EDITORIAL
As the DRC signed the Arms Trade Treaty this week, the first cracks in the M23/FARDC 22 May ceasefire emerged, with exchange of fire between the parties on the periphery of Goma. An undertaking by MONUSCO not to attack the M23 if it returns to the negotiating table in Kampala saw the dispatch of M23 delegates to Uganda by 10thJune – a move welcomed by many, though also attended by claims that the M23 nevertheless prepares to resume hostilities in Goma, including allegations that it is re-recruiting children into its ranks. The M23 are reported to have expressed the desire to become a political opposition party in the DRC.
As Roger Meece commenced his final tour of the region in the last weeks of his mandate, Ban Ki Moon announced that he is to be succeeded as Head of MONUSCO by German diplomat, Martin Kobler. MONUSCO’s Intervention Brigade is now reported to be at nearly half strength, with those elements already deployed currently engaged in patrols around Goma and its environs.
In Province Orientale, Garamba National Park has seen sporadic activities by residual elements of the Lord’s Resistance Army, as communities in Bahema have appealed for increased security efforts in the area following a number of incidents in the locality. InNorth Kivu, concern has been expressed about serious human rights and international humanitarian law violations committed against civilians, in particular by the Mai-Mai Sheka, during its clashes with the APCLS in and around Pinga. In Kiwanja, the M23 are said to have arrested 50 persons in the course of operations. An M23 convoy was reportedly attacked by Nyatura militiamen in Rutshuru, occasioning what has been said to be around 8 to 9 M23 fatalities, though such testimony is denied by the M23. In South Kivu, local authorities in Minova have called for strengthened deployment to Kahele to quell insecurity at the hands of Raia Mutomboki who are said to be exploiting a security vacuum there. The Bakata Kantanga’s atrocities in Katanga are said to have displaced around 23,000 persons in the region, further heightening the humanitarian crisis.
In the CAR there have been reports of a new offensive launched by the Seleka coalition against Abdoulaye Miskine’s Central African Democratic Front (FDPC), resulting in 4 FDPC fatalities.
In Uganda, the authorities have begun to draft plans for a national energy company to control one fifth of the country’s crude oil, with the board of directors yet to be named.
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 Crisis Tracker Quarterly Security Brief, January – March 2013 | 10 June 2013 | Invisible Children, Resolve | Reliefweb
Kony Attacks On Civilians Increases, Report | 11 June 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
The LRA committed 58 attacks between January and March 2013 (Quarter 1 of 2013, or Q1 2013), compared to 36 attacks between October and December 2012 (Q4 2012).
DRC
DRC signs Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
La RDC a signé lundi 3 juin à New York le Traité sur le commerce des armes | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | Digitalcongo.net
L’ambassadeur de la RDC à l’ONU a procédé lundi 3 juin au siège des Nations Unies à New York à la signature au nom du gouvernement de Kinshasa le Traité sur le commerce des armes (TCA) qui consacre le nouveau droit international en matière de réglementation des transferts d’armes.
Debate on UN Group of Experts
Jason Stearns, Phil Clark And Richard Dowden Debate The UN Group Of Experts (With A Focus On The DRC) | 10 June 2013 | African Arguments
For the motion: Jason K. Stearns, political analyst, director of the Rift Valley Institute’s Usalama Project and author of the book, ‘Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa’ (Public Affairs, 2012). Against the motion: Phil Clark, Lecturer in Comparative and International Politics at SOAS, University of London, and author of the book, ‘The Gacaca Courts, Post-Genocide Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda: Justice without Lawyers’ (Cambridge University Press, 2010).
M23 back at the negotiating table?
Nord-Kivu – Echanges des tirs entre FARDC et M23 à Bujavu | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Les éléments des Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) en patrouille à Bujavu dans la périphérie de Goma (Nord-Kivu) se sont accrochés, le mardi 4 juin, aux rebelles du Mouvement du 23 mars (M23).
La Brigade d’intervention promet de ne « pas attaquer » le M23 s’il retourne aux pourparlers de Kampala | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Le porte-parole civil de la Mission de l’ONU pour la stabilisation du Congo (Monusco) a annoncé mercredi 5 juin à Kinshasa que « la Brigade d’intervention n’ira pas les attaquer là où ils sont si les rebelles du Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) retournent effectivement à Kampala pour continuer les négociations »
RDC : le M23 annonce son retour à Kampala pour reprendre les pourparlers avec le gouvernement | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
DR Congo rebels say will resume peace talks with govt | 6 June 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
RDC : le M23 prêt à reprendre les négociations à Kampala | 6 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
RDC: le président du M23 a l’intention de reprendre les pourparlers de Kampala | 7 June 2013 | RFI
UN Great Lakes Envoy welcomes impending talks between DR Congo, M23 rebels | 8 June 2013 | UN News Centre
DRC, M23 Peace Talks to Resume in Kampala | 9 June 2013 | The New Times | allAfrica
M23 Rebels to Resume Talks With DR Congo | 10 June 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
The M23 will send a delegation this weekend to resume peace talks with the government that were suspended in early May, a senior official said on Wednesday.
RDC: le Gouvernement salue la décision du M23 de reprendre les pourparlers de Kampala | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Congolese Government welcomes the decision taken by the M23 to return to the negotiating table in Kampala, stated the national coordinator for the monitoring mechanism of the Addis Ababa agreement, François Muamba. He states that Kinshasa expects the rebel movement “to create favourable conditions to finally put an end to these discussions”, which began in December 2012.
RDC: Mary Robinson salue la prochaine reprise du dialogue entre le gouvernement et le M23 | 8 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Great Lakes, Mary Robinson, has welcomed the forthcoming resumption of negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23 in Kampala (Uganda).
Le M23 projette attaquer de nouveau la ville de Goma, selon la Société civile | 8 June 2013 | Digitalcongo.net
Alors qu’il promet revenir à la table des pourparlers de Kampala, le M23 se prépare relancer les hostilités pour s’emparer de nouveau de la ville de Goma.
Cette rébellion voudrait surprendre les uns et les autres, un de ces moments du week-end.
DR Congo: UN concerned about dozens of children facing possible M23 re-recruitment | 10 June 2013 | UN News Centre
RDC : l’ONU préoccupée par le sort de 53 enfants dans la province du Nord-Kivu | 10 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Senior United Nations officials today expressed concern about reports of dozens of children who escaped from the M23 in the DRC being retaken by the rebel group and facing other serious security threats.
Le M23 ambitionne de devenir un « parti politique de l’opposition » | 10 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Le M23, dont la délégation conduite par René Abandi est retournée dimanche 9 juin à Kampala (Ouganda) pour la poursuite des pourparlers avec celle du gouvernement de la RD Congo, a dévoilé son ambition de se transformer en « parti politique de l’opposition », au cours d’une conférence de presse tenue le même jour à l’hôtel Silver Spring.
Kampala: le M23 exige des discussions sur la sécurité et la bonne gouvernance en RDC | 10 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The M23 is already in Kampala for the resumption of talks with the government. According to its spokesman, these talks must finish the three points that remain outstanding: the issue of security, social and good governance and the mechanism of verification and border control.
UN Intervention Brigade
La Brigade d’intervention promet de ne « pas attaquer » le M23 s’il retourne aux pourparlers de Kampala | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Le porte-parole civil de la Mission de l’ONU pour la stabilisation du Congo (Monusco) a annoncé mercredi 5 juin à Kinshasa que « la Brigade d’intervention n’ira pas les attaquer là où ils sont si les rebelles du Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) retournent effectivement à Kampala pour continuer les négociations ».
Selon F. Basse – la Brigade d’intervention récuperera des zones sous occupation des groupes armés | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Une fois larguée dans le champ des opérations, la Brigade d’intervention des Nations unies doit, en collaboration avec les FARDC, « nettoyer » et « conserver » des zones sous contrôle de différentes milices écumant l’Est de la République démocratique du Congo.
Monusco: Dos Santos parle | 10 June 2013 | BBC Afrique
RDC : tolérance zéro pour la violence, a averti le nouveau commandant de la MONUSCO | 12 June 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
Le nouveau commandant des casques bleus de la Monusco promet que toutes ses troupes prendront part aux opérations contre les groupes armés dans l’est de la RDC, et pas seulement la nouvelle brigade d’intervention, qui a commencé à se déployer il y a quelques semaines.
RDC: la brigade d’intervention de l’ONU poursuit son déploiement à Goma | 11 June 2013 | RFI
La brigade d’intervention de la Monusco continue à se déployer à Goma, dans l’est de la RDC. La totalité du contingent tanzanien et une partie du contingent sud-africain seraient d’ores et déjà arrivées, selon la Mission des Nations unies en RDC.
Brigade d’intervention de la Monusco: près de la moitié des troupes déjà déployées | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
MONUSCO military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Felix Basse, has said that nearly half the composition of the Intervention Brigade has now already been deployed to Goma. He said the peacekeepers regularly patrol day and night especially in the town of Sake and the axis leading to Goma.
Mette Sunnergren: «La solution à long terme à la situation dans l’Est de la RDC n’est pas de nature militaire» | 10 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
“The long-term solution to the situation in the eastern DRC is not military in nature. It consists mainly of a new policies capable of large reform”, said Mette Sunnergren, Ambassador of Sweden to the DRC on Thursday, June 6 in Kinshasa.
New head of MONUSCO
U.N. chief appoints Germany’s Martin Kobler as Congo envoy | 10 June 2013 | Reuters
Ban nomme l’Allemand Martin Kobler en tant que chef de la MONUSCO | 10 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Martin Kobler, nouveau représentant spécial du secrétaire général de l’Onu en RDC | 10 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed former German diplomat Martin Kobler on Monday as his special envoy to the volatile Democratic Republic of Congo, succeeding former U.S. diplomat Roger Meece in July.
Des progrès ont été réalisés pour le retour de la paix dans l’Est de la RDC, selon Roger Meece | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Progress has been made over the past three years to restore peace in eastern DRC, said Roger Meece contemplating the expiry of his mandate in Goma, North Kivu, where he made his last tour in the region. Roger Meece made particular reference to the signing of the Addis Ababa framework agreement and the establishment of an intervention brigade within MONUSCO.
Kasai-Oriental
Kasaï-Oriental: près de 3000 policiers ne sont pas payés depuis 8 mois | 7 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Nearly three thousand police in Kasai Oriental are complaining that they have not received wages for eight months.
Province Orientale
Des attaques sporadiques de la LRA signalées dans le parc national de la Garamba | 12 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Des éléments résiduels de l’Armée de résistance du seigneur (LRA) menent ces derniers temps des « activités sporadiques » dans le parc national de la Garamba, en Province Orientale.
Province Orientale : 2 personnes tuées dans la plaine du lac Albert en une semaine | 10 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The head of South Bahema has reported the alarm felt by the local population in the region, who are calling for increased patrols and strengthening of FARDC military personnel, citing, amongst others two killings by armed men and the kidnapping of a woman in the space of one week.
North Kivu
Nord-Kivu – Pinga : Les Nations Unies préoccupées par les violations graves des droits de l’homme | 6 June 2013 | MONUSCO
La Mission de l’ONU pour la Stabilisation en République démocratique du Congo (MONUSCO) a été informée de plusieurs cas de violations graves des droits de l’homme et du droit international humanitaire dans la localité de Pinga et ses environnants dans le territoire de Walikale, province du Nord-Kivu. Ces violations ont été commises lors d’affrontements entre les Maï Maï Sheka et l’Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS).
La paix dans les Grands Lacs passe par la démocratisation des institutions au Rwanda et le dialogue avec les Fdlr, dixit Julien Paluku | 6 June 2013 | Digitalcongo.net
Pour Julien Paluku, tous les rwandais se trouvant à l’extérieur ne doivent pas être considérés comme génocidaires car il est d’une catégorie qui ne le sont pas.
Beni : le comité de suivi du dialogue social manque de moyens de fonctionnement | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Monitoring Committee on the achievements of social dialogue, set up two months ago in Beni (North Kivu) by the provincial government to increase the disarmament of armed groups, has reported lacking the resources to function. Social dialogue held in Oicha in March proposed possible solutions to pacify Beni territory, which is plagued by armed groups.
Nord-Kivu: la Monusco accuse deux milices de graves violations des droits de l’homme à Pinga | 7 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
MONUSCO has expressed its concern at the serious human rights and international humanitarian law violations committed in the village of Pinga and its surroundings (North Kivu) during fighting between the Mai Mai Sheka and the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS). It reports that during the clashes, extrajudicial killings and other serious human rights abuses were committed against civilians, including children, mainly by the Mai-Mai Sheka.
Nord-Kivu: 53 enfants risquent d’être enrôlés dans le M23, prévient la Monusco | 10 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Roger Meece, and the UN Secretary General Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, have expressed concern about reports that at least 53 children may be being re-recruited by the M23 in the territory of Nyiragongo, in North Kivu. They ask the rebel leaders to stop using children in their ranks.
Nord-Kivu: le M23 accusé d’avoir arrêté plus de 50 civils à Kiwanja | 11 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
M23 rebels are accused of arresting over fifty people in the city of Kiwanja, 70 km north of Goma (North Kivu), on Monday. According to reliable sources, these people were arrested during an M23 operation in the Buzito neighborhood. A resident of Kiwanja has said that some people have already been released whilst others are still languishing in prison.
Nord-Kivu: les FARDC et les gardes de parc arrêtent 2 miliciens à Chondo | 11 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Two militiamen of the Popular Front for Democracy (FPD) of Colonel Shetani were arrested on Monday, June 10, by FARDC soldiers supported by park wardens in Chondo (North Kivu). A representative of the joint FARDC-Park guard alleged that Mai-Mai from Nyamilima had attacked their position in order to engage in poaching and illegal fishing in Lake Edward.
African Smelting wards off armed groups | 11 June 2013 |Africa Mining Intelligence
The tin smelter recently built in Sake, North Kivu, by African Smelting Group Sprl (ASG), a firm based in Goma and in Kyrgyzstan, will shortly start producing at a rate of 50 tons per year. (Subscription required).
Attaque d’un convoi du M23 à Rutshuru: 9 morts | 11 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
An M23 convoy was attacked on Monday, June 10, in the town of Rukoro in Rutshuru territory by armed men identified as being Nyatura militiamen. Local sources report nine M23 deaths and several wounded. Civil society in North Kivu reports eight rebels killed. The military spokesman for the M23 totally rejects these assertions.
Nord-Kivu : le chômage et la justice inefficace causent l’insécurité à Beni, selon les notables | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Youth unemployment, weak justice, the presence of military camps in the city center and the activism of Ugandan and Rwandan rebels are the basis of insecurity in Beni, notables from North Kivu have said during a meeting with officials from MONUSCO.
Goma: vague d’arrestations des civils accusés de collaborer avec le M23 | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Over the last two weeks, several people have been routinely arrested in Goma and sent to Kinshasa accused by the security services of working with the M23. The families of these arrestees state that these persons are simply victims of arbitrary arrest.
South Kivu
Sud-Kivu : le conseil local de Minova plaide pour l’augmentation des effectifs de l’armée à Kalehe | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Minova local council in South Kivu has asked military officials to strengthen the FARDC deployment in Kalehe, explaining that Raïa Mutomboki and other armed groups have taken advantage of the absence of the army to disrupt peace and security in this region, 150 kilometers north-east of Bukavu.
Katanga
Echapper au «Triangle de la mort» en RDC | 6 June 2013 | WFP | Reliefweb
Le Katanga, province du sud-est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) est le théâtre d’une crise oubliée. En plus des problèmes d’insécurité alimentaire chroniques, la province est en proie depuis novembre 2011 à un conflit armé entrainant d’importants mouvements de population. Le PAM est mobilisé pour porter assistance à ces personnes déplacées, malgré des défis énormes, dont l’insécurité, le manque de route et de fonds.
Kalemie : Roger Meece affirme la détermination de la communauté internationale contre l’insécurité | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
MONUSCO Head, Roger Meece, has expressed the determination of the international community to combat insecurity in the north of Katanga. The north of the province has faced several months of armed groups committing abuses against civilians. Meece’s visit to the region comes in the wake of an attack by armed men against a military vehicle 58 km from Kalemie. One soldier was killed and another injured.
RDC : la mise en garde du ministère de l’intérieur sur le nouveau découpage territorial | 9 June 2013 | RFI
En RDC, le ministre de l’Intérieur, Richard Muyej, a mis en garde contre tous ceux qui s’opposent au découpage territorial initié par le gouvernement dans le cadre de la décentralisation. Parmi les opposants à ce processus figurent des personnalités du Katanga. Par ailleurs, des groupes armés sont mis à contribution pour faire échec à ce découpage territorial. Ce qui a conduit à l’attaque de la ville de Lubumbashi le 23 mars 2013 et à de nombreuses autres violences dans la partie nord de la province.
Katanga : 23 000 personnes fuient les exactions des miliciens Bakata Katanga à Nganie | 11 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
About 23,000 people have fled atrocities by the Katanga Bakata in Nganie to take refuge in Mwanza, 95 km from Moba center. Humanitarian aid has been called for to assist the displaced, whose number is considerably higher than the 16,000 inhabitants of the area.
Burundi
Burundi : y aller (en Centrafrique) ou pas | 7 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Le président congolais Denis Sassou Nguesso insiste pour que le Burundi participe à la force de la CEEAC présente en Centrafrique. La réponse de Pierre Nkurunziza se fait attendre.
UN Human Rights Council – Adoption of the Outcome of the UPR of Burundi | 6 June 2013 | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
Human Rights Watch welcomes the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Burundi, which includes important recommendations on the protection of civil and political as well as social, economic and cultural rights.
CAR
CEEAC Force
Burundi : y aller (en Centrafrique) ou pas | 7 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Le président congolais Denis Sassou Nguesso insiste pour que le Burundi participe à la force de la CEEAC présente en Centrafrique. La réponse de Pierre Nkurunziza se fait attendre.
Security
Centrafrique : quatre morts dans des combats entre la Séléka et le FDPC | 10 June 2013 | Afrik.com
Le 4 juin dernier, les troupes de la coalition Séléka ont lancé une nouvelle offensive sur les éléments du Front démocratique centrafricain (FDPC) d’Abdoulaye Miskine. Le bilan officiel fait état de quatre morts, deux blessés et des prisonniers dans les rangs du FDPC sans oublier d’importants matériels récupérés après la mise en débandade de ces éléments.
CAR diplomatic engagements
Plaidoyer pour un appui de la communauté internationale à la restauration des droits de l’Homme en RCA | 10 June 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka | Fondation Hirondelle
La 23ème session du Conseil des Droits de l’Homme s’est tenue le 30 mai dernier à Genève en Suisse. La République centrafricaine, en quête d’appui multiforme après le coup de force du 24 mars dernier, a été représentée à ce conseil par son ministre de la Justice, Arsène Sendé.
Noël Léonard Essongo note une amélioration progressive de la sécurité en RCA | 11 June 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka | Fondation Hirondelle
Le général Noël Leonard Essongo, représentant du médiateur dans la crise centrafricaine s’est entretenu ce 10 juin 2013 à Bangui avec le chef de l’Etat centrafricain de la transition, Michel Djotodia Am Nondroko.
Centrafrique : Michel Djotodia invité au sommet de la CEMAC | 11 June 2013 | Afrik.com
Le président de la transition de la Centrafrique, M. Michel Djotodia est officiellement invité à participer au sommet de la Communauté économique et monétaire de l’Afrique centrale (CEMAC) qui se tiendra à Libreville, la capitale gabonaise, le 14 juin. Un véritable sceau de légitimité pour le président autoproclamé.
Analysis
Central African Republic: Priorities of the Transition | 11 June 2013 | International Crisis Group
République centrafricaine : les urgences de la transition | 11 June 2013 | International Crisis Group
The collapse of the state and the disappearance of security forces from a large part of the territory may turn the Central African Republic (CAR) into a source of instability in the heart of Africa. In its latest report, Central African Republic: Priorities of the Transition, the International Crisis Group, examines the situation in CAR following a coup by the Seleka rebel coalition in March 2013 that ended François Bozizé’s decade-old rule and plunged the nation into crisis. The absence of the state, Seleka’s fragility and tensions between Christians and Muslims make the transition’s future uncertain.
Bozize’s exile
Centrafrique : l’exil de Bozizé en Afrique du Sud en question | 11 June 2013 | Afrik.com
François Bozizé, l’ancien président centrafricain, ne se rendra pas en Afrique du Sud comme annoncé la semaine dernière. Exilé au Cameroun depuis sa chute, son probable départ pour Afrique du Sud alimente la chronique.
BINUCA
Senegalese general to head UN peacebuilding office in Central African Republic | 12 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Ban nomme Babacar Gaye, du Sénégal, comme Représentant spécial de l’ONU en République centrafricaine | 12 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office for the Central African Republic (BINUCA) based in Bangui.
Refugee and IDP Reports
Non-comprehensive overview and selected articles on the status of refugees in the Great Lakes Region
DRC
Humanitarian Reports
Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province de Maniema N° 15/13, 04 juin 2013 | 6 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Situation humanitaire en République Démocratique du Congo – Note d’information à la presse, 5 juin 2013 | 7 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Humanitarian Action in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Weekly Bulletin, 7 June 2013 | 7 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Nord-Kivu N° 20/13, 11 juin 2013 | 11 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Situation humanitaire en République Démocratique du Congo – Note d’information à la presse, 12 juin 2013 | 12 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Sud-Kivu N° 24/13, 12 juin 2013 | 12 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
Congolese expelled from Angola
RDC : 52 231 Congolais expulsés d’Angola en 3 semaines, selon Médecins du monde | 6 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Doctors of the World is concerned about the massive influx of Congolese persons expelled from Angola in often violent conditions. According to the international NGO, in just three weeks, 52,231 people have crossed the Angolan border at Kamonia in Kasai Occidental. Doctors of the World calls on the Angolan authorities to respect their international commitments on human rights.
Rwanda
Rwandan refugee status cessation
Repatriation: the politics of (re)-constructing and contesting Rwandan citizenship | 10 June 2013 | Refugee Studies Centre | Reliefweb
UNHCR recently announced that the refugee status of all Rwandans who fled the country between 1959 and December 1998 will cease in June 2013. The declaration follows almost ten years of active lobbying by Rwanda and other host countries to end the Rwandan refugee situation.
CAR
IDPs
CAR crisis remains dire – and neglected | 6 June 2013 | IRIN
La crise en RCA reste dramatique… et ignorée | 9 June 2013 | IRIN
International neglect of the crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) is partly to blame for the dire humanitarian and security situation there, say officials. The crisis affects the country’s entire population of 4.6 million and has left tens of thousands in need of emergency shelter, healthcare and food aid.
Michel Djotodia rassure les humanitaires en RCA | 6 June 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka | Fondation Hirondelle
Michel Djotodia se dit prêt à assurer la sécurité des humanitaires dans leurs zones d’activités.
Humanitarian Reports
République centrafricaine – Revue de Presse Hebdomadaire du 03 au 10 juin 2013 | 10 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
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
Former MLC Officer Says Bemba Never Issued Commands | 6 June 2013 | Bemba Trial Website | allAfrica
L’avocat du Sénateur congolais Jean-Pierre Bemba compte boucler la défense en septembre | 7 June 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency
L’équipe de défense du sénateur et ancien vice-président congolais Jean-Pierre Bemba espère terminer la présentation de ses moyens de preuve en septembre prochain devant la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), a-t-elle indiqué à l’agence Hirondelle.
Hearing Cancelled Due to Poor Health of Witness | 7 June 2013 | Bemba Trial Website | allAfrica
Witness Questions Accuracy of Bemba’s Book | 10 June 2013 | Bemba Trial Website | allAfrica
Bemba Was ‘Too Busy to Command Troops’ | 11 June 2013 | Bemba Trial Website | allAfrica
Rwanda
Alleged FDLR members charged in Germany
Rwanda : trois membres présumés des FDLR jugés en Allemagne | 11 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
News of Rwanda Names FDLR Suspects Charged in Germany | 11 June 2013 | News of Rwanda | allAfrica
Trois hommes, memebres présumés des Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), ont été mis en accusation en Allemagne. Ils sont notamment soupçonnés d’avoir assuré des fonction de commandement au sein de leur mouvement.
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)
Prosecutor of UN Rwanda genocide tribunal urges cooperation to catch roaming fugitives | 11 June 2013 | UN News Centre
Rwanda : le Procureur du TPIR déterminé à traduire en justice les neuf fugitifs recherchés | 11 June 2013 | UN News Centre
With nine men linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda still on the run, the Prosecutor who would help to try them is today urging Member States to cooperate with the United Nations war crimes tribunal and its successor body to track down and arrest the fugitives.
Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region
Recent news on issues relating to natural resource extraction and governance in the Great Lakes Region.
Illegal resource exploitation recognised as a security issue
Securing Africa’s natural resources to avoid conflict | 6 June 2013 | Institute for Security Studies
One of the many challenges posed by the exploitation of natural resources in Africa is its potential for conflict – both internal and between states. At a recent meeting in Harare, African intelligence chiefs declared the illegal exploitation of natural resources a ‘national security issue’ and vowed to ‘defend the continent’s natural and other resources from illicit exploitation and appropriation’.
DRC
Military involvement in gold trade
De nouvelles recherches de Global Witness révèlent l’implication de militaires de haut rang dans le commerce de l’or dans l’est du Congo | 10 June 2013 | Global Witness
Mines de la RDC – le Rwanda et le Burundi au cœur de la mafia | 12 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
French version of the Briefing published on 7 May 2013.
Uranium mining
Growing Evidence of Radioactive Contamination in DRC | 11 June 2013 | Deutsche Welle | allAfrica
Human rights activists say uranium is being mined illegally in DRC. Doctors record an increase in the number of pre-birth deformities in areas close to mines.
Child labour
Humanitarian agencies fight child exploitation | 12 June 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb
“Quite a few of the most beautiful homes in Bukavu are built on the sweat of children working in the mines,” says a child protection officer who works in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Mining sector will boost economy
UPDATE 2-Congo on track for 8 pct growth, fighting corruption – PM | 6 June 2013 | Reuters
Democratic Republic of Congo’s economy will grow by more than 8 per cent this year thanks to a booming mining sector but the government knows it must do more to stamp out corruption, the prime minister said on Thursday.
World Bank assists DRC in exploiting natural resources for development
La BM décidée à aider la RDC à « exploiter les ressources naturelles pour accélérer le développement humain » | 6 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
La Banque mondiale a réaffirmé jeudi 6 juin sa détermination d’accompagner la RD Congo dans son défi pour 2013 d’« exploiter les ressources naturelles pour accélérer le développement humain », à l’ouverture du Forum économique international de Kinshasa, dont l’objectif est de s’entendre sur des approches et des politiques faisant que les revenus de ressources naturelles soient au profit du peuple congolais.
Artisanal mining
Katanga: la Gécamines déloge des creuseurs artisanaux de la carrière de Kafundwa | 8 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Gécamines dislodged hundreds of artisanal miners from the Kafundwa quarry in Kambove territory, 150 km from Lubumbashi (Katanga) on Friday, June 7. Sources on site indicate that the miners have decided to leave their camp, built 2 km from the quarry. The company has placed a concentrator plant there to relaunch its mining operations. It is reported to have indemnified each miner.
Gecamines
Kambove: saisie de 5 camions de malachites sortis frauduleusement de la Gécamines | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
Industrial guards for Gécamines intercepted five trucks fraudulently removing malachite from its facilities in Kambove on Monday, June 10. Gécamines has commissioned an investigation to discern those behind this fraud.
DRC’s Minister of Mines
Germain Kambinga exige une plénière pour débattre de la motion contre le ministre des Mines | 12 June 2013 | Radio Okapi
The national deputy Germain Kambinga requires a plenary session before the end of the March to discuss the no-confidence motion against the Minister of Mines, Martin Kabwelulu. In a press conference he held on Wednesday, June 12 in Kinshasa, he hoped that the public would find out where the money from the DRC’s mines goes.
Uganda
Oil
Uganda Draws Up Plan for National Oil Company to Steer Industry | 6 June 2013 | Bloomberg
Uganda, the East African country seeking to pump its first oil, drew up plans for a national energy company to control as much as a fifth of crude output. The company will start operating after the president names the board and the directors are approved by parliament, the Energy Ministry’s Petroleum Exploration and Production Department said in an e-mail.
Conservation
NGOs Fight to Save Salt Lake | 9 June 2013 | The Observer (Kampala)
Once a national wonder and sole source of income for over 10,000 households, Lake Katwe is now a shadow of its former self, thanks to decades of uncontrolled human activity.
Land grabbing
Unwanted investors | 7 June 2013 | The Independent (Kampala)
Deep in Bukuya Sub County in Mubende district, a gold-mining company, AUC Mining Ltd owned by the British and some influential Ugandans, evicted about 400 peasants.
Nantaba Lands Committee Gets Boost in Next Budget | 10 June 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
Fighting land grabbing and illegal evictions will be a priority for the Lands ministry in the next financial year.
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
Off-shore oil concessions
La RDC et l’Angola conviennent d’octroyer les autorisations d’exploitation pétrolière à la société MIOC sur leurs eaux territoriales | 8 June 2013 | Digitalcongo.net
Retour de mission à Luanda du ministre des Hydrocarbures qui a discuté pour le compte de la RDC avec les autorités angolaises de l’octroi convenu entre les deux parties à la société MIOC des autorisations d’exploitation pétrolière Off-shore sur les eaux territoriales congolaises et angolaises ensemble.
Hydropower – Inga
RDC : Le Groupe de la BAD renouvelle son appui au site hydroélectrique d’Inga | 6 June 2013 | African Development Bank
Le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD) et le gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) ont signé à Marrakech, en marge des Assemblées annuelles du Groupe de la BAD, deux accords de don, d’un montant total de 5,250 millions de dollars EU.
Song Dongsheng : “Nous sommes dans une position de collaboration, pas de domination” | 10 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Incontournable sur le continent avec 50 000 salariés dans 30 pays africains, le géant chinois Sinohydro n’y relâche pas ses efforts. Entretien avec son président, Song Donsheng. En lice pour la construction du complexe hydroélectrique Grand Inga (RD Congo), il est venu plaider sa cause auprès du gouvernement congolais et des bailleurs, réunis dans la capitale française autour du projet.
Inga III pour réduire le déficit énergétique en Afrique | 11 June 2013 | IPS
Le gouvernement de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) projette d’ouvrir, en octobre 2015, un grand chantier sur le fleuve Congo: la construction du barrage hydroélectrique d’Inga III, avec plusieurs partenaires extérieurs.
Mining
Alphamin Intersects Strong Visual Tin Mineralisation at Its Bisie Tin Project, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10 June 2013 | Alphamin Resources Corp. | Marketwired
Alphamin Resources Corp. announced that the resource drilling programme at the Gecomines target on its wholly owned Bisie Tin Prospect in east central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is progressing with 1,444m of the planned 3,695m drilled to date.
DRC copper concentrate export ban won’t affect Kipoi project – Tiger | 11 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
Tiger responds on DRC copper/cobalt export ban press suggestions | 11 June 2013 | Mineweb
Australian junior copper and cobalt miner Tiger Resources has refuted speculation that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) decision to ban copper and cobalt concentrate exports would affect its Kipoi project. The ASX-listed copper miner has noted that it currently sold more than 80% of its concentrate to smelters within the DRC, adding that there was strong domestic demand for the company’s product.
Rio drops iron in Oriental province | 11 June 2013 |Africa Mining Intelligence
Rio Tinto is pulling out of Province Orientale in its turn following the withdrawal of mining giant BHP Billiton from Lower Congo in 2012 after an aluminium smelter project fell through. (Subscription required).
African Smelting wards off armed groups | 11 June 2013 |Africa Mining Intelligence
The tin smelter recently built in Sake, North Kivu, by African Smelting Group Sprl (ASG), a firm based in Goma and in Kirghizstan, will shortly start producing at a rate of 50 tons per year. (Subscription required).
Creamer Media publishes African Mining Roundup for May 2013 electronic report | 12 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
The African Mining Roundup is a synopsis of mining activity on the continent. The May 2013 roundup not only covers stories from more than 25 countries but also includes more than 110 separate news items in an easy-to-read, disaggregated format. This month’s report includes details the significant resource increase at project developer Ivanplats’ Kamoa project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Purchase required).
Uganda
Electricity
Karamoja Connected to National Power Grid | 11 June 2013 | New Vision | allAfrica
Electricity supply to Moroto district has created hope among residents that it will spur development in the area. Several people, including the business community and local leaders, said the region is destined for development because it is now connected to the national power grid.
Mining
Unwanted investors | 7 June 2013 | The Independent (Kampala)
Deep in Bukuya Sub County in Mubende district, a gold-mining company, AUC Mining Ltd owned by the British and some influential Ugandans, evicted about 400 peasants.
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
Kimberly Process
KPCS meeting closes | 7 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
A review during a week-long inter-sessional meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) acknowledged the significant impact made by the organisation on the global trade in rough diamonds.
Conflict diamonds a challenge in Africa | 7 June 2013 | Mining Weekly
Article discussing the problems surrounding the current Kimberly process and, inter alia, suggesting the possible application of the OECD guidelines in respect of diamond supply chains.
EITI
EITI Progress Report 2013 | 11 June 2013 | EITI
EITI has evolved much between the Doha Conference in 2009, the Paris Conference in 2011 and the Sydney Conference 2013. Around 50 countries are now engaged in the efforts to improve transparency of revenues from the extractives sector. The EITI Progress Report 2013 brings together highlights from the 37 countries that were implementing the EITI when the report was launched.
EU vote marks birth of global transparency standard – G8 to pick up the challenge | 12 June 2013 | Global Witness
Landmark legislation a major defeat for Big Oil and boosts UK’s G8 push for extractive industries transparency.
DRC
Dodd-Frank and conflict minerals
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act – Frequently Asked Questions – Conflict Minerals | 30 May 2013 | U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
In these Frequently Asked Questions the Division of Corporation Finance is providing guidance on various aspects of Exchange Act Section 13(p), Rule 13p-1 and Item 1.01 of Form SD relating to disclosure regarding the use of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or adjoining countries.
SEC issues guidance on conflict minerals rules | 3 June 2013 | Lexology
On May 30, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued its long anticipated guidance on the conflict minerals rules. The highly burdensome rules, which require disclosure regarding use and sources of “conflict minerals,” were mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The FAQs provide significant relief for certain kinds of manufacturers, particularly those in the food industry.
Other
DRC
Malu-Malu reappointed president of electoral commission (CENI)
RDC: la désignation du nouveau président de la Céni fait polémique | 8 June 2013 | RFI
L’Assemblée nationale congolaise vient de désigner le nouveau président de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Céni). Il s’agit de l’abbé Malu Malu. En RDC la polémique enfle à propos de la mise en place de cette nouvelle commission électorale ; et plus particulièrement sur l’abbé Malu Malu : un pro-Kabila pour l’opposition et une partie de la société civile -son église catholique ne le soutient pas. Une polémique qui n’a pas lieu d’être selon le camp présidentiel.
CENI : le come-back de l’abbé Malu Malu, le choix de l'”expérience” ? | 8 June 2013 | Jeune Afrique
L’abbé Apollinaire Malu Malu a été désigné président de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante de RDC, le 7 juin. Une nomination diversement appréciée au sein de la classe politique congolaise.
L’abbé Malu Malu revient à la Commission électorale indépendante | 8 June 2013 | Le carnet de Colette Braeckman
CENI – Malumalu à l’épreuve du calendrier | 10 June 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
L’examen de passage qui attend le nouveau bureau de la Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI), pilotée désormais par l’abbé Malumalu, reste la poursuite du processus électoral. L’élaboration du calendrier en est l’épreuve la plus cruciale.
Burundi
Contested press law
Burundi: Media Groups Face Debilitating Fines Under New Burundi Law | 6 June 2013 | International Freedom of Expression Exchange Clearing House | allAfrica
The granting of assent to the media law is a severe blow to freedom of expression in Burundi. Article 19 finds the media law to violate international standards on freedom of expression and pose a severe threat to press freedom in the country.
Loi sur les médias : le président burundais appelle les journalistes à “la patience” | 6 June 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
Pierre Nkurunziza a appelé mercredi à la “patience” les journalistes de son pays mécontents de la promulgation d’une loi controversée sur les médias.
Burundi: UN rights office urges revision of new press law to ensure freedom of expression | 7 June 2013 | UN News Centre
L’ONU demande au Burundi de revoir sa loi sur les médias | 7 June 2013 | UN News Centre
The United Nations human rights office today reiterated its call on Burundian authorities to revise a new press law to ensure that it conforms with international human rights standards and protects freedom of expression, a request that was originally.
