore ascertain whether their direct operations or their business relationships with other parties, including through their supply chains, have fueled or funded conflict and/or human rights abuse.

Business & Human Rights in Uganda: What’s on the Agenda? | 12 March 2014 | IPIS
A few days after attending the annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, IPIS Business & Human Rights Analysts Anna Bulzomi and Gabriella Wass boarded a plane to Kampala, Uganda, to run a two-day training with ActionAid Uganda for businesses and NGOs on “What does business & human rights mean, and how can we bring about a healthy relationship between the two?” This document summarises some thoughts and observations from our 19 participating organisations, as well as providing snapshots of the current relationship between business and human rights in Uganda.

IPIS Insights: Pentagon Accidentally Arms Al Qaeda Affiliate | 20 February 2014 | IPIS
A confidential report to the UN Security Council last week revealed that some of the weapons and ammunition to the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces appears to have been diverted to the Al Qaeda affiliate known as Al Shabaab.

Mapping Conflict Motives: the Sudan – South Sudan border (2012-2013) | 5 February 2014 | IPIS
In “Mapping Conflict Motives: the Sudan-South Sudan border”, IPIS analyses the conflict dynamics in the wider border area spanning Sudan and South Sudan. The analysis specifically looks into the motivations and interests of the parties involved in the interstate, intrastate and local conflicts in this area. Together with the report, a series of maps of the area of focus is available at www.ipisresearch.be/mapping/webmapping/bordersudans

Conflict and security

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

ICGLR parliamentary forum

Les parlementaires de la CIRGL préoccupés par les violations des droits l’homme dans la région | 31 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le Forum des parlements des pays membres de la Conférence internationale pour la région des Grands Lacs (CIRGL) se dit préoccupé par l’ampleur des violations des droits de l’homme et des violences sexuelles dans la région. Le président de l’Assemblée nationale du Burundi et président en exercice de ce forum, Pie Ntavyohanyuma, a exprimé son indignation, jeudi 30 octobre, à Kinshasa.

Working group accuses Rwanda and Uganda of harbouring former M23

Le Rwanda et l’Ouganda accusés d’abriter les ex-rebelles du M23  | 2 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
En dépit de la débâcle de la rébellion du M23 il y a une année, le Rwanda et l’Ouganda continuent d’héberger les ex-combattants du M23 alors que pour la plupart ils ont déjà bénéficié de la loi d’amnistie. Ce constat a été fait par les organisations membres du Groupe de travail sur le suivi de la mise en œuvre de l’Accord-cadre d’Addis-Abeba et la résolution 2098 du Conseil de Sécurité de l’Onu. Selon ce groupe de travail, la présence de ces ex-combattants dans les pays voisins constitue une menace pour la sécurité de la RDC.

DRC

Kinshasa demonstrations

RDC : manifestation de l’opposition, 20 personnes arrêtées | 3 November 2014 | Afrik.com
L’opposition hausse le ton en RDC | 3 November 2014 | BBC Afrique
RDC: une manifestation de l’opposition tourne court | 3 November 2014 | RFI
Kinshasa : la police étouffe une marche de l’opposition | 3 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC : au moins 20 manifestants arrêtés lors d’un sit-in à Kinshasa | 3 November 2014 | Jeune Afrique
En RDC, l’opposition avait prévu de manifester ce lundi 3 novembre à Kinshasa pour dire « non » à toute modification de la Constitution, en suivant l’exemple burkinabè. La manifestation n’a pas été autorisée par les autorités. Plus d’une soixantaine de militants de l’UDPS et de l’UNC ont été interpellés avec un député national de l’opposition.

En RDC, la leçon burkinabè sera-t-elle retenue? | 2 November 2014 | RFI
La situation au Burkina est scrutée avec attention en RDC où le débat sur une possible révision constitutionnelle fait rage. Les responsables de la prison centrale de Kinshasa ont confisqué tous les postes téléviseurs qui étaient dans les cellules des prisonniers pour empêcher les détenus de suivre l’évolution de la situation à Ouagadougou. Les Congolais suivent aussi avec amusement les mésaventures d’une délégation de la majorité partie au Burkina Faso étudier la stratégie utilisée par le président Compaoré pour faire modifier la Constitution.

National Human Rights Commission

Commission nationale des droits de l’homme: des candidats dénoncent l’omission de leurs noms | 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Certains candidats aux fonctions de membres de la Commission nationale des droits de l’homme (CNDH) pensent que leurs noms ont été « injustement » omis de la liste de cette commission. Ils ont exprimé leur indignation dans un mémorandum déposé, lundi 3 novembre, au bureau du président de l’Assemblée nationale, qui devra arbitrer, avant la publication de la liste de neufs membres de cette commission.

Mapping armed groups in eastern DRC

Mapping Conflict Minerals: Eastern DRC (2013-2014) | 31 October 2014 | IPIS
In collaboration with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI), mining service SAESSCAM and representatives from local civil society organisations, IPIS organised a series of field visits to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups and criminal networks in mineral exploitation and trade. This resulted in the publication of an interactive web map providing information on e.g. the on-site presence of armed groups and criminal elements within the Congolese army (FARDC) and their activities, as well as indicators of the relative importance of the mining site. It shows the location of 150 trading centres and nearly 1100 mining sites in Eastern DRC. An accompanying report provides an analysis of the data collected by the local teams between March 2013 and March 2014 as presented by IPIS on its web map. It analyses the most striking findings, focussing on developments surrounding security and how they have impacted on Eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector. Finally, the report also explains how the map can be used to assess risks in mineral supply chains.

MAPPING ARMED GROUPS IN EASTERN CONGO – 4TH EDITION | 5 November 2014 | With Eyes Wide Open
Regular readers may have noticed that this website features a mapping of armed groups in eastern Congo which is periodically updated and refined (three times a year). Today, the 4th edition of this complicated and always unfinished exercise goes online and adds to the yet existing mappings. As stated repeatedly in the lengthy disclaimer necessary due to the political connotations and dangers of misinterpreting this work, it makes sense to also here underline the following explanations.

MONUSCO weekly press conference

CONFERENCE DE PRESSE DES NATIONS UNIES DU MERCREDI 5 NOVEMBRE 2014
Au Nord-Kivu, la situation sécuritaire demeure tendue et fragile, suite aux tueries répétées, récemment commises par les rebelles supposés appartenir à l’Alliance des Forces Démocratiques (ADF) dans le territoire de Beni. Dans la nuit du 29 octobre 2014, 08 civils ont été tués à la machette dans la localité de Bango (30 kilomètres au Nord-est d’Erengeti) et 10 autres à Kambi Ya Chui (approximativement 22 kilomètres au Nord-est d’Erengeti) par des éléments supposés appartenir à l’ADF, provoquant le déplacement de plus de 150 individus vers Erengeti-centre. Sitôt informées, les troupes d’intervention rapide du bataillon Népalais de la Force de la MONUSCO et des FARDC basées à Erengeti, ont été promptement déployées dans les zones affectées pour mener des opérations de bouclage et de ratissage, traquer les assaillants, contrôler le terrain et dissuader d’autres exactions contre les civils. Un rebelle de l’ADF a été appréhendé au village Kwele lors du ratissage.

North Kivu

State response to killings

Joseph Kabila à Béni: le convoi passe, la déception demeure | 30 October 2014 | RFI
Très attendu depuis plusieurs jours à Béni, dans l’est du pays, le président congolais Joseph Kabila est finalement arrivé sur place mercredi 29 octobre, à la mi-journée. Des centaines de personnes étaient venues accueillir le chef de l’Etat sur le principal rond-point de la ville pensant qu’il allait s’exprimer. Mais Joseph Kabila passa son chemin.

RDC: Joseph Kabila appelé à renforcer la sécurité au Nord-Kivu | 31 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le Parti libéral pour le développement (PLD) appelle Joseph Kabila, en visite depuis deux jours à Beni, à renforcer la sécurité au Nord-Kivu. Le vice-président de ce parti de l’opposition, Me Jean-Paul Lumbulumbu, a lancé cet appel, vendredi 31 octobre, dans un entretien avec Radio Okapi: «Le PLD attend du président de la République le déploiement le plus rapidement possible des éléments de la police, des FARDC ainsi que des services de renseignement dans plusieurs localités du Nord-Kivu».

La RDC va “vaincre” les rebelles ougandais | 31 October 2014 | BBC Afrique
RDC: La population de Ngadi en colère contre l’insécurité  | 1 November 2014 | RFI
Le président congolais, Joseph Kabila a promis vendredi de “vaincre” les rebelles ougandais accusés d’avoir massacré en octobre une centaine de personnes dans la région de Beni, dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo.

RDC : Joseph Kabila souhaite le renforcement de la présence de la Monusco à Beni | 31 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
Dans son adresse vendredi 31 octobre à la population de Beni au Nord-Kivu, le président de la RDC, Joseph Kabila, souhaite voir la Monusco renforcer sa présence dans cette zone pour faire face aux problèmes d’insécurité. Arrivé dans cette ville depuis trois jours, le chef de l’Etat a également mis en garde les rebelles ougandais de l’ADF accusés d’avoir tué environ quatre-vingts personnes en un mois.

Renforcement de la Monusco à Béni : Kobler «favorable» à la demande de Kabila | 1 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC: la Monusco va renforcer sa présence à Beni, théâtre de récents massacres | 1 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Le représentant spécial du secrétaire général des Nations unies en RDC, Martin Kobler « accueille favorablement » la demande du président Joseph Kabila de renforcer la présence des troupes de la Monusco dans le territoire de Béni et les environs au Nord-Kivu. Dans un communiqué de presse de la Monusco publié vendredi 31 octobre, il a indiqué que ces renforts « permettront aux FARDC d’engager les rebelles de l’ADF plus vigoureusement».

DR Congo: UN mission welcomes Government request to boost presence in east | 1 November 2014 | UN News Centre
The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has welcomed the Government’s request for more “blue helmets” to backstop Congolese troops fighting to protect civilians from armed rebels that have carried out a spate of attacks in and around the eastern town of Beni over the past month.

Further killings on Wednesday and Saturday

RDC: découverte de neuf nouveaux corps de civils massacrés dans l’Est (ONG) | 30 October 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
RDC : neuf nouveaux corps de civils découverts à Beni | 30 October 2014 | Jeune Afrique/AFP
Neuf nouveaux corps de personnes assassinées ont été récemment découverts dans plusieurs localités du territoire de Beni, théâtre de massacres qui avaient fait courant octobre environ 80 morts, a-t-on appris jeudi auprès de la fédération d’ONG locales. “On a maintenant un bilan de 93 tués, il y a eu d’autres découvertes. On a retrouvé ce matin le corps d’une femme brûlée dans sa case et plus loin son mari et un paysan ont été tués à la machette”, a déclaré à l’AFP Teddy Kataliko, président de la Société civile du territoire de Beni, qui avait prévenu des précédents massacres.

14 people killed in DR Congo machete attack: NGO | 30 October 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Civilian death toll rises as rebels embark on campaign of sporadic slaughter | 31 October 2014 | Amnesty International | Reliefweb
UN peacekeepers and the Congolese authorities must act urgently to protect civilians from a spate of sporadic attacks by armed rebels which has left at least 100 dead in the last month said Amnesty International today. In the most recent attack on the night of 30 October 2014, it is reported that 18 civilians were killed and seven seriously wounded by the armed group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), in Kampi ya Chuyi approximately 75 kilometres from Beni town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

RDC: 14 personnes tuées dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi dans l’est (ONG) | 30 October 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
RDC : nouveau massacre dans la région de Béni | 31 October 2014 | RFI
Nord-Kivu: des présumés ADF ont tué une dizaine de personnes à Beni | 31 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC : nouveau massacre dans la région de Béni | 31 October 2014 | RFI
Dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), la visite du président Joseph Kabila à Beni ne permet visiblement pas de faire baisser l’insécurité. Dans la nuit de mercredi à ce jeudi 30 octobre, des massacres à la machette ont fait au moins quatorze nouvelles victimes à 70 km au nord est de Béni, dans la localité de Kampi ya Chui.

RDC : au moins 8 morts dans un nouveau massacre à Beni  | 2 November 2014 | Afrik.com
Nord-Kivu: nouvelle attaque à Beni, 7 morts | 2 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Des hommes armés ont abattu sept personnes, dans la nuit de samedi 1er novembre, dans la ville de Beni, située à plus de 350 km au Nord de Goma (Nord-Kivu). La société civile, elle, parle de 14 morts dont deux militaires. C’est aux environs de 19h00 locales que ces assaillants ont fait incursion dans la commune de Rwenzori pour mener leur opération, selon des sources concordantes.

Protest

RDC: retour au calme après une journée tendue à Beni | 2 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC: nuit calme à Beni après une journée d’émeute causée par une nouvelle tuerie | 3 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
La nuit de dimanche à lundi a été calme à Beni, ville de l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) où 11 personnes ont été massacrées la veille, provoquant de violentes manifestations, ont indiqué des sources concordantes.

RDC: manifestation contre les ADF-Nalu | 2 November 2014 | BBC Afrique
DC: un nouveau “carnage” dans la ville de Beni provoque une manifestation violente | 2 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Des habitants de Beni ont protesté dimanche matin contre les rebelles de l’ADF-Nalu, auteurs présumés des massacres à répétition dans cette localité de l’est de la RDC.

DR Congo town hit by protests over killings | 3 November 2014 | AlJazeera
Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni after another eight people were killed overnight in new violence.

DR Congo town readies funerals after massacre and riots | 3 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Families prepared Monday to bury their dead in the flashpoint town of Beni in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo after a massacre and violent riots, residents said. Leaders of civil society and the governor of volatile North Kivu province, Julien Paluku, said the final death toll from Saturday night’s latest killings, blamed on rebels from neighbouring Uganda, was 11.

FARDC clashes with ADF

Army clashes with ‘rebels’ blamed for DR Congo massacres | 2 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
The Congolese army clashed Monday with suspected Ugandan rebels blamed for two massacres in which more than 40 people died in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east, a senior official said. “There was contact today with rebels of the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) on the outskirts of the town of Beni, inside the Virunga National Park,” the governor of the troubled North Kivu province Julien Paluku told AFP, saying that a hostage had also been freed.

RDC : affrontements entre FARDC et rebelles de l’ADF près de Beni | 4 November 2014 | Jeune Afrique
RDC : les combats font toujours rage entre l’armée et les rebelles ougandais | 4 November 2014 | Afrik.com
L’armée congolaise a affronté des rebelles ougandais de l’ADF près de Beni, dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC).

Army clashes for second day with rebels in east DR Congo | 4 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Congo troops clash with rebels blamed for massacres | 4 November 2014 | Reuters
The Congolese army on Tuesday clashed for a second day with suspected Ugandan rebels blamed for recent massacres in the country’s volatile east, civil society and UN sources told AFP. The battles broke out on Monday when troops attacked rebels who were thought to be organising another possible assault on the large town of Beni in the North Kivu province. A member of the Beni region’s civil society movement told AFP that the latest clashes have killed one army officer and two rebels, according to the the military.

RDC : la situation explosive de Beni expliquée en 4 points | 4 November 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Depuis début octobre, le territoire de Beni, dans l’est de la RDC, est la cible d’attaques répétées d’individus armés qui s’en prennent aux populations civiles. Environ 120 morts en un mois. Décryptage de la situation en quatre points.

Identity of killers

Tueries de Beni: des Congolais parmi les suspects arrêtés | 3 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Réagissant aux nouvelles tueries des civils samedi à Beni, le ministre de l’Intérieur, Richard Muyej a révélé dimanche 2 novembre à Goma que des citoyens congolais figurent au nombre de suspects interpellés ces derniers jours. Une centaine de personnes ont été tuées les quatre dernières semaines dans le territoire de Beni, à plus de 350 km au Nord de Goma (Nord-Kivu). Des assassinats qui sont principalement attribués aux rebelles ougandais des ADF.

Violences à Béni: l’implication des ADF en question | 3 November 2014 | RFI
RDC: qui est derrière les récentes tueries à Béni? | 4 November 2014 | RFI
La situation est toujours tendue à Béni, dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo. Lundi après-midi, l’armée congolaise a affronté des assaillants qui se trouvaient dans le secteur où onze personnes ont été tuées dans la nuit de samedi, par balles et à coups de machette. Qui sont ces mystérieux assaillants ? Reportage dans le quartier Muzambaï, théâtre de la tuerie.

Responses to killings

Nord-Kivu: un couvre-feu instauré à Beni | 3 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le maire de Beni, Nyonyi Bwanakawa a annoncé, lundi 3 novembre, un couvre-feu dans cette ville, située à 350 km au Nord de Goma (Nord-Kivu). Toutes les activités doivent désormais cesser de fonctionner dans la ville à partir de 18h 30 locale. Cette mesure a été décidée au cours du Conseil urbain de sécurité pour faire face à la résurgence des massacres des civils dans ce territoire.

Nord-Kivu : Amnesty International plaide pour la protection des civils à Beni | 3 November 2014 | Radio Okapi| 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
L’ONG Amnesty international demande au gouvernement de la RDC et à la Monusco de travailler ensemble pour assurer la protection des civils de Beni au Nord-Kivu. Dans une interview accordée lundi 3 novembre à Radio Okapi, Delly Mawazo Sesepe, chercheur sur la RDC au secrétariat  international de cette association de défense des droits de l’homme souhaite que la population de ce territoire «dorme tranquillement».

DRC minister appeals for calm after unrest | 5 November 2014 | AlJazeera
The defence minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo has appealed to panic-striken civilians in the country’s east not to form militias to protect themselves after a string of massacres by suspected Ugandan rebels. Alexandre Luba Ntambo said on Tuesday that self-defence groups could further complicate the already fragile situation around the town of Beni, where as many as 120 people have been slaughtered in five weeks of night-time rebel raids.

RDC: à Béni, la population est exaspérée par les violences | 2 November 2014 | RFI
Ce dimanche 2 novembre, la situation est extrêmement tendue à Béni, dans l’est de la RDC, où, au moins huit personnes ont été tuées dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche. Un couvre-feu va être déclaré dans la cité à partir de 18 heures ce 2 novembre au soir.

200 arrested

Nord-Kivu : la Monusco et la Police congolaise arrêtent 200 suspects à Beni | 5 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC – Massacres de Beni : 200 suspects aux arrêts, selon la Monusc | 5 November 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Deux cents suspects dont des rebelles ougandais de l’ADF ont été arrêtés depuis les récentes attaques de Beni au Nord-Kivu. Le porte-parole intérimaire de la Monusco, Charles Antoine Bambara l’a annoncé mercredi 5 novembre au cours de la conférence hebdomadaire des Nations-unies. Il a précisé que cette opération a été réalisée grâce « à la stratégie opérationnelle de lutte contre l’insécurité à Beni » mise en place conjointement par la Police de la Mission onusienne et la Police nationale congolaise (PNC).

200 arrested over DR Congo massacres | 5 November 2014 | Agence France-Presse | Reliefweb
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo arrested 200 suspects in connection with massacres in the troubled east of the country that left over 100 dead, the UN said Wednesday. The suspects taken into custody for the killings which began in October in the Beni area included Ugandan Muslim rebels, who have widely been blamed for the massacres.

South Kivu

Sud-Kivu: 1000 déplacés en détresse à Uvira | 5 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La localité Muhuzi, dans le haut plateau d’Uvira au Sud-Kivu, se vide de sa population depuis quatre jours suite aux affrontements entre des jeunes d’auto-défense populaire et les combattants Maï-Maï du groupe Mahoro. Un groupe de commerçants venus de cette contrée donnent un bilan de deux morts : une femme et un milicien. Ces populations se dirigent vers Kibenga, Kasozo et Kizuka.

Province Orientale

Ituri: paralysie des activités à Bunia et à Mahagi | 31 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les activités sociales et économiques sont paralysées, vendredi 31 octobre, dans la ville de Bunia et dans la cité de Mahagi, dans le district de l’Ituri (Province Orientale). Les boutiques, magasins, institutions bancaires et marchés ont refermé leurs portes tôt le matin suite à une manifestation brutale des étudiants qui protestent contre la mort de leur collègue, tué dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi dernier par des inconnus, à Butembo (Nord-Kivu).

Ituri: les Maï-Maï ont installé une administration parallèle à Babila-Babombi | 3 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le chef milicien Emmanuel Azambo alias Manou est accusé d’avoir établi, depuis deux semaines, une administration parallèle dans la chefferie de Babila-Babombi, à environ 400 km au Sud-Ouest de Bunia, en territoire de Mambasa dans le district de l’Ituri (Province Orientale). Il nomme les chefs coutumiers dans cette entité retranchée en pleine brousse qui se situe à six jours de marche à pied de Mambasa-centre.

Kisangani : les militaires et policiers appelés à sécuriser le territoire et la population | 2 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le commandant de 31è région militaire, général Bertin Basekay Kamangala, appelle les militaires et policiers à garantir la sécurité du pays et de la population. Cet officier militaire a livré son message au cours d’une parade mixte FARDC-Police nationale, organisée samedi 1er novembre au camp sergent Ketele, à Kisangani (Province Orientale): «Soldats, contentez-vous de votre salaire. Les soldats et les policiers, ne prenez pas les biens appartenant à autrui. Il faut protéger la population et ses biens ainsi l’intégrité territoriale».

Katanga

Katanga : 10 incursions des miliciens Bakata Katanga enregistrées à Moero | 30 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
Dix attaques des Maï-Maï Bakata Katanga ont été signalées, en l’espace d’une semaine, au secteur Moero dans le territoire de Pweto (Katanga). Le chef de ce secteur, Chadrack Kazembe, a livré ce chiffre mercredi 29 octobre, au cours d’une réunion du conseil de sécurité locale tenue à Kilwa.

Mitwaba: plus de 2 000 personnes fuient leurs villages après des attaques des Maï-Maï | 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Plus de deux mille personnes ont fui, depuis dimanche 2 novembre, les villages de Muvule, Kalenge et Mukana, situés à plus de 80 kilomètres de la cité de Mitwaba au Katanga. Ils ont trouvé refuge dans des villages voisins. Des sources locales indiquent que ces populations se sont déplacées à la suite de deux attaques dimanche et mardi des miliciens Bakata Katanga au village Muvule.D’autres déplacés, soit près de 300 ménages, ont quitté les villages de Kidimulilo, Kasolwa, Kansanga et Mototo. Ce déplacement à titre préventif est dû à la présence dans ces villages des éléments Maï-Maï.

Katanga: les FARDC délogent les Maï-Maï Bakata Katanga de Musumari | 5 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) ont délogé les Maï-Maï Bakata Katanga de Musumari, à l’issue d’une offensive menée, mercredi 5 novembre dans la matinée, dans cette localité située à 40 km de Mitwaba-centre (Katanga). Des sources concordantes renseignent que de nombreux assaillants ont été tués et quelques militaires ont été blessés au cours de cet accrochage. Les FARDC ont récupéré quatre AK 47 ainsi des flèches, après le retrait des assaillants à 7 km du village Musumari, où ils ont installé leur quartier général.

Katanga: le ministre provincial de l’Intérieur annonce une opération contre les Maï-Maï à Moba | 5 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le ministre provincial de l’Intérieur du Katanga, Juvénal Kitungwa, annonce une intervention militaire contre les Maï-Maï dans le territoire de Moba (Katanga). Il a fait cette annonce, mercredi 5 novembre, au terme d’une visite de deux jours dans cette partie du Katanga, en proie aux exactions des miliciens et aux conflits inter-communautaires.

Rwanda

BBC genocide documentary

Rwanda: l’inquiétude du Royaume-Uni après la suspension de la BBC | 30 October 2014 | RFI
Après les Etats-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne se dit très inquiète après la suspension au Rwanda de la BBC en Kinyarwanda, la langue locale. Une suspension décidée par les autorités rwandaises pour protester contre la diffusion d’un documentaire intitulé Rwanda, l’histoire jamais contée et qui met en cause le président Kagame dans une série de crimes.

Burundi

US warns of Al-Shabab terrorist threat

U.S. Government Warns of Alshabaab Attack in Burundi | 1 November 2014 | Dalsan Radio | AllAfrica
The US Department of State for Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory to its citizens that they should not travel to Burundi for fear of possible Alshabaab attacks as Al-Shabaab threatened to attack Burundi. The US Department of State for Foreign Affairs also advised the staff of the US Embassy in Burundi to reduce their footprints in crowded public places. The US Department of State for Foreign Affairs asked them not to go to other places beyond Bujumbura where the embassy is located. Burundi just like Uganda and other countries contributes troops to AMISOM who fight Alshabaab inside Somalia.

State Department Re-issues Burundi Travel Warning | 30 October 2014 | Voice of America
The United States has re-issued a travel warning for Burundi and advised U.S. government employees to exercise caution  at night in the small African nation. The U.S. State Department warned all American citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Burundi, citing the terrorist threat from Somali-based al-Shabab and the high crime in the impoverished nation.

Security

Rise of Armed Violence in Bujumbura – Threat Is Everywhere | 3 November 2014 | Iwacu | AllAfrica
The security is threatened in all corners of the country since last month. An overview Mugongomanga Commune: people are very scared. It began on Thursday 23 October 2014 around 5 PM. Fabrice Niyongabo, 26 years old, falls in an ambush of a group of armed people with machetes, knives and clubs. This happens at Kuwimpfizi, Buhororo hill, Mugongomanga commune, Bujumbura province.

More Lake Rweru bodies

Burundi: sur le lac Rweru, repêcher les corps est désormais interdit | 2 November 2014 | RFI
A quel jeu jouent les autorités burundaises ? C’est l’une des questions que l’on se pose au Burundi après la découverte, en milieu de semaine, de deux nouveaux corps flottants sur le lac Rweru, entre ce pays et le voisin rwandais au nord, après la découverte d’une quarantaine d’autres depuis la mi-août, dont quatre repêchés et enterrés au Burundi. Cette fois, la décision des autorités burundaises en a étonnés plus d’un.

Uganda

UDPF in Somalia

UPDF Officers Who Turned Volatile Mogadishu Around | 3 November 2014 | The Observer (Kampala) | AllAfrica
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has announced deployment of 2,754 soldiers to Somalia, marking the start of a 12-month tour of duty in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country. The latest contingent of UPDF soldiers joining the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) is code-named Battle Group XIV, commanded by Brig Sam Kavuma. Since 2007, the UPDF has sent seven battle groups to Somalia, and currently has the largest contingent of at least 6,223 soldiers.

Ethnic violence in Rwenzori

Uganda: Violence, Reprisals in Western Region | 5 November 2014 | Human Rights Watch
The government response to deadly ethnic violence and reprisals in the Rwenzori region of western Uganda in July 2014 has been inadequate. The government should arrange for a credible independent investigation to examine the circumstances of the initial attacks, the subsequent response – including the possible involvement of government forces in reprisal attacks and torture, and the adequacy of protection for civilians in the following days.

CAR

Security

UN peacekeepers free 67 hostages in Central African Republic | 30 October 2014 | Reuters
U.N. peacekeepers in the Central African Republic freed 67 hostages who had been seized by militia groups, a spokeswoman for the U.N. mission known as MINUSCA said on Wednesday. Four women were taken hostage in the capital Bangui while the rest were seized in the interior of the country, spokeswoman Myriam Dessables told a news conference. All were released after military operations by the peacekeepers.

Centrafrique : échanges de tirs dans un quartier nord de Bangui | 1 November 2014 | Jeuine Afrique
Des échanges de tir ont opposé vendredi les forces internationales à des hommes armés qui les ont prises à partie dans un quartier nord de Bangui, selon un communiqué de la force française Sangaris. Vendredi matin, “des incidents ont éclaté dans le quartier de Boy Rabé” alors que les Forces de sécurité intérieures centrafricaines (FSI), appuyées par la force onusienne Minusca et la force française, “menaient des investigations dans une habitation”, affirme le communiqué.

Centrafrique: le laborieux désarmement des milices à Bangui | 3 November 2014 | RFI
Sunday seemed calm income in Bangui, the CAR capital. Friday and Saturday, firefights had opposed the international forces and armed men, especially in the area of ​​Boy Rabe, considered an anti-Balaka fief. The origin of these firefights, a disarmament operation launched by the Minusca, in collaboration with the police and the local police, as well as the French force Sangaris. A month and a half after its deployment, Minusca says determined to continue these operations, with mixed results for the moment.

L’ONU interpelle cinq personnes dans le cadre d’une opération à Bangui | 3 November 2014 | UN News Centre | AllAfrica
Dans le cadre de leurs opérations de sécurisation de la ville de Bangui, les forces de la Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en République centrafricaine (MINUSCA) ont conduit vendredi conjointement avec des forces de l’opération Sangaris et des forces de sécurité centrafricaines, une opération dans les quartiers Gobongo et Boy Rabe, dans le 4e arrondissement de Bangui.

Seleka factioning

L’UPC, un nouveau mouvement en RCA | 4 November 2014 | Deutsche Welle | AllAfrica
En République centrafricaine, depuis le 25 octobre dernier, existe l’Unité pour la Centrafrique, UPC. Il s’agit d’ un mouvement politico-militaire, né d’une scission au sein de l’ex-Séléka, ancien mouvement de rebellion. Noureddine Adam, l’un des responsables de cette ex-rébellion veut prendre le contrôle du mouvement actuellement miné par dissensions internes.

Noureddine Adam tente de se replacer dans le jeu de la Seleka | 5 November 2014 | RFI | AllAfrica
Après le Congrès de la Seleka de Ndélé au mois de mai auquel il n’avait pas pris part, après celui de Birao, où il avait imposé un nouvel organigramme qui a volé en éclat depuis, Noureddine Adam tente de revenir dans le jeu. Depuis dimanche, il a réuni à Kaga Bandoro tous les cadres restés plus ou moins fidèles. A la sortie, un nouvel organigramme et une entame de discussions avec le gouvernement et les partenaires internationaux qui, pour beaucoup, rêvent de le voir à la CPI.

UN panel of experts report

Gold, diamonds fuelling conflict in Central African Republic: U.N. panel | 5 November 2014 | Reuters
Gold and diamond sales are being used to finance conflict in Central African Republic and United Nations peacekeepers should monitor mining sites to clamp down on illicit trade, a U.N. panel of experts said. In a report, the panel also said the peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) should deploy troops to the remote north of the country and use drones to monitor the rebel-controlled region to put an end to simmering violence there.

Humanitarian news

Non-comprehensive overview of humanitarian news & events, including refugee and IDP issues.

DRC

Humanitarian Bulletins and reports

Qui Fait Quoi Où – Dans la province du Katanga (Octobre 2014) | 31 October 2014 | OCHA | Reliefweb
RDC – Katanga: Qui Fait Quoi Où – 3W (Octobre 2014) | 28 October 2014 | OCHA | Reliefweb

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province Orientale N°30/14, 30 octobre 2014 | 31 October 2014 | OCHA | Reliefweb
Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Sud-Kivu N°37/14, 30 octobre 2014 | 30 October 2014 | OCHA | Reliefweb

Katanga: More efforts are necessary – A report on humanitarian response and the remaining challenges in DRC’s Katanga Province | 30 October 2014 | OCHA | Reliefweb
After years of calm, Katanga has become a powderkeg, like other provinces in the eastern part of the DRC. With some 580,000 internally displaced people and about 300,000 returnees since March 2013, Katanga is, after the two Kivus, the third most affected province by displacements. After months – January to May – of rampant violence through a « scorched earth » campaign, the Mayi-Mayi armed movement who has been causing havoc Katanga since 2010, « has offered » since June a semblance of respite to the populations of the territories of Malemba Nkulu, Manono, Moba, Mitwaba and Pweto situated in the southern and centre parts of the copper-producing province.

CAR

Humanitarian Bulletins and reports

Central African Republic: Refugee Situation UNHCR Regional Update 38, 25 – 31 October 2014 | 31 October 2014 | UNHCR | Reliefweb
Central African Republic Emergency Situation as of 31 October 2014 | 31 October 2014 | UNHCR | Reliefweb

C.A.R. Regional Impact Situation Report #8 29 October 2014 | 30 October 2014 | World Food Program | Reliefweb

Humanitarian conditions

Central African Republic: As violence flares, UN warns of worsening humanitarian conditions | 31 October 2014 | UN News Centre
Fresh fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) has aggravated the humanitarian situation across the country, UN humanitarian officials warned today, adding that amid the upsurge in violence, aid workers were now facing unprecedented attacks. At a press briefing held at UN headquarters in Geneva this morning, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that despite the lack of media interest in the CAR crisis, the displacement of people was still being considered a “massive humanitarian emergency,” with 410,000 people displaced overall.

CAR Food Security Hard Hit | 31 October 2014 | Voice of America
Violence Hits Food Output in Central African Republic, Economy ‘Broken’ | 30 October 2014 | Reuters
Farming Sector Hit By Insecurity As Central African Republic Crisis Grinds On – UN Report | 30 October 2014 | UN News Service | AllAfrica
Violence hits food output in Central African Republic, economy “broken” | 30 October 2014 | Reuters
The continuing crisis in the embattled Central African Republic has taken a large toll on agricultural production and is eroding the capacity of the country’s population to secure sufficient food, a new report by the United Nations food and agriculture agencies has found. The report – jointly produced by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) – blamed widespread looting and insecurity for negatively impacting crops, livestock and fishing in the CAR. Such adverse events caused the country’s agricultural sector to contract by 46 per cent in 2013, in the wake of a crisis in the country that has caused massive displacements and driven hundreds of thousands of people to flee across its borders, the report found.

Dubai-Based Company to Supply Petroleum Products to CAR | 29 October 2014 | Cameroon Tribune | AllAfrica
The Dubai-based Tristar liquid logistics company in the United Arabs Emirates will supply petroleum products to the conflict-ridden Central African Republic within the framework of its humanitarian missions. The intervention of the United Arabs Emirates company will be thanks to a partnership agreement it signed with the Central African Republic affiliate of the Cameroon petroleum products distribution company Tradex on September 26 in Douala. The information is contained in a press released published by Tradex on October 23, 2014. The current crisis rocking the Central African Republic caused by the ousting of former President François Bozize’s regime in March 2013 by the Seleka rebel movement, greatly perturbed the distribution of petroleum products in the country by Tradex, Afriquinfos reported. After months of inactivity, Tradex has reopened 80 per cent of the petroleum products filling stations in the Central African Republic.

Sudanese refugees in CAR

Gunmen Beat, Rob Sudanese Refugees in CAR Camp | 3 November 2014 | Radio Dabanga | AllAfrica
Sudanese refugees in Bembere camp in the Central African Republic (CAR) were beaten and robbed of a large sum of money and a number of sheep, by a large group of gunmen on Monday.

Justice and Tribunals

Selected articles on criminal justice proceedings regarding crimes committed in the Great Lakes Region.

 DRC

Ndala Assassination Trail

Affaire Mamadou Ndala: le major Paul Kimararungu écope d’une peine à perpétuité | 30 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
La Cour opérationnelle militaire du Nord-Kivu, siégeant en chambre foraine à Beni dans l’affaire Mamadou Ndala, a condamné le major Paul Kimararungu à perpétuité. Ce verdict est tombé à l’audience du mercredi 29 octobre. Cet officier du 1è secteur des FARDC à Beni est poursuivi pour abandon de poste le jour de l’embuscade qui a coûté la vie, le 2 janvier dernier, au colonel Mamadou Ndala.

Beni: un officier FARDC accusé d’avoir perçu 27 000 USD des ADF pour tuer Mamadou Ndala | 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
De nouveaux témoignages d’un officier  rebelle des ADF chargent encore quelques officiers des FARDC, qui seraient complices de l’assassinat du colonel Mamadou Ndala le 2 janvier dernier. Au cours de l’audience du lundi 3 novembre, ce chef rebelle ougandais a dévoilé devant la cour opérationnelle militaire le plan meurtrier monté contre le colonel Mamadou, accusant un officier FARDC accusé d’avoir perçu 27 000 USD des ADF pour éliminer l’ex-commandant du 42e bataillon des commandos FARDC des unités de réaction rapide.

Bemba trial

Bemba’s Indicted Lawyer Denied Entry to the UK | 5 November 2014 | Bemba Trial Website | AllAfrica
The United Kingdom has revoked the visa for Jean-Pierre Bemba’s indicted lawyer Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, who is in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over witness tampering accusations. The visa was due to expire in August 2015.

Rwanda

Affaire Habyarimana: réouverture de l’instruction en France | 29 October 2014 | RFI
C’est une information RFI, les juges français Marc Trévidic et Nathalie Poux rouvrent l’instruction dans l’affaire de l’attentat contre l’avion du président Habyarimana le 6 avril 1994. Eux qui avaient clôturé cette enquête il y a tout juste trois mois. Une réouverture de l’instruction qui a surpris les parties civiles. Il y aurait un ou plusieurs éléments nouveaux dans l’affaire.

FRANCE-RWANDA : un nouveau témoin retarde la clôture de l’instruction sur l’attentat du 6 avril 1994 | 30 October 2014 | Afrikarabia
Les juges français Marc Trévidic et Nathalie Poux vont devoir entendre un ex-gendarme rwandais déniché par le polémiste Pierre Péan. Il viendrait accréditer la « piste de Masaka » pour impliquer Paul Kagame dans l’attentat.

 CAR
Central African Republic: The Search for Justice | 30 October 2014 | IRIN | AllAfrica
As the International Criminal Court (ICC) steps up its work in the Central African Republic (CAR), pledging to bring the worst perpetrators of violence to justice, concerted efforts are being made to counter endemic impunity in CAR. But the prevailing insecurity in many parts of the country rules out any quick fix solutions.

Natural resource exploitation, governance and trade

Minerals, energy (oil & gas, hydro and solar), poaching, logging, foreign investment, trade, environmental issues.

DRC, Rwanda and Burundi agreements on integrated management of water resources

Kinshasa: la convention internationale sur la gestion intégrée du bassin du lac Kivu adoptée | 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le conseil des ministres de l’Autorité du bassin du Lac Kivu et de la rivière Ruzizi (Abakir) a endossé mardi 4 octobre à Kinshasa la convention internationale relative à la gestion intégrée des ressources en eau de ce bassin. Les participants ont également adopté et signé officiellement les statuts de l’Abakir.

Vers une gestion intégrée du bassin du lac Kivu par la RDC, le Burundi et le Rwanda | 4 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La réunion du conseil des ministres de l’Autorité du Bassin du Lac Kivu et de la rivière Ruzizi (Abakir) se tient ce mardi 4 novembre à Kinshasa. Les participants doivent endosser deux textes: la convention internationale relative à la gestion intégrée des ressources en eau du Bassin du lac Kivu et de la rivière Ruzizi  ainsi que les statuts de l’Abakir.

DRC

Green economy 

Fonds pour l’économie verte : la RDC annonce une contribution de 3 millions USD | 30 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
La RDC annonce une contribution de 3 millions de dollars américains pour financer le fonds pour l’économie verte en Afrique centrale et la transformation structurelle de l’économie des ressources naturelles. Le vice-premier ministre et ministre de la Défense nationale et des anciens combattants, Alexandre Luba, l’a annoncé à la réunion des ministres de la Communauté Economique des Etats de l’Afrique centrale (CEEAC) en charge des forêts et ressources naturelles.

Poaching and illegal logging

Biosphère de Yangambi : 21 000 espèces menacées | 30 October 2014 | Radio Okapi
L’exploitation illégale du bois et le braconnage menacent plus de 21 000 espèces végétales et animales de la réserve de biosphère de Yangambi en Province Orientale. Le coordonnateur du projet de réhabilitation de cette aire protégée, Juvin Akiak l’a déclaré mardi à Yangambi. L’Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature (UICN) a présenté le même jour 20 nouveaux gardes écologiques.

Conflict minerals

Congo Kinshasa: les réformes du commerce de minerais sapées par l’impunité dans l’armée | 31 October 2014 | Global Witness
Les efforts visant à rompre les liens entre les mines et le conflit dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) sont contrariés par la participation illégale de membres de l’armée congolaise au commerce minier, signale Global Witness quelques jours avant le début d’une conférence internationale sur les « minerais de conflit » à Kinshasa.

Congo mineral trade reforms undercut by impunity within the army | 31 October 2014 | Global Witness
Efforts to break the links between mining and conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being thwarted by the illegal involvement of members of the Congolese army in the trade, warns Global Witness, days before a major international conference on ’conflict minerals’ in Kinshasa.

Virunga

David Attenborough joins campaign to protect Africa’s oldest national park from oil interests | 2 November 2014 | Global Witness
David Attenborough has called for UK company Soco International to stop exploring for oil in one of Africa’s oldest national parks, days before a multi-award-winning documentary on the subject, executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, is released on Netflix.  The legendary filmmaker and naturalist has raised urgent concerns over the threat to Virunga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to some of the world’s last mountain gorillas.

Virunga film-makers ask viewers to join campaign against oil company Soco | 5 November 2014 | The Guardian
Producers of the documentary Virunga, set in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) park which is home to many of the world’s remaining 800 mountain gorillas, will on Friday publish a list of all major British and international pension funds, companies and banks who back London-based Soco’s search for oil in some of the world’s most volatile regions. They include the Church of England investment fund, M&S, Aviva, Scottish Widows and and several high street banks.

Natural gas

Kinshasa sets its sights on Kivu’s methane | 5 November 2014 | Africa Intellegence
After Rwanda committed itself to the idea, Congo-K has moved to extract methane gas from the Lake Kivu area. Indeed (…)

Mining

Mawson West starts commissioning of DRC flagship | 5 November 2014 | Mining Weekly
Commissioning of Africa-focused miner Mawson West’s Kapulo mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has started, with construction capital costs having been reduced by about $14-million.

Burundi

Land

EU Grants Burundi BIF 12 Billion for Land | 2 November 2014 | East Africa Business Week | AllAfrica
he Burundi Second Vice-President of the Republic, Eng. Dr. Gervais Rufyikiri, has commissioned a European Union funded project aimed at improving land management and governance. The project is funded at BIF 12 billion and will be implemented by GIZ for a period of 4 years. Rufyikiri said the Government of Burundi welcomes the launch of the project, which is also a response to the concerns of Burundi 2025 Vision.

Uganda

Mining

Miners Seek Government Support | 2 November 2014 | East Africa Business Week | AllAfrica
Residents of Harugongo and Kichwamba Sub Counties in Kabarole district, Western Uganda have said government has not helped them to fully mine the abundant Pozzolana mineral. They say government and the district local council leadership have neglected the miners leaving them at the mercy of Kasese district based cement maker Hima cement. The mainly youthful artisanal miners decry that they are not getting their mineral’s worth because middle men buy the rocky substance at a very low price and sells it to Hima at a higher price.

Regulation, voluntary initiatives, and CSR

Selected articles on legal and voluntary initiatives relating to natural resources and good governance.

EU conflict minerals legislation

European draft Regulation on responsible mineral sourcing. What lessons can be learned from the Democratic Republic of Congo? | 23 October 2014 | European Network for Central Africa (EurAc)
Projet de Règlement européen pour un approvisionnement responsable en minerais. Quelles leçons tirer de la République Démocratique du Congo ? | 23 October 2014 | Réseau européen pour l’Afrique Centrale (EurAc)
On 5 March 2014, the European Commission presented an initiative to address the issue of ‘conflict minerals’. This initiative comprises two instruments; the first is a legislative instrument falling within the EU’s competence in trade and introducing a ‘responsible sourcing’ system  for minerals coming from conflict-affected and ‘high-risk’ areas (draft Regulation); the second is a Joint Communication setting out a series of measures to promote such a responsible sourcing (referred to below as ‘Accompanying Measures’).

Conflict minerals debate

Resource Page – Conflict Minerals: A Broader Push for Reform is Essential | 30 October 2014 | Enough Project
Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has been a primary driver of corporate and regional policy change on conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo), helping create an economic incentive for ending exploitative mining practices and reforming the region’s minerals sector. However, Dodd-Frank 1502 is only one component in a broad set of peacebuilding tools, and it must be accompanied by other initiatives to advance development of a responsible minerals trade that improves the livelihoods and security of people living in eastern Congo. These changes toward peace must include government and corporate responses, programs directly supporting the livelihoods of community members in eastern Congo, and full implementation of the regional peace agreement known as the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework in a way that is truly inclusive of those most affected by it.

ENOUGH PROJECT REPLY TO THE OPEN LETTER ON ‘CONFLICT MINERALS’ | 30 October 2014 | With Eyes Wide Open
It is time for another broader push for reform on conflict minerals and natural resource governance in order to complement the Dodd-Frank legislation and deepen related minerals reforms. Dodd-Frank has been the primary driver of corporate and regional policy change on conflict minerals, creating a market incentive for reform of the exploitative patterns of mining in Congo. However, by itself it is incomplete, and it must be built upon with deeper reforms to speed up the development of a responsible minerals trade that improves the livelihoods of eastern Congo’s population. The reform agenda should include more robust regional and corporate reforms, as well as alternative livelihood programs and full implementation of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework in close consultation with Congolese and regional stakeholders. The September 9 Open Letter on conflict minerals is a thoughtful piece that offers many helpful recommendations that should be fully considered. However, the letter also lacks important context and supportive evidence for several of its core assertions.

PACT REPLY TO THE OPEN LETTER ON ‘CONFLICT MINERALS’ | 30 October 2014 | With Eyes Wide Open
Before Pact and its partners put in place a due-diligence mineral traceability system at a mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Labiteziza Seyinda despaired not only over prices for the tin ore that he dug but also for his life. “For us, it means more transparency and less fraud,” he says in French. “Not to mention, an end to harassment.” Today, Labiteziza and more than 72,000 artisanal, small-scale miners in the Congo countryside and Africa’s mineral-rich Great Lakes Region are back at work; can access a legal market for the tin, tantalum and tungsten that go into our smartphones, tablets and other gadgets; and enjoy a growing freedom from fear and violence. Yet, with an estimated 2 million more like Labiteziza who depend on mining to make a living in DRC, not nearly enough has been done.

ARGUMENTATIVE TECHNIQUES IN THE ‘CONFLICT MINERALS’ DEBATE | 1 November 2014 | With Eyes Wide Open
The Enough Project, one of the major lobbyists in favour of Dodd Frank Section 1502, has gathered 27 other signatories to co-publish another reply (after 28 Congolese Kivutian civil society organisations and PACT) to the open letter published by 72 Congolese and international stakeholders in September 2014 (For further details, see – among many others – here and here). This analytic rebuttal represents the author’s point of view and may or may not reflect that of the 72 open letter signatories.

DRC

Congo Kinshasa: les réformes du commerce de minerais sapées par l’impunité dans l’armée | 31 October 2014 | Global Witness | Reliefweb
Les efforts visant à rompre les liens entre les mines et le conflit dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) sont contrariés par la participation illégale de membres de l’armée congolaise au commerce minier, signale Global Witness quelques jours avant le début d’une conférence internationale sur les « minerais de conflit » à Kinshasa.

Other

DRC

Amendment to Constiutional Presidential Term

RDC: Vital Kamerhe invite la majorité à tirer leçon de la situation au Burkina Faso | 1 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La situation est toujours confuse ce samedi 1er novembre au Burkina Faso, où on ne sait pas qui tient réellement les rênes du pouvoir entre le chef d’Etat-major général de l’armée, le général Nabéré Honoré Traoré, et le numéro 2 de la garde présidentielle, le lieutenant-colonel Zida. Ces deux officiers revendiquent chacun la présidence de la République après la démission de Blaise Compaoré, sous la pression populaire. En RDC, le président de l’Union pour la nation congolaise (UNC), Vital Kamerhe, estime que le continent doit tirer des leçons de ce qui se passe au Burkina Faso.

Could #Lwili reach Kinshasa? Lessons from the streets of Burkina Faso | 3 November 2014 | Congo Siasa
The momentous events in Burkina Faso last week have reverberated across Africa, and nowhere more so than in the streets and halls of power in the Congo. The #Lwili (the burkinabé hashtag used for the protests) playbook is attractive to many in the opposition and civil society: A president tries to overstay his welcome and his term-limits by changing the constitution; the people rise up and force him out of power; the army joins them to send the president into exile. This sequence of events was played out in Burkina Faso, but also in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011, and to a certain extent in Chile (1988) and the Philippines (1986).

DR Congo Debates to Amend or Not to Amend Constitution | 4 November 2014 | Voice of America
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s information minister said his country, as a democratic nation, is having an intellectual and political debate about whether to change the constitution or not. But Lambert Mende said unlike what happened in Burkina Faso where President Blaise Campaore asked the parliament to amend the constitution so he could extend his 27 year-rule, there is no institutional initiative in the DRC to change the constitution.

Interview with Gilles Yabi on protests in Burkina and lessons for other countries | 5 November 2014 | Congo Siasa
The following is an edited transcript and a translation of an interview with Dr Gilles Yabi. Political analyst and economist, Dr Yabi spent seven years as senior political analyst and then project director for the West Africa Project of the International Crisis Group. Holding a Ph.D in economics from the university of Clermont-Ferrand in France, Gilles also worked as a journalist for the weekly magazine Jeune Afrique. After leaving Crisis Group in November 2013, Gilles is now independent consultant in the fields of conflict analysis, security and political governance in West Africa. He also publishes articles and editorials on his blog: Le Blog de Gilles Yabi (http://gillesyabi.blogspot.com)

Day of Pan-African Youth

RDC : Martin Kobler appelle à une jeunesse autonome, responsable et solidaire | 1 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le chef de la Monusco,Martin Kobler, appelle les jeunes  de la RDC à être autonomes, responsables et solidaires. Dans un communiqué de la Mission onusienne publiée samedi 1er novembre, à l’occasion de la 3e journée panafricaine de la jeunesse, il invite les jeunes congolais et congolaises à se mobiliser pour relever les défis auxquels fait face le pays.

100 missing following heavy rains in Kalehe

RDC: une journée de deuil national réclamée pour les victimes de Kalehe | 1 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Pluies de Kalehe: le bilan s’alourdit | 2 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les notables de Kalehe (Sud-Kivu) appellent le gouvernement à décréter une journée de deuil national en mémoire des victimes des pluies qui se sont abattues, il y a une semaine, dans ce territoire. Environ 100 personnes sont portées disparues et plus de 700 maisons ont été détruites dans cette partie du Sud-Kivu, selon le gouverneur Marcellin Chisambo.

Uganda

National Resistance Movement leadership struggle

Mbabazi on the ropes | 2 November 2014 | Africa Confidential
President Yoweri Museveni aims to limit possible leadership challenges from within the governing National Resistance Movement through wide-ranging changes to the party’s constitution. Currently, the main objective is to unseat Amama Mbabazi – the former Prime Minister sacked by Museveni on 18 September – from his position as NRM Secretary General and so quash his hopes of standing for President for the party. And, during the weekend of 18-19 October, Museveni scored a decisive victory over his erstwhile ally.

Who will succeed Mbabazi as NRM secretary general? | 31 October 2014 | Africa Intellegence
While the deposed Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, has not yet been definitively removed as secretary general of the ruling National (…)

IPIS Recent Publications

Boundary spanning: moving towards strategic stakeholder engagement | 3 February 2014 | IPIS
By Anna Bulzomi
To address complex human rights impacts, companies need to move away from responding to crises and work with communities towards creating shared value.

IPIS Insights: The 2nd Annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, Geneva 2013 | January 2014 | IPIS
From the 2 – 4 December 2013, IPIS attended the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. The Forum was established by the Human Rights Council and is under the guidance of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. IPIS’ researchers Gabriella Wass and Anna Bulzomi offer some insights into topics at the Forum that struck them as particularly interesting.

Practice What You Preach: Theory and Practice of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan in Chad | 9 January 2014 | IPIS
The past decade has seen a staggering increase in Chinese investment flows in Africa, leaping from USD 392 million in 2005 to USD 2520 million in 2012. Chinese Government officials often describe the burgeoning Sino-African ties as ‘win-win partnerships’, emphasizing how their ‘non-interference’ policy truly allows African countries to choose their own development path.
Against this background, doubts may arise with regard to the environmental and social standards applied by Chinese companies conducting business overseas, especially in post-conflict states with poor human rights records and inadequate governance structures. The case discussed in this paper concerns the operations of the Chadian branch of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Business, Human Rights, and Uganda’s Oil – Part II: Protect and Remedy: Implementing State duties under the UN Framework on Business and Human Rights | December 2013 | IPIS
The following is the second in a series of four reports exploring business and human rights issues in Uganda’s oil sector. This series is a collaboration between IPIS vsw and ActionAid Uganda.
In accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, this second report assesses the duty of the Ugandan, British, French and Chinese States to prevent, investigate, punish and redress human rights abuse by businesses.

In search of clean water: human rights and the mining industry in Katanga, DRC | 27 November 2013 | IPIS
Today, around 1,8 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the most water-rich country in Africa, 51 million people lack access to potable water; only 26% of the population has access to safe drinking water. This is one of the lowest access rates in the world.
In the Katanga province, rich in cobalt and copper, some industrial mining companies operate provoking significant pollution of water sources, seriously affecting the local population. Although there is a lack of comprehensive data available, several studies conducted by local civil society show environmental, health and socio-economic negative effects.

IPIS Insights: Kimberley Process: observations from the sidelines. Part I | 21 November 2013 | IPIS
Ten years after the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) this paper is the first in a two part series providing an overview of where the Kimberley Process and international efforts to combat the trade in conflict diamonds currently stand. It will analyse some of the present challenges facing the system and some of the potential solutions on the table.

Travail des enfants dans le site minier d’exploitation artisanale de Bisie en territoire de Walikale. Une crise oubliée en République Démocratique du Congo | 19 November 2013 | Prince Kihangi Kyamwami
Plus de deux décennies après l’entrée en vigueur de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant (1989) en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), la situation des enfants dans le territoire de Walikale demeure critique.

Ambushed in Bangkok? The U.N. Panel on North Korea and the case of the IL-76 “4L-AWA” | 14 November 2013 | IPIS/TA
This new IPIS/TA report explains why the conclusion of the latest United Nations report on North Korea sanctions, about an arms flight grounded in Thailand, is not supported by facts, but based on a misalliance of wrong and misleading information, gleaned both about the cargo aircraft, its flight and the entities involved, together with erroneous interpretations of standard aviation practices made by the UN Panel of experts on North Korea.

Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in Eastern DR Congo | 12 November 2013 | IPIS
In August 2009 the ‘International Peace Information Service’ (IPIS) published a first map of militarised mining areas in Eastern DR Congo. By 2012, the international interest in the issue had grown but the map was out-dated. To find a structural solution, IPIS sat down with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI) and agreed to set up a permanent system to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups in the mineral exploitation and trade. A first version of the resulting map has been published at https://ipisresearch.be//mapping/webmapping. It shows the location of nearly 800 mining sites and 85 trading centres, including information about armed groups presence and involvement, and the scale of the mining activity. The map includes at least 410 cases of illegal taxation by armed groups or the Congolese army.

‘Conflict Minerals’ initiatives in DR Congo: Perceptions of local mining communities | 12 November 2013 | IPIS
The exploitation of minerals is an important source of income for many communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Yet this mineral wealth also plays a significant role in the continuation of insecurity in parts of the country.
Over recent years, several domestic, regional and international initiatives have been developed to address the so-called ‘conflict minerals’ problem and the high level of informality in the DRC’s artisanal mining sector. These initiatives have provoked varying reactions regarding their impact on local livelihoods.
This report aims to provide insight into the impact of initiatives on the livelihood strategies of local communities in the DRC, based on field research in a wide range of mining areas; and document the perceptions of local stakeholders of these initiatives and their impacts.

IPIS Insights: Why businesses should assess human rights impacts from the outset of projects. SOCO International Oil Company in Virunga National Park, DRC | 26 August 2013 | International Peace Information Service (IPIS)
SOCO International, a British oil company, is prospecting for oil in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park – a World Heritage Site. For the past year, their presence has been criticised for putting a fragile environment at risk. However, more recently, their impact on human rights has also been questioned. In this Insights IPIS looks at why it is so vital for companies to employ rights-respectful processes, such as those advised in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, from the very beginning of the prospection stage.

Strijd tegen conflictmineralen: sleutel tot conflictresolutie in Oost-Congo? | 25 July  2013 | IPIS (Internationale Spectator)
De PDF van dit artikel is met toestemming van de redactie overgenomen uit de ‘Internationale Spectator, Clingendael Magazine voor Internationale Betrekkingen’, uitgegeven door de Koninklijke Van Gorcum, te Assen namens het Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen ‘Clingendael’ te Den Haag.

Business, Human Rights, and Uganda’s Oil. Part I: Uganda’s oil sector and potential threats to human rights | 25 July 2013 | International Peace Information Service (IPIS) – ActionAid International Uganda
The following report is the first of a series of four collaborations between IPIS Research and ActionAid International Uganda. The series sheds a light on the oil sector in Uganda, its possible impact on human rights, and how government, companies, and civil society can best enable a positive bond between oil and the welfare of the Ugandan people.

The formalisation of artisanal mining in the DRC and Rwanda | December 2012 [April 2013] | IPIS
This report describes and evaluates initiatives to formalise the artisanal mining sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, in order to locate lessons learned. We hope that these perspectives will support the formation of well-informed policy and regulatory options – both by the EU and by harvesting countries – concerning the formalisation of timber production in tropical countries.
The report was commissioned by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), which is dedicated to advancing human well-being, environmental conservation and equity through providing information that leads to better informed and equitable decision making about the use and management of forests in tropical countries.

Gold and diamonds in the Central African Republic. The country’s mining sector, and related social, economic and environmental issues | 26 March 2013 | IPIS
Gold and diamonds in Central Africa easily conjure up images of conflict, rebel funding, human rights violations, and smuggling. As a country landlocked within an unstable region, neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and recently the scene of another coup, the Central African Republic (CAR) might be considered an appropriate candidate for analysis within the conflict-mineral perspective. Yet this framework would ignore the country’s mining sector’s very specific characteristics. The sector offers an essential livelihood to many households, represents the country’s second most important export product, and is organised in a particular way. Nonetheless, a wide range of issues regarding the country’s mining sector persist.
This report aims to analyse both the Central African Republic’s gold and diamond mining sector and related environmental and socio-economic issues.

Pinocchio Ltd. The NRA and its corporate partners: US shipments of small arms ammunition by sea | 25 March 2013 | TA-R | IPIS
The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims to have monitored in the last 20 years all United Nations activities that could impact Second Amendment rights. Its latest target is the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an international treaty to establish common international standards for the import, export, and transfer of conventional arms presently under discussion at the United Nations. The international community has been calling for the inclusion of ammunition and civilian arms within the scope of the ATT. This reasonable call is used by the NRA to claim that the ATT could restrict the lawful ownership of firearms in the United States.

To see the sources of IPIS’ briefings, please click here.