HEADLINES

DR Congo: M23 defeated, FDLR and many more armed groups to go

Central African Republic: violence continues, UN officials see risk of genocide

Swiss company accused of refining gold pillaged by Ituri armed group in 2004-2005

IPIS’ Latest Publications

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.

Arms Trade and Security in the Great Lakes Region

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

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
LRA Regional Update: Central African Republic, DR Congo and South Sudan (July – September 2013) | 29 October 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
The trends in LRA incidents continue to indicate a downward trend from Q2 of 2013. A comparison for the period January to September of 2012 and 2013, however, indicates that whereas the number of LRA attacks decreased in 2013, related number of deaths and abductions were still higher.

Kony keeps up the terror | 1 November 2013 | Africa Confidential
After 25 years of mass murder, the Lord’s Resistance Army continues with impunity as African and Western efforts fail to capture its top commanders
More than 440,000 people are currently displaced due to attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army across Central and East Africa. This is despite increased United States and African military operations against the LRA over the last two years. Although its fighting force is reckoned at no more than 500, the LRA still has a formidable capacity to attack and displace civilians across the region.

Joseph Kony cannot be swept under the carpet, warns DRC priest turned activist | 6 November 2013 | The Guardian
Abbé Benoît Kinalegu, in London to receive a humanitarian award, on his efforts to defuse DRC’s teenage ‘time bomb’.

Joseph Kony – the adventure show | 6 November 2013 | The Guardian
Crowd-sourcing campaign to raise money for hunt for Ugandan warlord represents new low in activism-as-entertainment.

Small arms and light weapons
Parts for Small Arms and Light Weapons | 31 October 2013 | Small Arms Survey
Numerous parts make up each small arm or light weapon, and the value of their global trade is worth at least USD 1.4 billion annually. These parts range from generic elements—like nuts, screws, and bolts that are also used in dozens of other products—to highly specialized, technologically sophisticated components, like sensors, designed specifically for a particular model.
‘Parts for Small Arms and Light Weapons’, a new Research Note by the Small Arms Survey, provides a brief overview of parts for small arms and light weapons, as well as the international trade in these parts.

African rapid intervention force
La Force africaine d’intervention rapide opérationnelle avant la fin 2013 ? | 6 November 2013 | RFI
Une Force africaine d’intervention rapide pour régler les conflits sur le continent pourrait voir le jour d’ici la fin de l’année 2013. Une déclaration faite par le président sud-africain Jacob Zuma lors d’une réunion de chefs d’Etat à Pretoria, le 5 novembre. Les représentants de onze pays étaient réunis en Afrique du Sud pour discuter des avancées de cette force dont la création avait été annoncée en mai dernier.

DRC

M23 defeated
Nord-Kivu: les FARDC préparent une attaque contre les dernières positions du M23 | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Des responsables de l’armée congolaise indiquent que les FARDC vont bientôt lancer un assaut contre le dernier verrou du M23. Après avoir été délogé de Bunagana, mercredi 30 octobre, ces rebelles se sont retranchés sur les collines de Mbuzi, Chanzu et Runyonyi dans les groupements Jomba et Kisigari.

Congo army hunts rebels deep into mountain bases | 31 October 2013 | Reuters
Congo’s army said on Thursday it was hunting rebels deep in the forests and mountains along the border with Rwanda and Uganda, the insurgents’ last hideouts after they were driven from towns they seized during a 20-month rebellion.

RDC: les victoires de l’armée sur le M23 en 5 jours | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le mercredi 30 octobre, l’armée congolaise a pris le contrôle de Bunagana au Nord-Kivu. Cette cité située à la frontière avec l’Ouganda était la dernière grande position occupée par les rebelles du M23 depuis plus d’une année..

Nord-Kivu: l’armée attaque les collines où se sont retranchés les rebelles | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
RDC: l’armée congolaise poursuit son offensive contre les derniers bastions du M23 | 31 October 2013 | RFI
Les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) ont attaqué ce jeudi 31 octobre dans l’après-midi les collines de Mbuzi, Chanzu et Runyonyi où se sont retranchés les rebelles du M23.

RDC: jour de la libération de Bunagana, ex-capitale et poumon économique du M23 | 31 October 2013 | RFI
Ce matin, deux localités Tshanzu et Runyoni, enfouies dans les collines près du Rwanda sont encore aux mains du M23. Mais, la journée du mercredi 30 octobre restera marquée par la reprise de Bunagana, ville frontalière avec l’Ouganda, véritable capitale politique et dernier bastion du M23.

Congo rebels retreat, but unclear if rebellion near end: U.S. envoy | 31 October 2013 | Reuters
Recent military advances by U.N.-backed Congolese troops in crushing a 20-month rebellion in the east are a major step, but it is too soon to say if the M23 rebels are on the brink of defeat, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

Kabila et Zuma appellent à « amener les parties aux pourparlers à conclure, dans un bref délai, un accord » à Kampala | 31 October 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica

Uganda Protests Congo Aggression | 31 October 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
Government has protested the bombing of Ugandan territory by the DR Congo army helicopter on Wednesday, in pursuit of M23 rebels.

RDC: Washington appelle à un mécanisme de paix “semi-permanent” | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
L’émissaire des Etats-Unis pour la région de Grands Lacs, Russ Feingold a dit s’attendre à ce que les pourparlers en cours à Kampala conduisent dans les prochains jours à un accord dans lequel la rébellion du M23 serait dissoute.

RDC: l’Union européenne réclame le «démantèlement définitif » du M23 | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

La RDC va poursuivre les pourparlers de Kampala avec le M23 malgré la victoire des FARDC | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
«Ce n’est pas par une simple défaite militaire que nous aurons résolu ce problème de la bonne disposition de certains Congolais à se mettre au service d’agendas étrangers pour déstabiliser leurs propres pays», a déclaré vendredi 1er novembre le porte-parole du gouvernement congolais, Lambert Mende Omalanga.

DR Congo army urges rebels to yield ahead of final assault | 1 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RDC: les FARDC donnent une dernière chance au M23 de se rendre | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Democratic Republic of Congo army on Friday urged rebel fighters who fled to the hills after being ousted from their last stronghold, to surrender and avoid a final offensive. Some 200 die-hard fighters were holed up in the mountains, at an altitude of about 2,000 metres, near the eastern town of Bunagana, their final base captured by troops on Wednesday, said government spokesman Lambert Mende.

RDC: l’armée encercle les dernières collines aux mains du M23 | 2 November 2013 | RFI
L’armée congolaise se préparait, vendredi 1er novembre, à mener de nouvelles opérations contre les positions rebelles dans la région de Bunagana, à environ 80 km au nord de Goma, près de l’Ouganda.

RDC: l’armée pilonne les positions du M23 à Tchanzu et Mbuzi | 2 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) ont poursuivi, ce samedi 2 novembre matin, le pilonnage des collines de Tchanzu et Mbuzi à la frontière ougandaise, où sont retranchés les derniers rebelles de M23.

Négociations avec le M23: Raymond Tshibanda retourne à Kampala | 2 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), Raymond Tshibanda, est retourné samedi 2 novembre à Kampala, où Kinshasa et les rebelles du M23 dialoguent tant bien que mal depuis décembre, a-t-on appris de source aéroportuaire à Kinshasa.

Les chefs du M23 réfugiés en Ouganda – Asile politique refusé | 2 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Le gouvernement ougandais refuse d’accorder l’asile politique aux chefs du M23, dont son président Bertrand Bisimwa, qui se sont réfugiés à Kampala après la prise de leur dernière base forte de Bunagana par les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC), mercredi 30 octobre 2013.

Alors qu’un accord est attendu à Kampala, l’armée toujours en guerre contre le M23 | 3 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Des tirs à l’arme lourde sont entendus depuis 10h ce dimanche 3 novembre à partir de Rutshuru-centre, à 40 Km de Bunagana, poste frontalier du Nord-Kivu, à la frontière congolaise avec l’Ouganda.

RDC: le M23 ordonne à ses hommes de cesser immédiatement les hostilités | 3 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
RDC: le chef du M23 appelle ses troupes à l’arrêt des hostilités avec l’armée régulière | 3 November 2013 | RFI
Le président du Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23), Bertrand Bisimwa, a ordonné dimanche 3 novembre à toutes les forces de son mouvement rebelle «la cessation immédiate des hostilités» avec l’armée congolaise, indique un communiqué signé de son nom, selon l’AFP.

Congo Government: M23 Ceasefire Offer Not Enough | 3 November 2013 | Voice of America
DRC Wants Rebellion’s End, Not Cease-Fire | 4 November 2013 | Voice of America
RDC : le gouvernement salue la décision du M23 de mettre fin aux combats | 3 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said the unilateral ceasefire announced Sunday by the rebel group M23 does not go far enough. M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa has called on his fighters to lay down their arms and give the peace process, which stalled recently in Kampala, a chance.

Congo’s M23 rebels declare ceasefire but shelling continues | 3 November 2013 | Reuters
Nord-Kivu : des tirs à l’arme lourde entendus vers Rutshuru et Bunagana | 3 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Congo’s M23 rebels declared a ceasefire on Sunday after a string of defeats by government forces, but clashes with the Congolese army continued in the steep, forested hills to where the rebels have withdrawn.

Congo’s army says M23 rebels shelling border town | 4 November 2013 | Reuters
RDC : le M23 pilonne Bunagana malgré son cessez-le-feu | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
RDC : au moins quatre personnes tuées par un obus tombé à Bunagana | 4 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Kinshasa déplore les tirs d’obus du M23 contre les populations civiles | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Congo’s army accused rebels of shelling a border town on Monday and said it showed the M23 group’s declaration of a ceasefire over the weekend was worthless.

Congo army, rebels clash near border despite peace calls | 4 November 2013 | Reuters
DR Congo pounds rebels despite truce call | 4 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
DR Congo hit by fresh fighting as army presses M23 | 4 November 2013 | BBC Africa
RDC: reprise des hostilités entre l’armée et le M23 après un court cessez-le-feu | 4 November 2013 | RFI
Congolese troops and M23 rebels bombarded each other near the Ugandan border on Monday and international envoys called on both sides to cease fire and allow a peace deal to take hold.

DR Congo army seizes key position from besieged rebels | 4 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RDC : l’armée reprend au M23 la colline de Mbuzi | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Democratic Republic of Congo troops on Monday drove M23 rebels from key hilltop positions in the east of the country, pushing on with their assault despite calls for a truce.

Kampala : le M23 prêt à signer un accord de paix avec Kinshasa « sans condition » | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Dans un communiqué ce lundi 4 novembre, la rébellion du M23 annonce qu’elle est prête à signer l’accord de paix avec le gouvernement congolais proposé par la médiation ougandaise le dimanche 3 novembre à Kampala.

African Leaders to Meet Over DRC Security Situation | 3 November 2013 | Voice of America
Pretoria: des dirigeants de la SADC et de la CIRGL discutent de la paix en RDC | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Joseph Kabila à Pretoria pour discuter de la question du M23 | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Heads of state and governments in both the Southern African and the Great Lakes regions plan to meet in the South African capital, Pretoria, Monday, to review the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

African leaders tell Congo insurgents to ‘renounce rebellion’ | 5 November 2013 | Reuters
Joint Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference On the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) | 5 November 2013 | South African Government | allAfrica
African leaders told Congo’s M23 rebels on Tuesday they must publicly declare an end to their 20-month insurgency to allow the signing of a peace agreement with President Joseph Kabila’s government.

UN brigade in direct combat as DR Congo army pounds rebels | 5 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
The UN special force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo engaged in direct combat with besieged M23 rebels, throwing its weight behind a crushing army assault despite calls for a truce. A UN source said the intervention brigade fired mortar rounds after getting the “green light” to bombard the last positions of the M23, in what appeared to be the first time the force has actively taken part in the fighting.

RDC: l’armée a conquis les tout derniers bastions du M23 | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le M23 défait militairement à Chanzu et Runyonyi, Sultani Makenga s’enfuit au Rwanda | 5 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Les collines de Runyonyi et Chanzu, les tout derniers bastions des rebelles du M23 sont complètement passés sous le contrôle des Forces armées de la RDC mardi 5 novembre tôt le matin, après une opération musclée de l’armée loyaliste menée toute la nuit.

DR Congo claims defeat of M23 rebels | 5 November 2013 | BBC Africa
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed victory over M23 rebels in the east of the country.

Congo’s M23 rebels call off revolt | 5 November 2013 | The Guardian
DR Congo rebels agree to disarm | 5 November 2013 | Al Jazeera
RDC : le M23 veut exister politiquement après avoir été vaincu militairement | 6 November 2013 | RFI
M23 says it will disarm and pursue political solution with Joseph Kabila’s government after being driven out of last strongholds.

UN Mission Head ‘Encouraged’ By DRC Peace Efforts | 5 November 2013 | Voice of America
The top official of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) says he is encouraged by the decision of M23 rebels to stop their rebellion to allow for peace talks between warring parties in restive North Kivu province.

RDC: à Chanzu, les FARDC célèbrent leur victoire contre le M23 | 6 November 2013 | RFI
Chanzu, la dernière place forte du M23, a été reprise ce mardi 5 novembre. Une victoire obtenue de haute lutte après 12 jours d’offensive et de combats intenses. Plus de 3 600 soldats étaient engagés dans la bataille face à quelques centaines de rebelles. Reportage.

Près de 200 rebelles du M23 se seraient réfugiés au Rwanda et en Ouganda | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Près de deux cents combattants du M23 délogés des collines de Runyonyi et Chanzu dans l’est de la RDC, mardi 5 novembre, ont trouvé refuge au Rwanda et en Ouganda, indiquent des sources concordantes dans la région.

M23 Rebels in DRC Surrender Weapons | 6 November 2013 | Voice of America
RDC : le M23 commence à désarmer | 6 November 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo began surrendering its weapons Wednesday, a day after the group said it was giving up its fight.

Fears of revenge attacks on alleged M23 collaborators in eastern DRC | 6 November 2013 | IRIN
Authorities and aid groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are calling on residents to live in harmony amid reported threats against alleged collaborators of the defeated M23 rebel group.

Kampala : pas d’accord entre Kinshasa et le M23 mais une déclaration, selon Mende | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Lambert Mende – « Une certaine harmonisation de vues est intervenue sur 11 clauses de la Déclaration de Kampala » | 5 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
RDC : accord de paix avec le M23 ou simple déclaration à Kampala ? | 7 November 2013 | RFI
Aucun accord ne sera signé entre le gouvernement congolais et la rébellion du M23 à Kampala (Ouganda) mais plutôt une déclaration devant conclure les pourparlers, a prévenu Lambert Mende, porte-parole du gouvernement.

Briefing On the Kampala Talks and the Situation in the Great Lakes Region | 6 November 2013 | U.S. Department of State
Russell D. Feingold, Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Nord-Kivu: plus de 300 tonnes de munitions du M23 découvertes à Chanzu | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le gouverneur du Nord-Kivu, Julien Paluku, a annoncé ce mercredi 6 novembre à Goma que les militaires congolais ont découvert sur la colline de Chanzu des caches d’armes contenant plus de 300 tonnes de munitions et d’armes lourdes.

FDLR next target?
RDC : les FDLR, prochain objectif des FARDC ? | 5 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Après avoir mis en déroute le Mouvement du 23-Mars, l’armée congolaise devrait s’attaquer aux rebelles hutus rwandais des FDLR.

Congo’s FDLR rebels now in peacekeepers’ sights: U.N. Security Council | 6 November 2013 | Reuters
After the success of the Congolese army and U.N. peacekeepers in defeating M23 rebels, the U.N. Security Council agreed on Wednesday that attention should now turn to tackling other armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, envoys said.

Rwandan Envoy Urges DRC, UN to Tackle FDLR Rebels | 6 November 2013 | Voice of America
United Nations — As the Congolese rebel group M23 began surrendering its weapons Wednesday, neighboring Rwanda called for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to turn its attention to tackling another rebel group.

After crushing M23, Kinshasa sets sights on Hutu rebels | 6 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
Jomba – Kinshasa vowed Wednesday to build on its defeat of the M23 rebels to hunt down other groups still roving the volatile east while the UN called for sealing the end of the insurgency with fresh talks. Further fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was already in the offing with the government pledging to eradicate Rwandan Hutu fighters, who include the remnants of the militia that carried out the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Après la défaite militaire du M23, la Monusco «va s’en prendre aux autres groupes armés» | 6 November 2013 | RFI

RDC: après la chute du M23, la route vers la paix au Nord-Kivu reste longue | 6 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb

UN to reinforce DR Congo borders after rebel defeat | 7 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RDC : accord de paix avec le M23 ou simple déclaration à Kampala ? | 7 November 2013 | RFI
United Nations – UN troops will help reinforce Democratic Republic of Congo’s borders to stop rebels and arms crossing into Rwanda after the defeat of M23 mutineers, a UN envoy said Wednesday. France, the United States and other leading UN Security Council members widely welcomed the rout of M23 at talks on the conflict-stricken country. But Rwanda, a temporary Security Council member closely implicated in the conflict across its border, called for a new focus on rebels which oppose its government. Martin Kobler, UN representative to DR Congo said the UN peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO, would strengthen border positions to stop ethnic Hutu rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) crossing into Rwanda.

Background, analysis, comments
Pincer Movements, Choppers and Teamwork: How the M23 was Pushed Back | 30 October 2013 | ThinkAfricaPress
Less than a year ago, the national army and UN mission watched on as the M23 moved across the region. This week, it is the rebels that have been swept aside. What changed?

As the M23 nears defeat, more questions than answers | 30 October 2013 | Congo Siasa
The new round of fighting between Congolese government forces and the M23 rebels is reaching a dramatic climax. With the Congolese army having swept through all of the major towns that the M23 held––Kibumba, Rumangabo, Rutshuru, Kiwanja, and since this afternoon Bunagana––the M23 may be nearing its end. This would be historic––it would be the first time the Congolese government had defeated a major rebellion, and it would be the first time since 1996 that an armed group allied to Rwanda is not present in the eastern Congo.

Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, following renewed fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo | 30 October 2013 | CPI-ICC
Est de la RDC: mise en garde de la CPI aux belligérants | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Following the renewal of fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), I would like to remind all those involved that I am monitoring developments on the ground with the utmost vigilance.

Thierry Vircoulon sur RFI : «Que reste-t-il à négocier avec le M23 en RDC?» | 1 November 2013 | RFI
Pour Thierry Vircoulon, directeur du projet Afrique centrale à l’International crisis group, même si le M23 a enregistré une défaite militaire, beaucoup de travail reste à faire dans le pays.

CNN Op-ed: Rwanda the key to Congo’s peace | 1 November 2013 | Enough Project
The escalation in recent days of eastern Congo’s brutal war demonstrates that unless its root causes are addressed in a broader peace process, violence could intensify and Rwanda could be drawn more directly into the fray, regionalizing the war.

Oxfam reaction to recent military offensive in in eastern DRC | 1 November 2013 | Oxfam International
International aid agency Oxfam warned that the recent military gains by the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s army (FARDC) against the M23 group does not mean an end to the bloody conflict. Many more armed groups are active in the region, putting tens of thousands of civilians at risk in the impoverished eastern province of the DRC.

Rebels on the ropes | 1 November 2013 | Africa Confidential
Barring a sudden intervention by Rwanda, little stands in the way of the defeat of M23 by a newly invigorated national army.

Fidel Bafilemba, chercheur pour l’organisation Enough Project en RDC | 2 November 2013 | RFI
Comment expliquer la déroute du M23 ? Quels sont les éléments qui ont fait pencher la balance en faveur de l’armée congolaise ? Les rebelles peuvent-ils se refaire une santé ? Fidel Bafilemba est chercheur sur le terrain pour l’organisation Enough Project. Il répond aux questions d’Anthony Lattier.

RDC: le M23 en 12 dates | 2 November 2013 | RFI
Rappel des étapes majeures de l’évolution de la rébellion du M23.

RDC : à Bunagana, des déserteurs du M23 ne regrettent pas leurs choix | 2 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
“J’ai fait l’AFDL, le RCD, le Pareco, le M23. Ça fait beaucoup quand même… La rébellion, c’est fini ! ” lance tout sourire Claude Nirenge Brutanga, égrenant les noms de mouvements nés dans l’Est de la République démocratique du Congo depuis une vingtaine d’années.

The Democratic Republic of Congo. Rebel retreat | 2 November 2013 | The Economist
Can the Congolese army build on a rare victory?

M23’s decline raises hopes of DR Congo peace | 4 November 2013 | BBC Africa
The imminent defeat of DR Congo’s M23 rebels is the result of shifting military and political dynamics that are presenting the most concrete prospects of peace in the vast, unstable central African nation for many years.

It may be too soon to celebrate the defeat of the M23 | 5 November 2013 | Institute for Security Studies
It has been a good few weeks for Congolese President Joseph Kabila, the Congolese army, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the recently deployed Force Intervention Brigade (FIB).

No more M23. The end of an era? And what’s next? | 5 November 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
End of an Era? What Next for the DR Congo now that the M23 has been Defeated? | 6 November 2013 | ThinkAfricaPress
By Christoph Vogel
Though the M23 has been defeated, underlying grievances remain, while the dozens more rebel groups in the region may prove harder to uproot.

Congo: Waiting for M24 or a real window of opportunity? – By Kris Berwouts | 5 November 2013 | African Arguments
Eastern Congo and North Kivu in particular, are currently going through an intense and decisive period. In less than a week, the Congolese army (FARDC) has re-conquered the towns until recently controlled by M23.

Rebels, Govt Close to Peace Deal | 5 November 2013 | allAfrica
Cape Town — If the M23 movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo publicly renounces its rebellion, Kinshasa will accept the announcement and a peace deal will be signed five days later, say southern and east African leaders.

RDC : Sultani Makenga ou la stratégie jusqu’au-boutiste du M23 | 5 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Face à la pression militaire de l’armée congolaise, elle-même appuyée par la brigade d’intervention onusienne, Sultani Makenga, le chef militaire du Mouvement du 23-Mars (M23), a décidé de se battre jusqu’à la fin.

Beaucoup reste à faire en RDC malgré le succès militaire sur le M23 | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le gouvernement congolais reconnaît que beaucoup d’efforts restent encore à faire pour consolider la paix malgré le succès de l’armée congolaise sur la rébellion du M23.

Dispatches: After the M23 – Congo’s Next Challenges | 5 November 2013 | Human Rights Watch
Point de vue : Après la défaite du M23, la RD Congo doit faire face à d’autres défis | 5 November 2013 | Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch plaide pour la traduction en justice des leaders du M23 coupables de violations des droits humains | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
By Ida Sawyer
The M23 admitted defeat today, bringing an apparent end to the Rwandan-backed armed group’s devastating attacks on civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo. That’s a big step forward, but the work to account for the crimes committed by all sides in this complicated conflict has only begun.

Reaction to the Announcement of the End of the M23 Rebellion in DRC | 5 November 2013 | Oxfam International | allAfrica
In response to today’s announcement of the end of the M23 rebellion by M23 Commander Bertrand Bisimwa, Oxfam’s DRC Humanitarian Coordinator Tariq Riebl said: “M23’s promise to end its rebellion signals an important milestone for DRC, but the demise of one group doesn’t spell the end of conflict in the country’s east. We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that there are many other armed groups still operating in this region.”

Déroute du M23 – La main invisible de Londres et Washington | 5 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
La facilité avec laquelle les Forces armées de la RDC ont défait les rebelles du M23 a suscité des interrogations dans certains milieux.

U.S. Ambassador Power On M23 Rebels in Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5 November 2013 | US Department of State | allAfrica
Statement by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Announcement by the M23 Rebels in the DRC, November 5, 2013.

UN Wins War in DRC but Loses Neutrality | 5 November 2013 | News of Rwanda | allAfrica
Opinion. A coalition of United Nations peacekeepers made up of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) and the Intervention Brigade Force (FIB), the DR Congo Army (FARDC) and the genocidal FDLR from Rwanda has defeated the M23 rebels in DR Congo.

How M23 rebels lost ground to DRC army | 6 November 2013 | Daily Monitor (Kampala)
On December 18, last year, the M23 military leader, Brig Gen Sultan Emanuel Makenga, vowed to fight the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) soldiers dispatched in war torn eastern DR Congo as ‘Intervention Brigade’ working under the umbrella of UN peacekeepers known as Monusco.

U.S. may consider easing sanctions on Rwanda: envoy | 6 November 2013 | Reuters
The United States would consider resuming military aid to Rwanda if it found Rwandan support for the M23 Congolese rebel group believed to use child soldiers had ended, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

RDC : Un nouveau scénario s’écrit au Kivu | 6 November 2013 | Afrikarabia
Thierry Vircoulon, d’International Crisis Group (ICG), analyse les nouveaux changements intervenus dans la région au terme de 18 mois de conflit.

Why peace promise won’t end Congo’s troubles | 6 November 2013 | CNN
Recent military gains against the M23 militia in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo are an encouraging development, a respite from the impasses faced by Congo.

The M23 Rebellion is Over | 6 November 2013 | Enough Project
The M23 rebel group announced on November 5 that it will disarm and “pursue by purely political means the search for solutions” to the root causes of the conflict. This announcement comes as a victory for the 18-month effort to defeat the M23, led by the Congolese army and the U.N. Intervention Brigade, and supported by a vast network of Congolese and international civil society groups and activists.

RDC: la réforme de l’armée congolaise, la clef du succès | 7 November 2013 | RFI
Il y a un an l’armée congolaise avait été humiliée après la prise de Goma en novembre 2012 par quelques centaines de rebelles. Un an plus tard c’est un tout autre visage qu’a révélé l’armée congolaise, celui d’une armée qui emporte la bataille et ce en grande partie car elle est mieux organisée.

Armed groups (and the national army) in eastern DRC
The national army and armed groups in the eastern Congo: Untangling the Gordian knot of insecurity | 5 November 2013 | Rift Valley Institute
The final report of the Usalama Project presents the conclusions of 18-month field research on the national army and armed groups in the eastern DRC in three parts: an analysis of armed mobilization, focusing on the region of North and South Kivu; an examination of the FARDC; and a critical review of past and current efforts in the field of demobilization and army reform.

Rebels in suits: tackling civilian support networks of armed groups in the eastern DR Congo | 31 October 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #8. By Judith Verweijen
When thinking of armed groups in the eastern DR Congo, the image that likely comes into the minds of many is that of soldiers in army fatigues brandishing AK-47s against the backdrop of the wilderness of the bush or green hilltops. Probably few would think of ministers and businesspersons in Kinshasa, Goma or Bukavu, or the persons that figure on the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission as candidates of the 2011 elections.

Briefing: Armed groups in eastern DRC | 31 October 2013 | IRIN
Briefing: Les groupes armés dans l’est de la RDC | 5 November 2013 | IRIN
The apparent imminent demise of the 18-month-old M23 rebellion is unlikely, on its own, to deliver peace to the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where, in the absence of a significant presence of the state, at least 40 armed groups operate, and a chronic humanitarian crisis persists.

Key armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo | 5 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
While the M23 rebellion monopolised the headlines on conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for over a year, before announcing on Tuesday it was laying down its weapons, many other armed groups are active in the country. They fight in the North and South Kivu provinces, as well as further to the north and south, against the government or against other armed groups, in a series of often shifting alliances, and prey on the civilian population.

Masisi, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu: la société civile demande le déploiement des FARDC à Katoyi | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le président de la société civile du secteur Katoyi, Djon Banyene, a demandé, mardi 5 novembre, au Gouvernement de déployer les militaires congolais dans quatre localités de ce secteur, situé à environ 80 km à l’ouest de Goma dans le Nord-Kivu.
Les populations locales ont fui depuis plus de deux semaines les localités de Nyamaboko, Ufamandu 1 et 2, et Kambunda, suite aux affrontements entre les miliciens Nyantura et ceux de l’Alliance du peuple pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS).

Beni-Lubero, North Kivu
Les habitants de Beni-Lubero encouragent les FARDC à « neutraliser les ADF/NALU, après le M23 » | 31 October 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
La société civile de Butembo appelle à la neutralisation de tous les groupes armés à Beni-Lubero | 5 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
« Satisfaits » des victoires successives des Forces armées de la RD Congo (FARDC) sur le M23 au Nord-Kivu, les habitants de Butembo ainsi que ceux des territoires de Beni et Lubero encouragent les militaires congolais à « neutraliser les rebelles ougandais ADF/NALU » basés dans les montagnes de Ruwenzori, semant terreur et désolation.

Ituri, Province Orientale
RDC: les FARDC tuent une dizaine de miliciens de la FRPI en Ituri | 2 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Une dizaine de miliciens de la Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI) ont trouvé la mort, dans la nuit du jeudi 31 octobre au vendredi 1er novembre, au cours des combats qui les ont opposés aux Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) à la plaine du lac Albert (Province Orientale).

Ituri : arrestation de 11 Ougandais accusés de monter une insurrection contre leur pays | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Onze Ougandais, dont un député national de la majorité au pouvoir et un militaire de l’armée ougandaise (UPDF), ont été arrêtés par la police à Mahagi, en Ituri (Province Orientale), puis transférés samedi 2 novembre à Bunia, chef-lieu de district. Ils sont accusés d’organiser un mouvement insurrectionnel contre leur président,Yoweri Museveni.

Province Orientale : les habitants d’Aru affluent en Ouganda et au Soudan du Sud | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Les populations des chefferies de Kakwa et de Kaliko dans le territoire d’Aru en Ituri (Province Orientale) fuient leurs villages pour se diriger vers l’Ouganda et le Soudan du Sud. La société civile de Kakwa qui a livré cette information, dimanche 3 novembre, a indiqué que ces personnes fuyaient des attaques répétées de leurs villages par un groupe d’hommes armés non autrement identifié.

Province Orientale: 20 000 déplacés de guerre de Lagabo refusent de regagner leurs villages | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Plus de vingt mille déplacés de guerre qui ont trouvé refuge dans le village de Lagabo, à 30 kilomètres de Bunia (Province Orientale) ne veulent pas retourner dans leurs villages.
Pendant ce temps, des sources locales affirment que de nouveaux affrontements ont été signalés lundi 4 novembre entre les FARDC et les miliciens de la FRPI dans le village de Batumbi, situé à environ 7 kilomètres au Sud-Ouest de Gety-Etat, chef-lieu de la collectivité des Walendu-Bindi.

Opala, Province Orientale
Province Orientale : les habitants d’Obenge errent dans la forêt faute de sécurité dans leurs villages | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Les habitants du groupement d’Obenge, en territoire d’Opala (Province Orientale) errent depuis de nombreux jours dans la forêt à cause de l’insécurité qui règne dans leurs villages, suite aux opérations menées par l’armée contre les braconniers dans le parc de la Lomami.

Katanga
Katanga: les autorités appelées à enquêter sur le massacre des pygmées à Lwela | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Des pygmées réclament une enquête sur le massacre de vingt membres de leur communauté tués par des présumés Bakata Katanga au mois de mai dans la localité de Lwela, à 200 km de Kalemie (Katanga). Ils dénoncent l’indifférence du gouvernement et de la communauté internationale face à cette tragédie.

RDC: les violences au Katanga provoquent la colère de la population | 2 November 2013 | RFI
En République démocratique du Congo, la tension est toujours vive à Lubumbashi, dans la province du Katanga, après l’attaque dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi d’un dépôt de munitions et de la résidence du chef de la police militaire.

Katanga : la société civile de Likasi accuse les militaires de tracasser les civils | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
La société civile de Likasi dénonce les tracasseries militaires dans cette ville située à 120 km de Lubumbashi.

Maniema
Maniema : les miliciens Maï-Maï Yakutumba occupent le village Lusangi | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Les miliciens Maï-Maï Yakutumba occupent depuis deux jours le village Lusangi, chef lieu du secteur BB Lulingi, à 120Km de Kabambare, dans le sud-est de la province du Maniema.

Essay series Amani Itakuya
Bembe – Banyamulenge à Fizi: à quand la paix ? | 29 October 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #7. By Godefroid Muzalia
Ce questionnement me taraude l’esprit dès le premier jour de mes recherches sur l’insécurité persistante à Fizi. Depuis, j’ai eu plusieurs échanges avec certains Banyamulenge et Babembe.

Changing our approach to peace-building in DRC, committing to unraveling the roots of SGBV and the conflict | 2 November 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #9. By Dominique Vidale-Plaza
Perhaps one of the largest stumbling blocks on the road to peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been the failure of peace actors to understand, acknowledge and incorporate in the peace-building process, the social dynamics that contribute to the multilayer, protracted conflict.

Time to Bridge the Gap | 4 November 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #10. By Carole Jean Gallo
I’m on a different mission than the team I traveled with. So today, while they venture to some village an hour or two outside the New-York-like buzz of Uvira’s main drag, I’m staying behind in the city centre to write.

Trauma, Reconciliation, and the Possibility of Peace in Eastern Congo | 6 November 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #11. By Rachel Niehuus
We were sitting at a coffee shop in Goma. We had been discussing Swahili colloquialisms that I was planning on using in my upcoming interviews.

Uganda

Rwandan refugee repatriated against his will
UNHCR Deeply Concerned About Hand-Over of Rwandan Refugee By Ugandan Authorities | 5 November 2013 | UNHCR | allAfrica
Ouganda: un ancien garde présidentiel rwandais rapatrié illégalement dans son pays | 1 November 2013 | RFI
UNHCR is deeply concerned about the situation of Joel Mutabazi, a Rwandan refugee who was arrested and handed over to the authorities of his country of origin against his will by Uganda Police authorities on Saturday 26 October 2013.

Uganda/Rwanda: Forcible Return Raises Grave Concerns | 4 November 2013 | Human Rights Watch
A Rwandan refugee who had served as a bodyguard for Rwandan President Paul Kagame was forcibly returned by Ugandan police to Rwanda after going missing on October 25, 2013.

Terror Suspect Mutabazi Handed Over to Rwanda | 1 November 2013 | The New Times | allAfrica
Rwandan fugitive and former RDF officer, Lt. Joel Mutabazi, is in Rwandan Police custody after being handed over earlier this week by the police in Uganda. Contrary to reports in Ugandan media that Mutabazi was abducted, Rwandan Police spokesperson Damas Gatare said in a statement yesterday that Mutabazi had been transferred to Rwanda as part of standing bilateral cooperation.

Ugandans arrested in DRC
Ituri : arrestation de 11 Ougandais accusés de monter une insurrection contre leur pays | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Onze Ougandais, dont un député national de la majorité au pouvoir et un militaire de l’armée ougandaise (UPDF), ont été arrêtés par la police à Mahagi, en Ituri (Province Orientale), puis transférés samedi 2 novembre à Bunia, chef-lieu de district. Ils sont accusés d’organiser un mouvement insurrectionnel contre leur président,Yoweri Museveni.

Rwanda

US may reconsider sanctions
U.S. may consider easing sanctions on Rwanda: envoy | 6 November 2013 | Reuters
The United States would consider resuming military aid to Rwanda if it found Rwandan support for the M23 Congolese rebel group believed to use child soldiers had ended, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

Burundi

UNDP project for former soldiers and refugees
Countries in crisis: a new approach to rebuilding the future | 4 November 2013 | The Guardian
A UNDP project, providing work placements for former soldiers and refugees in Burundi, is providing some interesting lessons for how to help rebuild communities after decades of conflict.

Central African Republic

RCA: une dizaine de morts dans des violences à Bouar | 28 October 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
Dans cette localité de l’ouest du pays, miliciens et ex-rebelles de la Séléka, coalition récemment dissoute, se sont affrontés le week-end écoulé.

UNSC Approves ‘Protection’ Force for Workers in CAR | 29 October 2013 | Voice of America
The United Nations Security Council has approved the dispatch of a 250-member force to the Central African Republic to protect U.N. workers in that increasingly chaotic nation.

OCHA Operations Chief “extremely concerned” about situation in Central African Republic; sees new hope in Democratic Republic of the Congo | 29 October 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
OCHA’s Director of Operations, John Ging, said today that he was extremely concerned about the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), which he described as “a tinderbox.”

Central African Republic: Violence of security forces now out of control | 29 October 2013 | Amnesty International
The security forces in the Central African Republic (CAR) are out of control and urgent action is needed by the national authorities and the international community to establish law and order, Amnesty International said in a report released today.

CAR Lawlessness Poses Regional Risks | 30 October 2013 | Voice of America
The chaos and the humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic have grown steadily worse since the March 24 rebel takeover. France and other world powers say that decisive international intervention is needed to restore order and prevent the crisis from destabilizing the region.

U.N. officials see risk of genocide in Central African Republic | 1 November 2013 | Reuters
RCA : l’ONU met en garde contre un risque de «génocide» | 2 November 2013 | RFI
UN warning over Central African Republic genocide risk | 4 November 2013 | BBC Africa
Central African Republic is at risk of spiraling into genocide as armed groups incite Christians and Muslims against each other in the virtually lawless country, senior U.N. officials told the Security Council on Friday.

Centrafrique : heurts entre civils et ex-Séléka à Bangui, plusieurs blessés graves | 1 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Violences à Bangui: les autorités centrafricaines cherchent à rassurer la population | 2 November 2013 | RFI
En Centrafrique, la capitale a été le théâtre de nouveaux heurts entre habitants et membres de l’ex-Seleka.

Le Groupe international de contact annoncé | 1 November 2013 | Africa Info (Douala) | allAfrica
Le Groupe international de contact (GIC) est attendu à Bangui, la capitale pour sa troisième réunion, a annoncé le 31 octobre la radio nationale qui informe que cette réunion sera consacrée à l’évaluation des efforts fournis par les autorités de la transition sur le terrain en vue d’un retour à l’ordre constitutionnel.

Restauration de l’autorité de l’Etat, une préoccupation du gouvernement | 1 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Une mission préfectorale de restauration de l’autorité de l’Etat a bouclé sa tournée jeudi dernier à Mongoumba, dans la Lobaye. L’objet est de déployer les forces de sécurité dans les brigades de gendarmerie.

Rights Groups Urge for Swift International Action to Protect Civilians in the Central African Republic | 1 November 2013 | Enough Project
In response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic, the Enough Project has signed on to a press statement calling attention to the crisis and urging swift international action.

Centrafrique : l’inconséquence française s’est avérée chaotique | 1 November 2013 | Afrik.com
Bangui et ses environs reviennent sous le feu des projecteurs, piètrement comme d’accoutumée, avec cette fois-ci un nouveau mélange d’incompétence et d’inconséquence, et ce dans la pire des laideurs françafricaines.

Exécutions sommaires à Bossembélé: les habitants désignent la Seleka | 2 November 2013 | RFI
Quatre exécutions sommaires ont eu lieu dans la ville de Bossembélé au nord-ouest de Bangui. Des milliers d’ habitants ont pris la fuite, terrorisés. Une preuve de la tension qui persiste entre d’anciens éléments de la Seleka et les anti-balaka, les milices paysannes d’autodéfense. Depuis le début du mois de septembre, ces affrontements ont fait plus de 200 morts.

Intenses préparatifs pour le déploiement de la MISCA | 4 November 2013 | Africa Info (Douala) | allAfrica
De sources diplomatiques, le Secrétaire général de la Communauté économique des Etats de l’Afrique centrale (CEEAC), l’ambassadeur Ahmad Allam-mi était en visite de travail le 2 novembre dernier à Bangui, la capitale.

BINUCA et PAM se réinstallent à Bouar | 4 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
RCA: à l’évêché de Bouar, une situation humanitaire déplorable | 4 November 2013 | RFI
Une mission conjointe des agences du système des Nations Unies est arrivée ce dimanche à Bouar dans la Nana Mambéré.

Central African Republic: Religious tinderbox | 4 November 2013 | BBC Africa
La Centrafrique au bord du gouffre | 4 November 2013 | BBC Afrique
Concern is growing that the Central African Republic is sliding into religious conflict following the overthrow of President Francois Bozize in a rebellion in March, as the BBC’s Laeila Adjovi and Abdourahmane Dia report.

Kouango et Ndjoukou sous le choc de la Séléka | 5 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
La population de Kouango dans la préfecture de la Ouaka, ainsi que celles des villages environnants, subissent encore les exactions commises par les éléments de l’ancienne coalition rebelle Séléka, au pouvoir en Centrafrique depuis le 24 mars 2013.

Rebels, Anti-Rebels and Refugees in the Central African Republic | 5 November 2013 | ThinkAfricaPress
As Séléka rebels clash with anti-balaka forces and the dire humanitarian situation worsens, international intervention may be the only solution.

Central African Republic (Q&A – Excerpt from the daily press briefing – November 5, 2013) | 5 November 2013 | France Diplomatie
The people of the Central African Republic would like France to send more soldiers. There have been yet more massacres. They feel that France has abandoned them. What can you tell us?

Centrafrique : fusillade mortelle entre ex-rebelles de la Séléka près de Bangui | 6 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Des heurts entre deux groupes de combattants issus de l’ancienne rébellion Séléka ont fait au moins un mort près de Bangui, dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi.

Bouar encore sous le choc ; probable retour des agences des nations unies | 6 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Près d’une centaine de maisons sont incendiées au village Vakap, située à 25 km de Bouar dans la Nana Mambéré Bohong. Les forces nouvelles (ex-Séléka) basées dans la ville sont pointées du doigt. L’acte s’est produit vendredi 1re novembre 2013 et fait suite à l’attaque de la ville de Bouar, le 26 octobre dernier par les éléments « anti Balaka ».

Refugee and IDP Reports

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

DRC

Nord-Kivu: retour progressif des déplacés à Bunagana | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi

Nord-Kivu: les activités reprennent à Rutshuru | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi

UNHCR monitors returns to North Kivu from Uganda, prepares to help returnees | 1 November 2013 | UNHCR | Reliefweb

Nord-Kivu: situation humanitaire préoccupante à Nyiragongo et Rutshuru, selon Ocha | 2 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

RDC : les habitants de Bunagana, l’ancien fief rebelle, hésitent encore à rentrer | 3 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb

RDC : l’avancée de l’armée ne change pas grand chose pour les réfugiés | 3 November 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique

Miserable wait for DR Congo’s repeat refugees | 3 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb

Province Orientale : les habitants d’Aru affluent en Ouganda et au Soudan du Sud | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Fresh fighting triggers new Congolese refugee inflow to Uganda | 4 November 2013 | UNHCR | Reliefweb
Thousands displaced by latest fighting in DR Congo – UN agency | 5 November 2013 | UN News Centre
RDC: fuyant les violences, 10.000 Congolais franchissent la frontière avec l’Ouganda | 5 November 2013 | UN News Centre
Some 10,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been forced to flee to Uganda after the latest wave of fighting between Congolese Government forces and the rebel group M23, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

Province Orientale: 20 000 déplacés de guerre de Lagabo refusent de regagner leurs villages | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Province Orientale : les habitants d’Obenge errent dans la forêt faute de sécurité dans leurs villages | 5 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Eastern Congo grapples with mental health catastrophe after years of war | 5 November 2013 | The Guardian
Study finds that after decades of brutality half of eastern DRC’s adults suffer post-traumatic disorder and a fifth thought of suicide.

Nord-Kivu: des Congolais réfugiés au Rwanda et en Ouganda hésitent de regagner leurs localités autour de Chanzu | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Ituri : 14 écoles occupées par des déplacés depuis la rentrée scolaire, selon une ONG | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Nord-Kivu : des Congolais réfugiés en Ouganda regagnent progressivement leurs domiciles | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi

Rebellion’s end in Democratic Republic of Congo comes too late for one family | 6 November 2013 | UNHCR

UNOCHA bulletins
RDC – Province du Katanga : Personnes déplacées internes (septembre 2013) | 5 November 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire, Province du Sud-Kivu, N° 45/13, 5 novembre 2013 | 5 November 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire, Province du Katanga No. 43/13, 06 novembre 2013 | 6 November 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Nord-Kivu No 37/13, 06 novembre 2013 | 6 November 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Uganda

Uganda: Population Movement DREF Operation no. MDRUG034 Update no. 1 | 6 November 2013 | IFRC | Reliefweb

Rebellion’s end in Democratic Republic of Congo comes too late for one family | 6 November 2013 | UNHCR

Les Représentants des Gouvernements Ougandais, Burundais et du HCR se réunissent à Bujumbura pour discuter du rapatriement volontaire des réfugiés burundais vivant en Ouganda | 6 November 2013 | UNHCR | Reliefweb

Burundi

Central African Republic

Refugee influx causes unease in Cameroon | 30 October 2013 | IRIN
Cameroon is grappling with the influx of over a hundred thousand refugees from neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) and Nigeria, whose presence is causing tensions with the local population.

Central African Republic: UN agency calls for more funding to ramp up food aid | 1 November 2013 | UN News Centre
Concerned by the rising food insecurity in the Central African Republic, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today said that it plans to boost its humanitarian efforts, while also calling for more financial support.

Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow to Visit Central African Republic | 1 November 2013 | UNICEF | allAfrica

BINUCA et PAM se réinstallent à Bouar | 4 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Une mission conjointe des agences du système des Nations Unies est arrivée ce dimanche à Bouar dans la Nana Mambéré.

RCA: à l’évêché de Bouar, une situation humanitaire déplorable | 4 November 2013 | RFI

Centrafrique: des kits médicaux d’urgence envoyés dans la zone de Bouar | 5 November 2013 | RFI

CAR Humanitarian Situation Continues to Deteriorate | 6 November 2013 | Voice of America
The International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, said it is continuing to assist families who fled renewed fighting in recent weeks in the main towns of the Central African Republic.

Justice and Tribunals

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

DRC

ICC Bemba trial
New Witness in Bemba Trial Testifies Entirely in Closed Session | 30 October 2013 | Bemba trial website | allAfrica

Prosecution Tenders Evidence On Bemba’s Satellite Phone | 31 October 2013 | Bemba trial website | allAfrica
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has asked judges to accept into evidence various items including three emails that she claims “clearly identify” the telephone number and email address of Jean-Pierre Bemba.

Clôture de l’audition des derniers témoins au procès de Jean-Pierre Bemba à la Cour pénale internationale (CPI) à La Haye | 31 October 2013 | Digitalcongo.net

Bemba’s 33rd Witness Continues His Testimony in Closed Session | 1 November 2013 | Bemba trial website | allAfrica

Former Ituri militia leader waiting for new trial
Ituri : l’ancien chef milicien Yves Kawa attend depuis 5 ans un nouveau procès | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Yves Kawa Panga Mandro, ancien chef milicien de l’Ituri, attend un nouveau procès à la cour militaire de Kisangani, en Province Orientale. Après 5 ans de détention à la prison centrale de Makala, à Kinshasa, Yves Kawa a été transféré à la prison de Kisangani il y a un mois.

Rwanda

Ingabire appeal case
Supreme Court Postpones Ingabire Verdict | 31 October 2013 | Rwanda Focus | allAfrica
The Supreme Court has postponed reading the verdict in the case against Victorie Ingabire Umuhoza, according to Itamwa Emmanuel, Supreme Court Spokesperson.

ICTR
ICTR Promises Help in Genocide Cases | 4 November 2013 | Rwanda Focus | allAfrica
The International Criminal tribunal for Rwanda (ITCR) has promised to help the National Prosecution Authority in the transferred genocide cases as the Arusha based court winds up its operations.

ICTR prosecutor general Hassan Bubacar Jallow told The Rwanda Focus that his office is committed to ensuring that cases transferred to Rwanda are managed successfully and that the remaining fugitives on the run will be tracked.

MICT
UN Court Says Closing in On Genocide ‘Big Fish’ | 5 November 2013 | The New Times | allAfrica
Top officials from the Mechanism of the International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) have said that the days of the three most wanted Genocide fugitives could be numbered because they have obtained information that could lead to their arrest.

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region

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

Women and natural resources
Women and Natural Resources: Unlocking the Peacebuilding Potential | 6 November 2013 | UNDP, UNEP, UN Peacebuilding Commission, UN Women | Reliefweb
Empowering women in natural resource management critical for lasting peace in war-torn countries, says UN report Geneva/New York/Nairobi, 6 November 2013 – Ensuring that women have better access to and control of natural resources such as land, water, forests and minerals can improve the chances of long-term peace and recovery in war-torn countries, according to a new report released by the United Nations today.

DRC

Swiss company accused of refining pillaged gold from Ituri
Des Suisses accusés d’avoir fondu de l’or pillé au Congo | 1 November 2013 | Rue89
En exclusivité française, Rue89 publie les preuves rassemblées par l’ONG Trial contre l’affineur de métaux Argor. La justice suisse a ouvert une enquête ce lundi.

Swiss refiner Argor accused of laundering DRC gold | 4 November 2013 | BBC Africa
RDC: une société suisse accusée d’avoir affiné de l’or pillé par un groupe armé | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Swiss firm alleged to have laundered pillaged DRC gold | 4 November 2013 | OSISA
Corporate pillage is a war crime | 4 November 2013 | OSISA
Swiss Gold Refiner Accused Of Abetting Congo War Via Money Laundering | 4 November 2013 | Forbes
RD Congo : le suisse Argor-Heraeus accusé d’avoir blanchi de l’or pillé | 5 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Switzerland/DRC – Swiss firm suspected of complicity in DRC war crimes | 5 November 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency
Une société suisse soupçonnée de complicité de crime de guerre en RDC | 5 November 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency
Swiss federal authorities have launched an investigation into Swiss company Argor-Heraeus for suspected complicity in war crimes, in connection with the laundering of three tons of gold pillaged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2004.

Argor-Heraeus Rejects Allegations on Congo Conflict Gold | 4 November 2013 | Bloomberg
Argor-Heraeus SA, a privately-owned Swiss gold refiner, rejected accusations by the Geneva-based non-governmental organization Trial that it illegally refined gold from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2004 to 2005.

Conflict minerals
The Conflict Minerals Agenda – Looking For Peace in the Wrong Place | 27 October 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #6. By Ben Radley
To be fair to some of the main advocacy organisations behind the campaign to ‘clean up’ the eastern DRC’s minerals – such as Global Witness and the Enough Project – they do not (when you take the time to read their publications) claim that this will be a panacea for the conflict. However, they do – by prioritising the subject above all others – promote it as the most pressing and urgent conflict-related issue requiring attention in the eastern DRC today.

La Commission européenne planche sur la loi qui régirait les minerais de conflit | 29 October 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
La Commission européenne (CE) va prochainement proposer une initiative législative sur l’approvisionnement responsable des minerais provenant des zones en conflit et à haut risque.

Could Industrial Mining Bring Jobs, Peace to Eastern Congo? | 30 October 2013 | Voice of America
Mining experts say warring parties in eastern Congo are missing the big picture. They say armed groups are fighting over surface-level mines and blocking access to billions of dollars in mineral deposits deeper underground. Could unlocking that potential be the key to sustainable peace?

Legislators Stand Up for Conflict-Free Minerals on the Hill | 4 November 2013 | Enough Project
Last week, a number of current and former members of Congress joined the fight over the provision of the Dodd-Frank Act which requires corporations to become more transparent and clean up their supply chains.

China slowdown
China Slowdown May Hurt Resource-Rich Angola, Congo: IMF | 31 October 2013 | Bloomberg
Angola, South Africa, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo are most at risk in Africa from a slowdown in China’s economy, the International Monetary Fund said.

Phosphate
La RDC se tourne vers l’Afrique du Sud pour matérialiser son projet d’exploitation des gisements de phosphate du Bas-Congo | 31 October 2013 | Le Potentiel/ACP | Digitalcongo.net
Dans le lot des accords de partenariat conclus mardi entre la RDC et l’Afrique du Sud figure, outre le projet à exécuter de financement de la construction du grand barrage d’Inga, celui de l’exploitation des gisements de phosphate du Bas-Congo pour la production des engrais chimiques.

Child labour in mines
Plus de 12 000 enfants recensés dans les sites miniers du Kasaï-Occidental | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Plus de 12 000 enfants ont été recensés depuis le mois de janvier dernier dans les sites miniers de Tshikapa, Ndemba, Luiza, Lwebo, Dimbelenge et Kazumba (Kasaï-Occidental).

Hydropower – Inga
Did the almost-mythical Grand Inga project come any closer to realisation this week? | 31 October 2013 | Institute for Security Studies
The Grand Inga hydroelectric project on the Congo River ‘has been in the pipe-line for a very long time’ South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma said in Kinshasa on Tuesday as his energy minister Ben Martins and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) counterpart Bruno Kapindji signed yet another treaty confirming South Africa’s participation in the development of the mega-power plant.

Inga Dams: Momentum quickens after South Africa treaty | 4 November 2013 | This is Africa
An energy treaty between the DRC and South Africa breathes life into the long-delayed Inga Dam project, offering a potential energy boost for southern Africa.

Electricity
RDC: 9% seulement de la population a accès à l’électricité | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Neuf pourcents seulement de la population ont accès à l’électricité en République démocratique du Congo (RDC).

Logging & forest management
90% of DR Congo’s logging revenues lost to tax avoidance in 2012 | 28 October 2013 | Global Witness
Global Witness: En RDC, l’évasion fiscale fait perdre 90% des taxes forestières au people congolais en 2012 | 28 October 2013 | Global Witness
The vast majority of logging revenues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were lost to tax avoidance and other illegal financial arrangements in 2012, an investigation by Global Witness revealed today.

Plaidoyer pour l’examen des pertes économiques et sociales relatives à l’exploitation forestière industrielle | 2 November 2013 | ACP | Digitalcongo.net
L’Organisation britannique Global Witness a, par la voie de son expert international en affaires forestières, Reiner Tegtmeyer, appelé le premier ministre à ouvrir une enquête interministérielle en vue d’examiner les pertes économiques, sociales et environnementales.

Un séminaire à Kinshasa sur la gestion des forêts du Bassin du Congo et d’Amazonie | 2 November 2013 | ACP | Digitalcongo.net
Le Centre de recherche forestière internationale (CIFOR) a organisé jeudi à Kinshasa, un séminaire du projet REDD+ FORAFAMA (Appui à la gestion durable des forêts du Bassin du Congo et du Bassin amazonien du Brésil).

Katanga: 6 présumés exploitants illégaux du bois arrêtés à Kasenga | 4 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Six personnes ont été arrêtées dimanche 3 novembre aux villages Mwalaba et Coopérative dans le territoire de Kasenga au Katanga. Elles sont accusées d’exploitation illicite du bois, en connivence avec certains sujets chinois.

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
Martin Kobler invite les Congolais à préserver l’environnement | 6 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Let’s Make the Environment a Peacetime Profiteer | 6 November 2013 | MONUSCO
Journée internationale pour la prévention de l’exploitation de l’environnement en temps de guerre et de conflit armé | 6 November 2013 | MONUSCO
Le chef de la Monusco a invité ce mercredi 6 novembre les Congolais à préserver l’environnement surtout dans les territoires en proie à des conflits armés. Il a lancé cet appel à l’occasion de la célébration de la journée internationale pour la protection de l’environnement en temps de guerre et de conflit armé.

The UN Secretary-General’s Message for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War | 6 November 2013 | UN-AU Mission in Darfur | allAfrica
UN Secretary-General’s message for International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (6 November 2013).

Uganda

Oil
Beating the ‘Resource Curse’ | 31 October 2013 | The Independent (Kampala) | allAfrica
Novel recommendations for ensuring that Uganda’s ‘Black Gold’ cash benefits as many citizens as possible

EAC Cooperation Vital for Success of Oil Sector | 1 November 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
A recent report by African Alliance, a research and securities firm, said the outlook for the region’s oil and gas sector is bright, but the ability to deliver on large scale projects will be key to realising this potential.

Block Oil Corruption Structures | 3 November 2013 | The Observer (Kampala) | allAfrica
Human Rights Watch and the Yale University-based International Human Rights Clinic, last month released a report that accused President Museveni’s government of literally abetting high-level corruption – not least by failing to put in place strong disincentives for grand theft of public resources.

Can Uganda’s oil sector achieve the 2017 target | 5 November 2013 | Daily Monitor
Public debate on the oil and gas sector was sparked by the October 2011 controversial Parliament debate that resolved that transparency and accountability must be the cornerstone of the oil sector.

Tullow Oil’s Kenya problems mirror wider regional hiccup | 6 November 2013 | The Observer (Kampala)
Tullow Oil’s suspension of operations in northern Kenya, after locals protested against being denied job opportunities might seem like a small rough patch on the glossy oil story that Kenya has tried to sell to investors. But underneath it is a bigger regional problem, one that Uganda’s oil industry will very likely meet when construction of the crude export pipeline begins.

Thermal power
France Gives U.S.$23 Million for Fort Portal, Hoima Power | 31 October 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
France Funds Hoima Power Line With Shs 58 Billion | 3 November 2013 | The Observer (Kampala) | allAfrica
France has granted $23m concessionary loan to finance the construction of the Nkenda-Fort Portal-Hoima transmission line to evacuate electricity from the proposed thermal power plant at Mputa oil field in Hoima.

Rwanda

1^st ICGLR mineral export certificate
Gov’t Issues the 1st ICGLR Mineral Export Certificate to Boost Mining Sector | 5 November 2013 | Government of Rwanda | allAfrica
Today, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA) issued the first International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Mineral Export Certificate in Rwanda. This was done at the shipment of Rutongo Mines ltd located in Rulindo District.

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 Conflict Hinders East African Integration | 4 November 2013 | IPS
As the majority of East African Community countries signed an agreement paving the way for a single tourist visa in the region from 2014, some believe that Tanzania’s hesitance to agree to this integration is largely due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DRC

Glencore Xstrata
Glencore Xstrata beats copper forecasts as metals boost trading | 31 October 2013 | Reuters | Mineweb
The diversified miner’s output was boosted by improvements at its mines in the DRC and Chile, as well as the performance of its trading arm.

GlencoreXstrata to list on JSE in Nov, Q3 copper output up 34% | 31 October 2013 | Mining Weekly
Diversified miner GlencoreXstrata will list on the main board of the JSE on November 13 after the JSE approved its application for a secondary listing.

Katanga Mining
Snc-Lavalin Completes Phase 4 Of Kcc Kamoto Project | 31 October 2013 | Mining Weekly
SNC-Lavalin has completed Phase 4 of Katanga Mining’s Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) expansion project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Together with the successful completion of Phase 3 of this project, this is the largest project SNC-Lavalin’s Johannesburg office has undertaken to date.

Kibali Goldmines
Kinshasa: un colis 180 Kg d’or de Kibali Goldmines saisi au Kenya | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
En marge du 3ème Forum de la chambre de mines de la Fédération des entreprises du Congo (Fec) sur la révision du code minier, le directeur général de Kibali Glodmines a révélé à Radio Okapi la saisie de ses 180 Kg d’or par la police kenyane mardi 29 octobre à Nairobi. Selon lui, ce colis est évalué à environ 8 millions de dollars américains.

Banro
Sud-Kivu: Banro débute l’exploration du site minier Mukungwe à la mi-novembre | 1 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Confirmation par le gouvernement de sa récente décision d’octroi à la société Banro du site minier de Mukungwe au Sud-Kivu | 4 November 2013 | ACP | Digitalcongo.net
La société Banro va débuter à la mi-novembre 2013 la phase d’exploration sur le site minier de Mukungwe, qui lui a été concédé dernièrement par le gouvernement congolais au détriment des exploitants artisanaux dans le territoire de Walungu au Sud-Kivu.

AngloGold Ashanti
Ituri : Ashanti Goldfield Kilo débouté face à la Coomid par le parquet de Bunia | 3 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le parquet de grande instance de Bunia, en Ituri (Province Orientale), a rejeté samedi 2 novembre la plainte de la compagnie minière Ashanti Goldfield Kilo (AGK) contre la Coopérative minière pour le développement (Coomid), une autre entreprise minière. L’AGK, une entreprise née de la Jointe venture entre la Société minière de Kilo Moto avec la Sud Africaine Anglogold Ashanti, a accusé il y a deux semaines la Coomid d’exploiter illégalement de l’or dans sa concession.

AngloGold Ashanti Q3 Earnings Jump on 12% Output Gain, 10% Cost Decline | 6 November 2013 | Marketwired
AngloGold share price sharply up on lauded Q3 results | 6 November 2013 | Mining Weekly
AngloGold Returns to Profit in Third Quarter as Bullion Rises | 6 November 2013 | Bloomberg
AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., the third-largest producer of the metal, returned to profit after the price of bullion rose for the first quarter in four.

Fleurette Group (Gertler)
Dan Gertler to bid for KCC’s 20% | 5 November 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
According to sources in London, the Fleurette group owned by Israeli businessman Dan Gertler, who is close to Congo-K president Joseph Kabila, is highly keen on buying Gecamines’ 20% stake in Kamoto Copper Company (KCC).

MIBA
Where are SCIM’s diamonds? | 5 November 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
The management of diamond producer Miniere de Bakwanga (MIBA), the struggling Congo-K diamond producer, is wondering more and more about the terms of a recent deal reached between Societe Congolaise d’Investissement Minier (SCIM), the other significant player in the country’s gem business, and China’s Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group.

SOKIMO
Relance de la filière aurifère – La SOKIMO met le cap sur son développement | 5 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
La Société des Mines d’Or de Kilo-Moto (SOKIMO) se relance effectivement, après que ses activités ont été handicapées pendant longtemps par les guerres répétitives qui ont plongé l’Est de la RDC dans le cycle de violences.

Randgold
Randgold Resources Ld – 3rd Quarter Results | 7 November 2013 | Randgold Resources Ld | Marketwired
Randgold shines in gold price gloom.

Shaft Sinkers Starts Work on Randgold’s Kibali Underground Mine | 7 November 2013 | Bloomberg
Shaft Sinkers Holdings Plc (SHFT) began work on an underground mine for the Kibali gold project operated by Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Burundi

Bujumbura to act as industry watchdog | 5 November 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
Mining companies operating in Burundi like Flemish Investment Burundi, Rainbow International and Burundi Mining Metallurgy can breathe a sigh of relief.

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

EU law on conflict minerals
La Commission européenne planche sur la loi qui régirait les minerais de conflit | 29 October 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
La Commission européenne (CE) va prochainement proposer une initiative législative sur l’approvisionnement responsable des minerais provenant des zones en conflit et à haut risque.

Oil and mining transparency
UK lead on oil and mining transparency law sends strong signal to U.S. | 31 October 2013 | Global Witness
Global Witness welcomes today’s announcement by the UK Government that it will pass legislation in 2014 to ensure UK oil, gas, mining and logging companies publish details of their revenue payments to governments, such as taxes, royalties and licence fees, right down to the project-level.

DRC

Transparency in resources exploitation
Est-ce que la transparence est en faveur d’une distribution plus équitable des revenus? | 25 October 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #5. By Manuel Wollschläger
Nombreux sont les initiatives préoccupées de l’augmentation de la transparence dans l’exploitation des ressources naturelles en R.D. Congo. Elles se basent sur deux objectives principaux: D’un côté couper l’alimentation du conflit par le commerce illégale des minerais, de l’autre côté combattre la pauvreté.

Revision mining code
RDC: les opérateurs miniers opposés à la révision de l’actuel code minier | 31 October 2013 | Radio Okapi
Les opérateurs miniers sont opposés à la révision de l’actuel code minier que le gouvernement devrait prochainement proposer au Parlement pour discussion. Pour eux, l’actuel code encourage les investissements nationaux et étrangers. Ils ont exprimé leur position, mercredi 30 octobre, à la clôture du 3è Forum de la chambre des mines de la Fédération des entreprises du Congo (Fec) sur la révision du code minier.

EITI
RDC: 60 entreprises bloquent la publication du rapport ITIE- 2011 | 2 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
C’est ce samedi 2 novembre la date butoir fixée par le bureau de l’Initiative pour la transparence des industries extractives (ITIE) aux entreprises minières de déposer leurs preuves de paiement des taxes à l’Etat pour permettre la publication du rapport ITIE –RDC 2011.

Jeremy Mack Dumba | 5 November 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
National coordinator of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Jeremy Mack Dumba, a professor in development economy at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, has sounded the alarm and warned that Democratic Republic of Congo risks being excluded once and for all from membership in EITI.

Rwanda

Other

DRC

RD Congo : la saga des salaires | 5 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Depuis la fin 2011, les fonctionnaires congolais sont payés par les banques. Une révolution pour ce million d’employés de l’État dont les rémunérations étaient jusqu’alors massivement détournées par des intermédiaires.

Burundi

Burundi : le leader historique des FNL veut être rétabli à la tête de son parti | 5 November 2013 | RFI
Au Burundi, Agathon Rwasa, le leader historique des ex-rebelles des FNL, de retour d’exil après trois années de clandestinité, semble acculé par le pouvoir burundais. Il vient donc d’envoyer une pétition au président burundais Pierre Nkurunziza, pour qu’il soit réhabilité au poste de président du FNL. Et . Et d’après le document parvenu à RFI, cette pétition a rencontré un certain succès.

L’opposition burundaise s’insurge contre un projet de modification de la Constitution | 6 November 2013 | RFI
La polémique bat son plein au Burundi. L’opposition ne décolère plus depuis qu’elle a appris les modifications que le pouvoir compte apporter à la Constitution, qui est pourtant une émanation de l’accord de paix signé en 2000 à Arusha. Un projet de loi allant dans ce sens, et préparé dans le plus grand secret, a été adopté il y a quelques jours par le Conseil des ministres.

IPIS Recent Publications

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.

Major Powers Fuelling Atrocities. Why the world needs a robust Arms Trade Treaty | March 2013 | Amnesty International
IPIS contributed to the research for this AI report.
Every year, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped and forced to ﬂee from their homes as a result of abuses and atrocities committed with conventional arms and ammunition. Harrowing testimonies and images from conﬂict zones and human rights crises around the world underline the urgent need to end irresponsible arms transfers and illicit trafﬁcking.

The Arms Trade Treaty: Building a Path to Disarmament | 19 March 2013 | Sergio Finardi, Brian Wood, Peter Danssaert, Ken Matthysen
The goal of this article is to examine and suggest proposals that could enhance the role of the international Arms Trade Treaty—presently in discussion at the United Nations—in the regulation of the international arms trade and in addressing the role of the legal trade in: a) providing the bulk of the arms used in armed conflicts, armed violence and human rights abuses; b) the excessive arming of developing countries; and c) the continuous unsettling of power balances in sensitive world regions, not least because of competition amongst arms-exporting countries.

Upstream Implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Final Report on one-year pilot implementation of the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten | January 2013 | OECD – IPIS
This report is the final in a cycle of three reports on the pilot implementation by upstream companies of the “Supplement on Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas”. The goal of the report is to provide an overall assessment of the progress and impact of the one-year pilot implementation phase of the OECD Guidance and its Supplement on Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten. The pilot implementation phase of the Guidance focused on Africa’s Great Lakes region and was carried out during the period August 2011 – October 2012. Drawing on lessons from the ground, this final report identifies key trends and common approaches to overcome challenges as well as tools used by companies to implement the OECD Guidance.

Exploitation minière industrielle et artisanale au Sud-Kivu. Possibilités d’une cohabitation pacifique ? | December 2012 | Gabriel Kamundala Byemba
Le secteur minier en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) en général et au Sud-Kivu en particulier alimente toujours les débats tant au niveau international qu’au niveau national. Présenté sous plusieurs facettes, ce secteur au Sud-Kivu a été dans le temps industriel, puis artisanal et aujourd’hui il est en même temps artisanal et industriel. Le retour en force, ces dernières années, des sociétés industrielles dans le paysage minier du Sud-Kivu coïncide avec l’accélération des dynamiques minières, grâce aux opportunités qu’offre la RDC en matière d’investissements privés et aux réformes amorcées du cadre législatif et réglementaire du secteur minier congolais. Ces réformes ont abouti à la mise en place du nouveau Code minier en 2002 et du Règlement minier en 2003.

Cartographie des motivations derrière les conflits : le M23 | November 2012 | IPIS
À la lumière de la récente occupation de Goma par le M23 et eu égard à la recrudescence du risque de conflit armé à grande échelle en RDC, IPIS publie une brève mise à jour de sa série de rapports « Cartographie des motivations derrière les conflits » (2007-2010), en se focalisant spécifiquement sur les intentions du M23.
Ces rebelles affichent clairement une ambition politique et s’orientent vers l’instauration d’un contrôle politique sur le territoire, en contestant l’autorité de Kinshasa – intérêts stratégiques qu’ils pourraient partager avec le Rwanda.

Mapping Conflict Motives: M23 | November 2012 | IPIS
In light of the recent occupation of Goma by M23 and the renewed risk of large-scale armed conflict in the DRC, IPIS publishes an update to its 2007-2010 ‘mapping conflict motives’ report series focusing specifically on the intentions of M23.
The M23 rebels show a clear political ambition and a tendency to establish political control over territory and challenge Kinshasa’s authority – strategic interests they might share with Rwanda.

A Code of Conduct for Arms Transport by Air. Transport Services under an Arms Trade Treaty Series | August 2012 | IPIS
This report is a discussion of some key considerations for the development of a Cargo Industry Voluntary Code of Conduct relating to the transport of arms, ammunition and other military equipment (ACI Code). The purpose of such a Code is to encourage as many aviation companies and other actors as possible in the air cargo industry to adhere to existing and new standards relating to the transport of arms, ammunition and other military equipment.

Rough Seas. Maritime Transport and Arms Shipments | July 2012 | IPIS
As stated by the authors in their report “Transparency and Accountability” (February 2012), the Chairman’s Draft Paper (14 July 2011) presented by the Arms Trade Treaty’s Preparatory Committee (ATT PrepCom), included within the ATT’s scope certain “services”, such as transport and brokering. However, no provision has been envisaged for the monitoring or ATT-related regulation of arms transport services. Monitoring transport services may be key to implementing and enforcing the Arms Trade Treaty. This report will demonstrate how arms shipments may be monitored and reported where there is a substantial risk that the shipments could contribute to fuelling conflict, repressive state practices, and other human rights abuses. The report provides examples of the monitoring of actual conventional arms shipments to Egypt and Syria in 2011 and 2012, and of suspected conventional arms shipments to Syria in 2012. It also shows that where there is an open society, or at least a fair degree of access to government activities, arms transfers can be monitored and discussed without jeopardizing legitimate security policies.

Upstream Implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Cycle 2 Interim Progress Report on the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten | May 2012 | OECD – IPIS
The following report is the second in a cycle of three on upstream companies’ implementation of the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten to the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. The objective is to report on progress made by upstream companies in their implementation of due diligence, with a focus on current practices and experiences in developing systems and processes for the implementation of the Five-Step OECD Framework.

Etat des lieux du développement socio-économique dans les zones minières au Nord-Kivu (territoires de Walikale et Masisi) | March 2012 | ASSODIP | IPIS (editorial advice)
At a moment when the attention of both the national and international communities is focused on the reorganisation of the mining sector in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the local civil society organisation ASSODIP considered it opportune to carry out a study of the impact of mining exploitation on the socio-economic development in North Kivu’s Walikale and Masisi territories. These territories are among the richest in mineral resources of eastern DRC, with the exploitation and trade in minerals adding greatly to public revenues. Nonetheless, the concrete situations as presented in this paper sufficiently show that the development of the local mining communities has never been taken into due account.

Assessment of existing practices regarding end-user certification | February 2012 | UNODA | IPIS
Already, in 2002, the Security Council called upon States to establish an effective national end-user certificate system and to study the feasibility, as appropriate, of developing such a system at the regional and global levels, as well as information exchange and verification mechanisms. This study assesses existing practices regarding end-user certification in a wide range of countries. It examines concepts, documents and procedures relating to the regulation of end use and end users of conventional arms. It also endeavours to identify political and practical obstacles to the development of an international framework for authentication, reconciliation and standardization of end-user certificates. Finally, it proposes practical guidelines to assist States in the development of a reliable system of end-user certification.

Transparancy and Accountability. Monitoring and Reporting Methods Under An Arms Trade Treaty | February 2012 | TransArms R | IPIS
Without an understanding of the existing practices of States regarding their commonly agreed standards for the monitoring and reporting of their international transfers of conventional arms, it will be very difficult to draft many of the basic provisions of the Treaty to ensure compliance and enforcement. This report therefore seeks to clarify and discuss existing terminology and reporting practices for State regulation of international transfers of goods and services and for international transfers of conventional arms. It is hoped that this will also help contribute to the development of common international standards for monitoring and reporting international transfers of conventional arms. Standardization of statistical requirements and reporting methods is of paramount importance for the ATT to be effective.

Upstream Pilot Implementation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas Baseline Report on the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum, and Tungsten | November 2011 | OECD | IPIS
IPIS executed the research for and writing of this OECD report. The present baseline report is the first in a cycle of three reports on the implementation by upstream companies of the Supplement on Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (hereafter “the Guidance”). The objective of this report is to understand where upstream companies currently stand with the implementation of due diligence.

Violence against women in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Whose responsibility? Whose complicity? | November 2011 | ITUC | IPIS
IPIS contributed the research for and writing of this ITUC report. Summary: Eastern DRC has been ravaged by war and violence since the mid-1990s. Civilians carry the greatest burden of the conflict. Women and girls are especially vulnerable to such attacks.. Hundreds of women and girls get sexually violated in their homes and at their workplace. Fuelled and motivated by Congo’s minerals, rebel and army forces are inclined to maintain an insecure environment that ensures the continuation of the status quo. Congo’s conflict minerals go through a convoluted, yet manageable and traceable, supply chain and end up in industrialised consumer products. The introduction of transparency and governance into the mining sector is advancing, but still much has to be done.

Bisie. A one-year snapshot of the DRC’s principal cassiterite mine | November 2011 | IPIS
Much has happened in the mining sector of Eastern DRC over the last year. President Kabila imposed a ban on all mining activities last fall, during which production fell considerably. As soon as the suspension was lifted in the spring of this year, the major global electronic companies stopped buying minerals from the region, provoking a de facto embargo on Congo’s minerals with detrimental effects on the sector. At the same time, the Congolese government has taken major steps to restructure its army in the east of the country. These different decisions in the mining and security sectors have affected the nature and volume of minerals production and export and have reconfigured the security situation in the region. The consequences of these actions are discussed and illustrated with the use of the most important and well-known cassiterite mine in North Kivu called Bisie.

“Véhicules civils militarisables” and the EU arms embargo on Sudan | September 2011 | IPIS | TA-R | ASER
In this case study we will focus on the use of European manufactured trucks in the Darfur region, and more specifically what the defence industry calls “véhicules civils militarisables” – commercial vehicles that can be militarized. All armed actors in the conflict require vehicles to transport combatants through the vast Darfur deserts. Japanese Toyota (Landcruisers) pick-up trucks are the most common vehicles that are spotted in the region. Usually they are mounted with machineguns, and as such compose an important assault instrument. Furthermore, a wide array of military trucks or civilian trucks modified for military purposes are being used in Darfur, e.g. anti-aircraft guns are mounted on a variety of trucks to function as support and/or attack vehicles. Some of these trucks are European models, assembled by a local company: GIAD Automotive Industry Company.

Conflict motives in Kenya’s North Rift region | September 2011 | IPIS intern series
Kenya’s North Rift Region continues to suffer from violent conflict in which a series of actors are involved. Armed groups perform widespread and devastating raids against neighbouring communities. The strength of these warrior groups varies regionally and from case to case. Security operations are often characterised by their disproportionate brutality. Power figures are known to instigate violence or organise and finance armed militias. Uasin Gishu and Trans-Nzoia bore the brunt of the post-election violence in 2007 and 2008. The violence mainly pitted Kalenjin warrior groups against Kikuyu communities in a struggle over political injustices and power but also over economic discrepancies and feelings of ethnic antagonism.

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31 October – 6 November 2013

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