NEWS IN BRIEF

The UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, is verifying reports it received about gross human rights abuses including the summary killing of over 70 men and women allegedly committed by armed groups in a remote area of Masisi territory, North Kivu. In the same territory, heavy fighting continued between the army and the APCLS militia.
Further north, in Beni territory, the army claimed to have taken control of the main strongholds of the Ugandan ADF/Nalu militia, and of an important road axis in the area, though the following day a journalist travelling with the military was killed in an ambush by the same militia. ADF/Nalu is believed to be still holding several hundreds of hostages.
While the Bakata Katanga rebel group continued to attack villages in Pweto, Katanga, the UN announced it will immediately send troops to the area.
Mambasa town, in Ituri, Province Orientale, saw a clash with heavy weapons between two army units.

In the Central African Republic (CAR) often extreme sectarian violence continued, mostly by anti-balaka militias targeting Muslim civilians. French and African troops escorted convoys of Muslims fleeing the capital. France is to send an additional 400 soldiers, while CAR’s interim president Catherine Samba-Panza has called for the French military to stay until 2015. An EU force, under the name of Eufor-RCA, is expected to arrive in March.

According to the Ugandan military, LRA commander Joseph Kony’s deputy, Okot Odhiambo, may have been killed in the Central African Republic last year.

The OECD has announced it will investigate the activities of UK-listed oil company SOCO International in DRC’s Virunga National Park over alleged violations of environmental protections and human rights abuses, following a complaint filed by WWF.

In its last Supplier Responsibility report, Apple said all tantalum smelters in its supply chain had been certified by third-party auditors to be conflict-free, and that it was pushing its unaudited suppliers – mainly of gold and tin – to use verified sources of minerals.

IPIS’ Latest Publications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conflict and security

Recent news on conflict, security and arms trade across the Great Lakes Region
LRA – Kony’s deputy killed?
Kampala et Washington font état du possible décès du n°2 de la LRA | 15 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Ugandan military says senior LRA commander may have been killed | 17 February 2014 | Reuters
Un chef rebelle ougandais recherché par la CPI serait décédé en Centrafrique | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | Hirondelle News Agency
Uganda’s military said on Monday ICC-indicted Okot Odhiambo, a commander believed to be the deputy to Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony, may have been killed last year in Central African Republic where an African Union force is hunting the insurgents.

DRC

MONUSCO weekly press conference
Conférence de presse des Nations Unies du mercredi 19 février 2014 | 19 February 2014 | MONUSCO

Military operation against ADF/Nalu, Beni, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu: l’armée affirme contrôler les principaux bastions des ADF à Beni | 13 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) affirment contrôler tous les grands bastions des rebelles ougandais des ADF dans le territoire de Beni.

Nord-Kivu : les FARDC contrôlent l’axe Mbau-Kamango à Beni | 14 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les Forces armées de la RDC contrôlent depuis vendredi 14 février l’axe Mbau-Kamango dans le territoire de Beni (Nord-Kivu). Cette information est livrée par le général-major Lucien Bauma Ambamba, commandant de la 8e région militaire et de l’opération « Sokola » déclenchée contre des rebelles ougandais des ADF.

RDC: les ADF-Nalu auraient subi de lourdes pertes face à l’armée | 15 February 2014 | RFI
En République démocratique du Congo (RDC), le gouvernement a affirmé hier, vendredi 14 février, que son armée a infligé de lourdes pertes à la rébellion ougandaise de l’ADF-Nalu, tuant 230 rebelles et prenant le contrôle d’importants bastions. Une offensive des FARDC qui a débuté le 16 janvier dernier.

Beni : un journaliste succombe à ses blessures après une attaque des rebelles de l’ADF | 16 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Nord-Kivu : un journaliste congolais tué dans une embuscade | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Rebel fire kills TV journalist travelling with military | 18 February 2014 | Reliefweb | Reporters sans Frontières
A TV journalist was fatally injured during the weekend in the eastern province of Nord Kivu when the military truck in which he was travelling was ambushed by members of ADF/Nalu, a Ugandan rebel group based in the province.

Nord-Kivu : les défis à relever après la victoire sur les ADF | 16 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les militaires congolais contrôlent depuis vendredi 14 février tous les bastions des rebelles ougandais des ADF et tous les villages situés sur la route Mbau-Kamango à Beni au Nord-Kivu. Après ce succès militaire, les autorités administratives et locales ont appelé les populations à retourner dans ces zones libérées par les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC). Mais les observateurs estiment qu’à ce stade il faudrait consolider les positions des FARDC, accompagner la réinstallation des déplacés qui rentrent chez eux et réhabiliter la route Mbau-Kamango.

Nord-Kivu: un député s’inquiète du sort des otages détenus par les ADF | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
En vacances parlementaires à Beni, le députe Grégoire Kiro Tsongo invite le gouvernement à tout mettre en œuvre pour retrouver les otages détenus par les rebelles ougandais des ADF.

Alleged mass killings in Masisi, North Kivu
Martin Kobler, MONUSCO Chief, is seriously concerned by allegations of brutal acts against the population of Masisi territory | 13 February 2014 | MONUSCO
DR Congo: UN envoy heads to Kinshasa to promote regional peace accord | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Accord de paix en RDC : Robinson souhaite des résultats palpables pour la population | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Congo armed groups wielding machetes reportedly execute 70: U.N. | 13 February 2014 | Reuters
La Monusco préoccupée par des allégations d’actes cruels contre les populations à Masisi | 13 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
RDC: inquiétudes après des cas signalés de violences dans le Masisi | 14 February 2014 | RFI
UN mission to visit DR Congo ‘massacre’ site | 14 February 2014 | BBC Africa
UN blames DR Congo groups for ‘Masisi massacre’ | 14 February 2014 | BBC Africa
MONUSCO received reports about several gross human rights violations including a summary execution of over 70 men and women committed in the Nyamaboko villages I and II, Masisi territory, North Kivu province.
MONUSCO mission is on the ground to verify the allegations.

Heavy fighting between FARDC and APCLS militia, Masisi, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu : les FARDC et miliciens APCLS s’affrontent à Bukombo | 16 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Des combats opposent depuis samedi 15 février les Forces armées de la RDC et des miliciens Nyatura (sic) à Bukombo, à une dizaine de kilomètres du chef-lieu du territoire de Masisi (Nord-Kivu). Selon des sources sécuritaires dans ce territoire, un officier de l’armée congolaise et deux de ses gardes du corps seraient tués.

Nord-Kivu : les FARDC déclenchent des combats contre les APCLS à Nyabiondo | 17 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les Forces armées de la RDC sont engagées, depuis lundi 17 février dans les combats contre les rebelles de l’Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) dans la région de Nyabiondo, à une dizaine de kilomètres du territoire de Masisi (Nord-Kivu).

Nord-Kivu: l’armée déloge les miliciens APCLS de Nyabiondo | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
L’armée congolaise a délogé depuis le lundi 17 février en début d’après-midi les miliciens de l’Alliance des patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) de Nyabiondo dans le territoire de Masisi au Nord-Kivu.

Violence by and fighting between militias, Masisi, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu : la Société civile de Masisi appelle l’armée à se déployer à Mwima | 17 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le président de la Société civile de Masisi appelle l’armée à se déployer dans la localité de Mwima, à une centaine de Km à l’ouest de Goma, dans le Nord Kivu. Selon cette structure citoyenne, les milices Maï-Maï Fédération de défense pour les Congolais (FDC), Alliance du peuple pour un Congo libre (APCLS) et Nyatura y multiplient des exactions, pillages et extorsions des produits agricoles des populations. 12 personnes ont été tuées le week-end dernier durant des affrontements entre ces groupes armés, indique pour sa part l’administrateur du territoire de Masisi.

Fizi, South Kivu
Sud-Kivu: près de 500 miliciens attendent d’intégrer les FARDC à Fizi | 14 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Près de 500 miliciens attendent, depuis quelques jours, d’intégrer les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) dans les localités de Lusambo et Kashologosi, en territoire de Fizi, province du Sud-Kivu. Il s’agit des hommes fidèles au chef milicien Mayele Wilondja et ceux du chef Kashologosi.

Sud-Kivu: 10 cas de vols armés enregistrés à Fizi | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Dix cas des vols armés ont été enregistrés en l’espace d’un mois dans les localités du territoire de Fizi, à 300 km à l’Est de Bukavu (Sud-Kivu). Des témoins accusent des miliciens Maï-Maï d’être à la base de ces actes de banditisme.

Province Orientale
Province Orientale: échange de tirs entre deux unités de l’armée à Mambasa | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Deux unités de l’armée se sont tirées dessus mardi 18 février dans la cité de Mambasa, à environ 180 km au sud-ouest de Bunia, en Ituri (Province Orientale). Selon des sources locales, les militaires basés à Mambasa voulaient contrôler ceux qui revenaient du front, en territoire d’Irumu, et qui se rendaient à Kisangani.

Province Orientale – la LRA accroît sa menace à Bili | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | Le Potentiel
Des informations en provenance de la localité de Bili, en territoire de Bondo, à 500 Km au Nord de Kisangani, chef-lieu de la Province Orientale, ne sont pas rassurantes. Elles font état d’attaques des rebelles ougandais de l’Armée de résistance du seigneur (LRA) contre les habitants de cette partie de la RDC.

Province Orientale: les rebelles LRA kidnappent 19 personnes à Maziga | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les rebelles ougandais de la LRA ont tué une personne et enlevé 19 autres, en deux semaines, dans la localité de Maziga, à 700 km à l’Est de Kisangani (Province Orientale). Le président de la société civile de Niangara, Marcel Gomolo a dénoncé ce regain d’insécurité et l’absence des militaire ou policière dans la région.

Ituri : Norbert Ezadri demande aux groupes armés de profiter de l’amnistie pour désarmer | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le rapporteur de l’Assemblée nationale, Norbert Ezadri Eguma, demande aux groupes armés actifs en Ituri de déposer les armes pour bénéficier de la loi sur l’amnistie adoptée au Parlement au début du mois de février.

Katanga
UN to boost troops in DRC’s troubled Katanga Province | 13 February 2014 | IRIN
Les Nations Unies renforcent leurs troupes dans la province agitée du Katanga en RDC | 17 February 2014 | IRIN
La Monusco veut renforcer sa présence au Katanga | 13 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
U.N. to send more peacekeepers to Congo mining province | 19 February 2014 | Reuters
RDC : envoi immédiat d’une centaine de Casques bleus en renfort au Katanga (ONU) | 19 February 2014 | Reliefweb | AFP
Katanga: la Monusco va déployer des casques bleus à Pweto | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo will deploy more troops to copper-rich Katanga province to help fight worsening militia violence there, the U.N. force commander said on Wednesday.

Katanga : des miliciens Bakata Katanga attaquent les villages de Tutente et Katendezi | 14 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Des miliciens Maï-Maï Bakata Katanga ont attaqué les villages de Tutente et Katendezi dans le groupement Kasongo Mwana (Katanga) dans la nuit de mardi à mercredi 12 février.

Katanga: 261 000 USD pour reconstruire le village Kasama | 17 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les Bakata-Katanga causent des dégâts énormes au Nord de la province | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | Le Potentiel
Des dégâts matériels importans causés par les miliciens Bakata-Katanga sont surtout perceptibles dans le Nord de la province du cuivre. Le gouvernement provincial a débloqué 240 millions de francs congolais, pour la reconstruction des maisons et des écoles incendiées à Kasama (Pweto). Les miliciens Bakata-Katanga ont semé et continuent à semer la désolation dans plusieurs localités au Nord du Katanga.

Kyungu préconise la création d’emplois pour les Bakata Katanga favorables au désarmement | 17 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
« L’unique solution pour mettre fin au phénomène Bakata Katanga qui sème la mort et la désolation au sein de la population reste la création d’emplois pour occuper ceux qui acceptent de déposer les armes et le recours à la force contre ceux qui s’y refusent », a déclaré, samedi 15 février, le président de l’assemblée provinciale du Katanga, Kyungu wa Kumwanza.

UN Great Lakes envoy in Kinshasa
DR Congo: UN envoy heads to Kinshasa to promote regional peace accord | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Accord de paix en RDC : Robinson souhaite des résultats palpables pour la population | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
La société civile devrait participer à la réalisation de l’accord-cadre, souhaite Mary Robinson | 14 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Great Lakes envoy Mary Robinson is in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, calling on authorities to fulfil their commitments to achieve lasting peace, as the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC is due to visit alleged massacre sites in the restive eastern part of the vast country.

EU ready to support DDR
L’UE prête à appuyer la RDC dans la réinsertion des ex-combattants | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
L’Union européenne est prête à appuyer la RDC dans la réinsertion des ex-membres des groupes armés, a déclaré mardi 18 février l’ambassadeur de cette organisation en RDC, Jean-Michel Dumont.

Security sector reform vital to stability (EU)
L’UE juge « cruciale » la réforme de l’armée et de la police pour la stabilité en RDC | 13 February 2014 | allAfrica | Le Potentiel
L’Union européenne (UE) est « engagée dans la réforme du secteur de sécurité à Kinshasa » qu’elle juge « cruciale ».

National Human Rights Commission still not in place
RDC : le Renadhoc demande la mise en place de la Commission nationale de droit de l’Homme | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
La mise en place de la Commission nationale des droits de l’Homme (CNDH) dont le président de l’Assemblée nationale avait fait allusion au début de la session extraordinaire le 6 janvier n’a pas eu lieu.

Comments
La loi sur l’amnistie suscite la controverse | 18 February 2014 | Le carnet de Colette Braeckman
Loi d’amnistie – un chèque à blanc au M23 | 13 February 2014 | allAfrica | Le Potentiel
La loi sur l’amnistie, votée le 3 février par l’Assemblée nationale aura-t-elle pour effet de contribuer à une paix durable ou consacrera-t-elle une fois encore l’impunité ?

Le retour à la véritable paix et à la véritable sécurité à l’Est de la RDC passe par un dialogue inter-rwandais incontournable | 15 February 2014 | Digitalcongo.net | Le Potentiel

Uganda

Ugandan troops in South Sudan
South Sudan’s crisis ripples across region | 13 February 2014 | IRIN
L’impact de la crise sud-soudanaise dans la région | 17 February 2014 | IRIN
The Sudd Institute’s director of research, Augustino Ting Mayai, told IRIN that Uganda’s military involvement in South Sudan is directly related to its own interests.

Uganda’s Withdrawal From S. Sudan a Process, Not On Order – Spokesperson | 13 February 2014 | allAfrica | Sudan Tribune
A spokesperson for the Ugandan army said Friday that any move to withdraw its troops from South Sudan would be a process, not on order from western nations.

Uganda Considers Troop Withdrawal from South Sudan | 19 February 2014 | Voice of America
Uganda’s Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa says troops from the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) currently fighting rebels in neighboring South Sudan will be withdrawn beginning in April.

Central African Republic

Continued violence
1,000 Muslims Reported Trapped in CAR Town | 13 February 2014 | Voice of America
Central African Republic – Extreme Violence and Tensions in Carnot | 14 February 2014 | allAfrica | MSF
Since February 1, in Carnot, southwestern Central African Republic (CAR), nearly 1,000 people, mostly Muslim, have been trapped, surrounded and threatened by the self-defense militias known as anti-Balakas.

CAR crisis: The church sheltering Muslims | 13 February 2014 | BBC Africa
Father Xavier Fagba wandered past the wooden pews inside St Peter’s Parish Church in the small, shabby town of Boali in the Central African Republic, and patted a few children’s heads before settling down to help a tearful six-year-old girl who had stubbed her toe.

Centrafrique : les chefs des anti-balaka mettent en garde | 13 February 2014 | Afrik.com
La présidente annonce des mesures fermes contre les auteurs de violences | 13 February 2014 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Au lendemain de la déclaration de la présidente centrafricaine Catherine Samba Panza promettant “une guerre” s’ils ne cessaient pas leurs crimes contre les musulmans, les chefs autoproclamés des miliciens anti-balaka ont mis en garde, ce jeudi, contre toute attaque les visant.

Central African Republic ‘urgent test’ for UN, regional partners, Security Council told | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Centrafrique : Ban exhorte la communauté internationale à appuyer la MISCA | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
UN Chief Urges International Support for CAR | 14 February 2014 | Voice of America
Warning that “dark clouds of mass atrocities” are looming over the Central African Republic (CAR), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for solidarity and concerted action by the United Nations and regional organizations to help the people of the strife-torn nation.

UNICEF ‘horrified’ at cruelty against children in Central African Republic conflict | 14 February 2014 | UN News Centre
The United Nations children’s agency says it is horrified by the cruelty and violence being perpetrated against children in the Central African Republic (CAR), where at least 133 children have been killed or maimed in the past two months.

CAR: Girl found amongst dead bodies after village massacre | 14 February 2014 | Amnesty International
Life in the midst of horror in the Central African Republic | 18 February 2014 | Amnesty International
Girl, 11, Sole Muslim Survivor of Massacres in CAR Town | 18 February 2014 | Voice of America
An 11 year old Muslim girl has been found hiding alone in a village west of Bangui surrounded by bodies and without any food or water following a massacre four days ago.

La communauté internationale face au bourbier centrafricain | 14 February 2014 | Le Point
Le pays écumé par des groupes armés et des pillards, où l’État ne contrôle plus rien, serait en proie à un “nettoyage ethnique”.

Centrafrique: vaste opération Sangaris-Misca à Bangui | 15 February 2014 | RFI
Centrafrique : les forces internationales s’attaquent aux anti-balaka | 15 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
CAR disarmament drive fails to capture militia leader | 15 February 2014 | BBC Africa
C.A.R. Capital Tense After Militia Disarmament Operation | 16 February 2014 | Voice of America
RCA: quelques «gros poissons» anti-balaka aux mains de la Misca | 16 February 2014 | RFI
The C.A.R. capital Bangui remains tense Sunday, one day after French and African troops embarked on a major operation to disarm local militias known as the anti-balaka. Those groups are accused of carrying out revenge attacks against Muslims.

The Central African Republic: Sectarian savagery | 15 February 2014 | The Economist
The situation is still out of control, as Christian militiamen (pictured) hunt down Muslims.

Centrafrique: les Français de Sangaris en mission à Bouar | 16 February 2014 | RFI
Avec les troupes de Sangaris à Bouar en Centrafrique [Diaporama] | 19 February 2014 | RFI
Ce dimanche 16 février, les militaires de la force française Sangaris ont mené leurs premières opérations de recherches d’armes dans la ville de Bouar, dans le nord-ouest de la RCA. Objectif : désarmer les divers groupes anti-balaka.

CAR: Obituary for a village mayor | 16 February 2014 | BBC Africa
You will struggle to find Dewa Adamou’s village on a map.

Centrafrique: à Bouar, la fuite des musulmans face aux exactions | 17 February 2014 | RFI
Dans la ville de Bouar, au nord de la RCA, des milliers de musulmans ont trouvé refuge depuis un mois dans la mosquée centrale de la ville et dans l’école attenante. A présent, ces déplacés attendent leur tour pour partir, notamment au Cameroun voisin.

RCA: ouverture de la fosse commune découverte à Bangui | 17 February 2014 | RFI
La Justice expertise les corps du charnier du BSS | 17 February 2014 | Radio Ndeke Luka
A Bangui, la semaine passée, une fosse commune a été découverte dans le camp militaire du régiment de soutien situé dans le quartier des 200 Villas. Un camp utilisé par les combattants de l’ex-rébellion Seleka.

Tensions High in CAR Town of Kaga Bandoro | 17 February 2014 | Voice of America
The Central African Republic remains gripped in tit-for-tat inter-communal violence that has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes since December. In the northern town of Kaga Bandoro, tensions have been growing.

Samba-Panza en visite au Tchad | 17 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
RCA: la présidente Samba-Panza en visite au Tchad | 18 February 2014 | RFI
La présidente centrafricaine de transition Catherine-Samba Panza est au Tchad, un pays accusé d’ingérence dans la crise centrafricaine par certains députés du parlement centrafricain de transition.

Chad says U.N. force needed to stabilize Central African Republic | 18 February 2014 | Reuters
RCA: Idriss Déby interpelle l’Onu | 19 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
Tchad : Déby Itno demande à l’ONU des “moyens” pour régler la crise en Centrafrique | 19 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Chad’s President Idriss Deby has called for the creation of a U.N. peacekeeping mission to contain violence in Central African Republic, the first time the region’s military heavyweight has publicly sought U.N. intervention.

RCA : 8 morts entre Misca et anti-balaka | 18 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
Un accrochage entre miliciens anti-balaka et soldats de la force africaine en Centrafrique a fait huit morts dans le village de Cantonnier, sur la frontière avec le Cameroun dans l’Ouest du pays, selon la gendarmerie centrafricaine.

RDF Rescues 2,000 CAR Civilians From Militia, Moves Them to Safety | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | The New Times (Kigali)
Centrafrique: le Rwanda condamne les attaques de convois humanitaires | 19 February 2014 | RFI
Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) peacekeepers bravely rescued nearly 2,000 civilians in the troubled Central African Republic after the fleeing Muslim civilians came under attack from the marauding mainly Christian anti-balaka militia, the military has said.

RCA: au moins un mort pour un convoi | 18 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
Des soldats tchadiens de la force africaine chargés d’escorter un convoi musulman fuyant la capitale centrafricaine ont ouvert le feu sur des civils mardi à proximité de l’aéroport de Bangui.

International Efforts to Protect Civilians in Central African Republic Failing to Stop Slaughter | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | MSF
MSF: CAR Aid Efforts Have Failed | 18 February 2014 | Voice of America
Response to Central African Republic Crisis Is Failing, MSF Says | 18 February 2014 | Bloomberg
The extreme levels of violence against civilians and targeted killing of minority groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) illustrates the utter failure of international efforts to protect the population, said the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

RCA: Boda pleure son maire | 18 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
À Boda, à une centaine de kilomètres à l’Ouest de Bangui, le maire a récemment été assassiné. Depuis des mois, il tentait de calmer les tensions entre chrétiens et musulmans.

New fighting in Central African Republic blocks U.N. visit | 19 February 2014 | Reuters
Centrafrique: violents incidents à l’aéroport de Bangui | 19 February 2014 | RFI
Tirs nourris mercredi matin dans les quartiers du nord de Bangui | 19 February 2014 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Centrafrique: barricades à Bangui contre les forces internationales | 20 February 2014 | RFI
Heavy fighting erupted near the airport in Central African Republic’s capital Bangui on Wednesday, as Christian militia tried to block the evacuation of Muslims and disrupted a visit by a top United Nations aid official, witnesses said.

Central African Republic: amid ongoing violence, UN rights chief urges accountability | 19 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Centrafrique : l’ONU rappelle que les auteurs de crimes devront rendre des comptes | 19 February 2014 | UN News Centre
UN’s Pillay Warns CAR Sectarian Violence Getting Worse | 19 February 2014 | Voice of America
Authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) will be held personally accountable for the serious human rights violations committed in the country, Navi Pillay, the United Nations human rights chief today said, urging that every effort be made to break the cycle of violence and revenge, and to restore security and rule of law.

L’évacuation des Tchadiens de Centrafrique est terminée | 20 February 2014 | RFI
Le gouvernement tchadien a annoncé ce mercredi soir la fin des opérations de rapatriement de ses ressortissants fuyant la Centrafrique. En tout, 72 481 personnes ont réussi à rentrer au Tchad parfois, par leurs propres moyens.

Divisions within anti-balaka
RCA : vers un cantonnement des anti-balakas ? | 14 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
L’homme qui se présente comme coordonnateur général des anti-balakas explique que les anti-balakas souhaitent leur cantonnement et leur réinsertion.

CAR’s militias face identity crisis | 14 February 2014 | BBC Africa

Centrafrique : rupture consommée au sein des anti-balaka | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
RCA: les anti-balaka à la croisée des chemins | 17 February 2014 | RFI
République centrafricaine: les anti-balaka divisés | 18 February 2014 | RFI
Après l’arrestation samedi de plusieurs de ses chefs, en Centrafrique le mouvement anti-balaka apparait plus divisé que jamais.

Who Are the Anti-Balaka of the CAR? | 18 February 2014 | Voice of America
Authorities in the Central African Republic (CAR) have declared war on the anti-balaka. The militia are accused of carrying out horrific attacks against Muslim civilians that have forced tens of thousands to flee the county in the past month.

Divisions within ex-Seleka
RCA: profondes divisions chez les ex-Seleka | 14 February 2014 | RFI
Depuis le départ du président Michel Djotodia, l’ex-rébellion Seleka est divisée. Certains ont suivi l’ancien président dans son exil, d’autres ont préféré rester à Bangui alors qu’une partie a rejoint son fief dans le nord de la Centrafrique.

EU force ‘Eufor-RCA’ to deploy in March
EU force to create ‘safe haven’ in Central African Republic | 13 February 2014 | Reuters
The small military force the European Union plans to send to violence-torn Central African Republic will focus on swiftly creating a safe haven in part of the capital Bangui, its French commander said on Thursday.

EU to start sending troops to Central African Republic next month | 16 February 2014 | RFI English
RCA: renforcement prochain de la Misca et de la force Sangaris | 16 February 2014 | RFI
Several European Union countries will start deploying troops to the Central African Republic next month, according to France’s junior minister for European affairs.

Plaidoyer pour l’envoi de renforts européens en Centrafrique | 18 February 2014 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Une délégation de parlementaires français en visite en Centrafrique estime que si le mandat de l’Opération Sangaris doit être prorogé, il faudrait des renforts européens.

RCA: vers un déploiement de soldats géorgiens pour soutenir la Misca | 18 February 2014 | RFI
L’ancienne République soviétique de la Géorgie pourrait envoyer une centaine de ses soldats en Centrafrique. Elle étudie une demande récemment formulée par l’Union européenne. Pour la Géorgie, c’est une façon de se rapprocher davantage de l’UE avec qui elle doit signer cette année un accord d’association.

La brigade franco-allemande va être envoyée au Mali | 20 February 2014 | RFI
En Centrafrique, l’Union européenne a donné fin janvier son feu vert à une intervention militaire baptisée Eufor-RCA. Son déploiement est espéré autour de la mi-mars. Eufor-RCA sera pilotée depuis la base de Larissa en Grèce et devrait durer environ six mois. Sa mission consiste à sécuriser le secteur de Bangui et ses populations, notamment l’aéroport M’Poko et les grands axes de la ville. L’objectif final étant de passer le relai à la Misca.

France to send more troops and to stay longer
Général Trinquand: «Il y a un revirement important dans l’opération en RCA» | 12 February 2014 | RFI
Le général Dominique Trinquand, ancien chef de la mission militaire auprès des Nations unies, est l’invité de Caroline Paré.

France to send more troops to CAR, Hollande meets Chad’s Deby | 14 February 2014 | RFI English
La France va envoyer 400 soldats supplémentaires en Centrafrique | 14 February 2014 | RFI
France to send 400 more troops to Central African Republic | 14 February 2014 | Reuters
France Sending Additional Troops to CAR | 14 February 2014 | Voice of America
RCA: renforcement prochain de la Misca et de la force Sangaris | 16 February 2014 | RFI
France said on Friday it plans to send another 400 troops to help combat a crisis in the Central African Republic.

Centrafrique : rencontre Hollande-Déby Itno ce vendredi à Paris | 14 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Le président français François Hollande et son homologue tchadien Idriss Déby Itno évoqueront la situation en Centrafrique lors d’une rencontre, vendredi, à Paris.

French minister says CAR operation to last longer than expected | 15 February 2014 | Reuters
France’s military operation in the Central African Republic will last longer than initially planned because the situation in the country is worse than anticipated, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday.

Envoi de troupes en Centrafrique : Hollande et Ban se renvoient la balle | 14 February 2014 | Afrik.com
Le Président français François Hollande a appelé jeudi le secrétaire général de l’ONU, Ban Ki-moon, a accélérer l’envoi de Casques bleus en Centrafrique.

Centrafrique : Hollande demande à l’ONU d’accélérer l’envoi de Casques bleus | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
La France, dont les troupes ont toutes les peines du monde à sécuriser la Centrafrique, a demandé jeudi à l’ONU d’accélérer l’envoi de Casques bleus.

French MPs visit CAR ahead of vote on military intervention | 17 February 2014 | RFI English
A delegation of 10 French MPs were to travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday for a one-day visit ahead of a vote in the French parliament on whether to extend or stop the French Sangaris military operation there.

Centrafrique : Catherine Samba-Panza demande à la France de prolonger son intervention militaire | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
CAR president calls for French military to stay until 2015 | 18 February 2014 | RFI English
Centrafrique: l’opération Sangaris prolongée jusqu’en 2015? | 18 February 2014 | RFI
The president of the Central African Republic (CAR) has called for French troops to prolong their in the country until elections due in early 2015, French MPs reported after meeting her in Bangui on Monday.

Centrafrique : polémique autour de l’intervention militaire française | 18 February 2014 | Afrik.com
A peine la France a annoncé l’envoi de 400 hommes supplémentaires en Centrafrique, dans le cadre de l’opération Sangaris, que des parlementaires français débarquent à Bangui. Ces derniers sont perplexes sur la poursuite de l’opération militaire en Centrafrique.

AU assessment mission
AU Mission to Begin Assessing CAR Situation | 18 February 2014 | Voice of America
A delegation from the African Union (AU) will on Wednesday begin assessing the political and security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) as part of the continental bloc’s effort to return that country to constitutional rule after a one-year transitional period, says AU spokesman Eloi Yao.

Humanitarian news

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

DRC

ACT Alliance Alert: Democratic Republic of Congo – Assistance to Internal Displaced People (IDPs) and returnees in North Kivu Province | 13 February 2014 | Reliefweb | ACT Alliance

IOM DRC Promotes Recovery in Former Rebel-Held Areas | 14 February 2014 | Reliefweb | International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Refugee Crisis Hits CAR’s Neighbors As More Flee Violence | 15 February 2014 | Reliefweb | MSF
MSF has begun medical activities in Cameroon, Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Equateur: 350 réfugiés congolais de Bangui rapatriés par le HCR | 17 February 2014 | Radio Okapi

Nord-Kivu : plus de 1 000 déplacés arrivés à Masisi-Centre dorment à la belle étoile | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi

RDC : le rapatriement des réfugiés vivant en République du Congo continue jusqu’au 30 juin | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi

Province Orientale : l’annonce du départ du Pam inquiète les réfugiés centrafricains d’Ango | 19 February 2014 | Radio Okapi

UNOCHA bulletins
Situation humanitaire en République Démocratique du Congo – Note d’information à la presse, 12 février 2014 | 14 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNOCHA

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province Orientale N° 6/14, 18 février 2014 | 19 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNOCHA

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Katanga N° 06/14, 19 février 2014 | 19 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNOCHA

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Sud-Kivu N° 06/14, 19 février 2014 | 19 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNOCHA

Burundi

Burundi UNHCR Fact Sheet January 2014 | 15 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNHCR

UNHCR Operation in Burundi, January 2014 | 17 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNCHR

Burundi’s avoidable flood deaths | 18 February 2014 | IRIN
Building and planning code violations were largely to blame for the deaths – amid torrential rain earlier this month – of dozens of people in Burundi’s capital, and the destruction there of 3,500 homes, according to a leading urban planning expert who noted that numerous reports had warned of just such an eventuality.

Uganda

Uganda: Population Movement (as of 11 Feb 2014) | 14 February 2014 | Reliefweb | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

South Sudan’s crisis ripples across region | 13 February 2014 | IRIN
L’impact de la crise sud-soudanaise dans la région | 17 February 2014 | IRIN
Uganda is straining to host thousands of newly arrived refugees.

L’Ouganda, terre d’accueil pour les réfugiés sud-soudanais | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique

No Going Back to South Sudan, Refugees in Uganda Say | 19 February 2014 | Voice of America

Central African Republic

UN emergency fund allocates another $10 million for Central African Republic aid effort | 13 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Centrafrique : l’ONU alloue 10 millions de dollars supplémentaires pour l’aide humanitaire | 13 February 2014 | UN News Centre

Antonio Guterres: «En RCA, la solution est politique» | 13 February 2014 | RFI
Antonio Guterres, Haut commissaire des Nations unies pour les réfugiés, était à Bangui, ce mercredi 12 janvier. Au micro de RFI, il revient sur la situation humanitaire en Centrafrique.

RCA: restaurer les quartiers pour le retour des réfugiés | 13 February 2014 | RFI
En RCA, la nouvelle urgence, c’est le retour des réfugiés chez eux.

Bringing Seeds of Life to CAR | 13 February 2014 | Voice of America
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says the ongoing fighting and violence in Central African Republic are pushing the country toward a full-scale food crisis.

CAR’s Shattered Health System Needs Urgent Repair | 14 February 2014 | Voice of America
The World Health Organization reports the Central African Republic’s shattered health system is in desperate need of repair.

Refugee Crisis Hits CAR’s Neighbors As More Flee Violence | 15 February 2014 | Reliefweb | MSF
MSF has begun medical activities in Cameroon, Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Central African Republic Situation Regional Update #2 – 7 to 12 February 2014 | 17 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNHCR

Des milliers de réfugiés centrafricains ont déjà rejoint le Tchad | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | UNHCR

Crise centrafricaine – Ngaoundéré terre de transit | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | Cameroon Tribune

Central African Republic: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 14 Feb 2014) | 18 February 2014 | Reliefweb | UNOCHA

Centrafrique : un convoi du PAM en route vers Bangui | 18 February 2014 | RFI
Un convoi de plusieurs dizaines de camions a enfin pu circuler, ce mardi 18 février, sur la route qui relie le Cameroun à Bangui.

Cameroonians Evacuated From CAR As Violence Rages | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | DW
The escalating religious violence in the Central African Republic has prompted Cameroon to pull its citizens out of country.

République centrafricaine – “Je n’ai jamais vu des blessures d’une telle cruauté” | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | ICRC

Doctors Without Borders Seeks Help Treating CAR Wounded | 19 February 2014 | Voice of America

Centrafrique: avec les réfugiés de la mosquée de Bouar [Diaporama] | 19 February 2014 | RFI

Centrafrique: le Rwanda condamne les attaques de convois humanitaires | 19 February 2014 | RFI

Justice and tribunals

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

DRC

Bosco Ntaganda before ICC
Defense – Ntaganda Was a Peacemaker | 12 February 2014 | allAfrica | Lubanga trial website
Today, defense lawyers portrayed war crimes accused Bosco Ntaganda as a peace maker who was warmly welcomed by residents of a town that had been besieged by a murderous ethnic militia.

Try Ntaganda, Prosecutors Ask ICC Judges | 13 February 2014 | allAfrica | Lubanga trial website
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors have dismissed as “far from the truth” claims that Bosco Ntaganda’s militia group worked for peace and embraced people from all ethnic groups.

Congolese Rebel Leader Faces 18 Counts at ICC | 13 February 2014 | Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Court must decide whether prosecution case is strong enough to bring Bosco Ntaganda to trial.

Ntaganda Confirmation of Charges Hearing Ends | 14 February 2014 | allAfrica | Lubanga trial website
Procès Ntaganda: l’accusation a présenté ses preuves | 15 February 2014 | RFI
On the last day of Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda’s confirmation of charges hearings at the International Criminal Court (ICC), his lawyers told judges the charges against him were based on “incorrect information.”

ICC Bemba trial
Lawyer Asks Judges to Bar Prosecutor From Contacting Bemba’s Witnesses | 19 February 2014 | allAfrica | Bemba trial website
Jean-Pierre Bemba’s lawyers have asked International Criminal Court (ICC) judges to bar prosecutors from contacting witnesses who testified in support of the Congolese opposition leader. They argued that this was to ensure the safety and security of individuals, including those “actively serving in extremely sensitive operations.”

British-Norwegian sentenced to life imprisonment
British-Norwegian found guilty of killing cell mate in Congo jail | 19 February 2014 | Reuters
Joshua French gets life for killing Tjostolv Moland in Congo | 19 February 2014 | BBC Africa
RDC : accusé du meurtre de son codétenu, un Norvégien est condamné à la prison à vie | 19 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
British ex-soldier handed life sentence in Congo for killing best friend | 19 February 2014 | The Guardian
A court in Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday found a British-Norwegian dual national guilty of killing his cell mate at a military prison where the two men were serving life sentences.

Rwanda

Simbikangwa genocide trial in Paris
Rwanda – Procès Simbikangwa : le génocide expliqué aux Français | 14 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Que savent les habitants de l’Hexagone des massacres de 1994 ? Peu de chose. Le procès Simbikangwa est l’occasion de les éclairer.

Procès Simbikangwa : les Tutsi, des “cancrelats” ? C’est leur faute, affirme l’accusé | 15 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique | AFP
“Inyenzi” : cancrelats, ou cafards, le mot a désigné les Tutsi dans les années menant au génocide de 1994 au Rwanda. Cette déshumanisation a favorisé les massacres, selon des experts au procès à Paris de Pascal Simbikangwa, lequel assure que les rebelles tutsi s’étaient choisi ce nom.

Procès Simbikangwa : les années précédant le génocide rwandais | 17 February 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Le procès de Pascal Simbikangwa est entré lundi dans sa troisième semaine. Au menu : le parcours de l’accusé, premier Rwandais jugé en France pour le génocide de 1994, dans les années précédant le drame.

Procès de Pascal Simbikangwa: témoignage de l’ancien ambassadeur belge | 17 February 2014 | RFI
Après deux semaines consacrées à brosser un portrait de l’accusé et de l’histoire du Rwanda, le procès de Pascal Simbikangwa, premier Rwandais jugé en France pour le génocide de 1994, se poursuit. Ce lundi 17 février, l’ancien ambassadeur belge à Kigali au moment du génocide est venu témoigner.

Procès de Pascal Simbikangwa: un portrait peu flatteur de l’accusé | 18 February 2014 | RFI
De nouveaux témoins se sont exprimés, ce lundi 17 février, sur le premier Rwandais poursuivi en France pour crimes liés au génocide, près de 20 ans après ce drame. Décrit comme un homme de l’ombre à la « réputation redoutable », accusé de torture depuis deux semaines, les différents témoignages éclairent sur ce personnage peu connu.

Procès Simbikangwa: un ancien Premier ministre rwandais à la barre | 18 February 2014 | RFI
Ce mardi, 18 février, c’est l’ancien Premier ministre du Rwanda, Faustin Twagiramungu qui était appelé à témoigner, par la défense.

Procès Simbikangwa: un témoin dit avoir été torturé par l’accusé | 19 February 2014 | RFI
Le procès de Pascal Simbikangwa, premier Rwandais jugé en France en lien avec le génocide, s’est poursuivit ce mercredi devant la cour d’assises de Paris avec le témoignage de Sam Gody. Celui-ci, qui était à l’époque rédacteur-en-chef de Kiberinka, un journal d’opposition, a témoigné à la barre et accusé Pascal Simbikangwa de l’avoir torturé au début de l’année 1992.

Former mayor convicted in Germany’s first genocide trial
Verdict Awaited in Germany’s First Rwandan Genocide Trial | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | DW
Allemagne – Verdict mardi pour un ancien maire accusé de génocide | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | Hirondelle News Agency
A court in Frankfurt is to pass a verdict in the case of a former Rwandan mayor accused of organizing one of the massacres in the 1994 genocide. He had sought asylum in Germany and denies the charges.

German Court Sentences Rwandan Ex-Mayor On Genocide Charges | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | DW
German court finds Rwanda mayor guilty of assisting genocide | 18 February 2014 | Reuters
Rwanda genocide: German court jails ex-mayor Rwabukombe | 18 February 2014 | BBC Africa
Allemagne: première condamnation d’un génocidaire rwandais | 18 February 2014 | RFI
Génocide des Tutsis – Un ex-maire rwandais condamné en Allemagne | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | Hirondelle News Agency
A German court has sentenced a former mayor to 14 years in prison for his role in the Rwandan genocide. It was the first trial connected with the genocide to have taken place in Germany.

Kigali se félicite du premier jugement en Allemagne lié au gébnocide des Tutsis | 19 February 2014 | allAfrica | Hirondelle News Agency

Rwabukombe’s Trial Sends Out a Strong Signal to Fugitives | 20 February 2014 | allAfrica | The New Times (Kigali)

Probe into Rwandan priest in UK
Rwandan priest in UK faces probe over allegations of role in 1994 genocide | 15 February 2014 | The Guardian
How ‘accomplice’ to Rwanda genocide turned up in a rural English pulpit | 15 February 2014 | The Guardian
Rt Rev Jonathan Ruhumuliza was a bishop in Rwanda, where he is accused of being a ‘propagandist’ for Hutu extremists.

“Terror trial” in Kigali
«Procès de la terreur» à Kigali: le film des aveux de Mutabazi diffusé | 13 February 2014 | RFI
Joël Mutabazi, ancien membre de la garde présidentielle et 15 autres Rwandais sont accusés d’avoir participé aux attaques à la grenade qui ont eu lieu au Rwanda depuis 2010.

Terror Trial – Lt. Joel Mutabazi’s Co-Accused Refuses to Speak in Court | 13 February 2014 | The New Times
The trial of Lt Joel Mutabazi, who is accused of treason and terrorism along with 15 others, resumed yesterday at the Military High Court in Kanombe with one of the co-accused, Joseph Nshimiyimana, refusing to respond to charges against him.

Rwanda: le «procès de la terreur » reporté | 14 February 2014 | RFI

«Procès de la terreur» : la crainte des violences en détention | 15 February 2014 | RFI

Natural resource exploitation, governance and trade

Minerals, energy (oil & gas, hydro and solar), poaching, logging, foreign investment, trade, environmental issues
Poaching
Global Poaching Trade Worth $10 Billion a Year, Chatham Says | 13 February 2014 | Bloomberg
Smuggling of endangered species and their products mainly from sub-Saharan Africa by international organized crime rings and armed groups is worth as much as $10 billion a year, Chatham House said.

DRC

OECD to examine SOCO oil exploration in Virunga National Park
SOCO Respects OECD Guidelines and Expects National Contact Point Initial Assessment | 13 February 2014 | PRNewswire | SOCO International plc
SOCO International plc is expecting the imminent publication of the Initial Assessment of the case under consideration by the OECD for potential breach of the voluntary Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises brought by WWF.

UK Government set to examine Soco’s activities in Virunga National Park | 14 February 2014 | WWF
The UK Government is set to examine the activities of Soco, a London-based oil company, over alleged violations of environmental protections and human rights abuses in a protected African World Heritage Site.

OECD to investigate Soco oil exploration in DRC | 14 February 2014 | This is Africa
Parc des Virunga – L’OCDE accepte la plainte de WWF contre Soco International PLC | 15 February 2014 | allAfrica | Les Dépêches de Brazzaville
After heated campaigns by civil society groups, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has announced that it will examine the activities of the UK-listed oil company Soco International in Africa’s oldest national park.

OECD offers to mediate on oil exploration in Congo gorilla park | 14 February 2014 | Reuters
The OECD has offered to mediate between British oil company Soco International (SIA.L) and conservation group WWF to determine whether exploration in the last refuge of Congo’s mountain gorillas violates the organisation’s ethical standards.

Apple pushes suppliers to avoid using conflict minerals
Apple weeds out conflict metals from iPhone and iPad | 13 February 2014 | PC Pro
Supplier Responsibility 2014 Progress Report | 13 February 2014 | Apple Inc.
In its latest report on supplier responsibility, Apple said every smelter and refiner that provides tantalum metal to its suppliers had been designated conflict-free by a third-party auditor. It is also “pushing” its remaining suppliers – primarily gold and tin suppliers based in South Africa, Russia, China and Japan – to use verified sources of minerals.

Apple in conflict mineral ‘name and shame’ crackdown | 13 February 2014 | BBC Africa
Apple has begun publicising which of its suppliers may be sourcing minerals from conflict zones.

Greenpeace praises Apple for reducing use of conflict minerals | 13 February 2014 | Los Angeles Times
Apple released its annual supplier responsibility report Thursday, drawing praise from Greenpeace for steps the company has taken to reduce use of conflict minerals in its products.

Apple plans to cease using conflict minerals | 14 February 2014 | The Guardian
Apple prend des mesures contre les « minerais du conflit » | 15 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Supplies of cobalt, tin and gold will follow tantalum in being sourced only from conflict-free smelters.

Semi-industrial gold exploitation suspended in Shabunda, South Kivu
Sud-Kivu : suspension de l’exploitation semi-industrielle de l’or dans la rivière Ulindi | 12 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
L’administrateur du territoire de Shabunda, Daniel Eloko Nsala, a suspendu depuis mardi 11 février l’exploitation semi-industrielle de l’or dans la rivière Ulindi, à Shabunda, dans le Sud-Kivu. Il reproche aux exploitants de ne pas réaliser des actions de développement à impact visible au profit de la population locale.

Artisanal miners killed in Katanga
Katanga : échauffourées dans la concession de Tenke Fungurume, un creuseur tué | 16 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Un creuseur est mort lors des échauffourées entre ses collègues, la police des mines et la garde industrielle de l’entreprise minière Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM), dans la concession de cette entreprise à 200 km de Lubumbashi, samedi 15 février.

Un homme tué dans un éboulement d’une usine à Likasi | 19 February 2014 | Digitalcongo.net | ACP
Selon des sources, Sam Lufuma, résidant au camp SNCC/Likasi, creuseur artisanal des minerais, s’était introduit dimanche dans une galerie où il a été surpris par cet éboulement qui la tué sur le champ.

Probe into mining pollution in Katanga
Le ministre de l’environnement annonce une enquête sur la pollution à Likasi et Kambove | 18 February 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le gouvernement requerra une expertise internationale pour enquêter sur la pollution du sol et des cours d’eau à Likasi et Kambove dans la province du Katanga.
Le gouvernement central avait déjà diligenté une mission dans ces deux entités après que l’ONG Umoja a accusé quatorze entreprises minières de polluer le milieu, en octobre dernier.

Kilo Goldmines
Kilo Goldmines Ltd.: Gold Geochemistry Anomalies Delineated on Ngazi Licence, Somituri Project, DRC | 18 February 2014 | Kilo Goldmines Ltd. | Marketwired
Toronto, Ontario – Kilo Goldmines Ltd. is pleased to announce results and interpretation of the detailed in-fill soil geochemical survey on the northern portion of the Ngazi Exploitation Licence of the Somituri Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Armadale
Armadale places bet on Mpokoto’s gold | 18 February 2014 | Africa Mining Intelligence
Discovered and explored by Gold Fields and Cluff Gold, Mpokoto’s gold now seems likely to actually be mined. Lying in Katanga near the closed manganese mine of Kisenge, the Mpokoto project was recently acquired by Armadale Capital, an Australian investment firm which started focussing on mineral resources a while back.

Tenke Fungurume Mining
TFM/SNEL: Kapanga rejects electricity change | 18 February 2014 | Africa Mining Intelligence
The Societe Nationale d’Electricite (SNEL) is under pressure ever since Congo-K’s prime minister, Matata Ponyo, ordered it to share-out of power equally between mining companies that are both long-established in Katanga and newcomers.

Sosider
United States/Congo-K: Jack Morrison | 18 February 2014 | Africa Mining Intelligence
A lot of questions surround 63-year-old Jack Morrison, chief executive officer and owner of the firm Global ITCM, which is registered in Florida but has its main address in Honolulu, where Morrison also lives.

Delrand Resources
DRC explorer warns of impending funding crunch, narrows half-year loss | 18 February 2014 | Mining Weekly
Democratic Republic of the Congo- focused mineral explorer Delrand Resources has narrowed its half-year loss from C$149 298 for the prior year’s comparable period to C$101 564 for the six months ended December 31, 2013, mainly as a result of lower consulting and professional fees.
This came as the company continued to advance the exploration and evaluation of several mineral properties across the DRC, including its Coexco and Bomili diamond exploration permit areas, in the Bafwasende region, and on a selection of targets in the DRC’s Kasai provinces.

Panex Resources
Panex Resources Inc.: Significant Drilling Results From Giro Gold Project, Moto Belt, DRC | 13 February 2014 | Panex Resources Inc. | Marketwired
Zug, Switzerland – Panex Resources Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received results for the first twelve holes drilled on its highly prospective Giro Gold Project. The Giro Project covers a surface area of 610sqkm and lies within the Kilo-Moto Belt in one of the world’s principal greenstone belts which hosts Randgold Resources’ multi-million ounce Kibali Gold deposits within 30km of Giro, Anglogold Ashanti’s deposits to the east, Loncore and Kilogold deposits to the south and 50Moz of gold discovered in Tanzania since 1994.

AngloGold
AngloGold Skips Dividend Even as Production Rises, Costs Fall | 19 February 2014 | Bloomberg
AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., the world’s third-largest producer of the metal, withheld a dividend for the second half of 2013 even as it increased annual production for the first time in nine years and lowered costs.
AngloGold, with 23 operations in 11 countries, is cutting expenses and exiting higher-cost sites as it seeks to remain profitable at a gold price that is more than 20 percent lower than the beginning of last year. Production in Africa, boosted by AngloGold’s Kibali mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was the highest since 2005 and output in the Americas was the most on record, Chief Executive Officer Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan said.

Gecamines
La Gecamines envisage de construire une centrale hydroélectrique d’ici 2017 | 19 February 2014 | allAfrica | Le Potentiel
L’énergie électrique de la Société nationale d’électricité (Snel) est jugée insuffisante pour les entreprises minières. Pour faire face à cette insuffisance, la Gecamines envisage la construction de sa propre centrale électrique dans la province du Katanga.

Illegal logging
La société civile environnementale dénonce l’exploitation illégale des forêts | 13 February 2014 | Digitalcongo.net
La Société Civile environnementale a appelé lundi le gouvernement à prendre toutes les mesures urgentes pour faire stopper l’exploitation illégale des forêts.

Uganda

Oil
Tullow sees bright future despite tough 2013 | 16 February 2014 | The Observer (Kampala)
A $473m tax dispute continues to loom large over Tullow’s books of accounts, with the company recording a significant slump in profit, which is slightly overshadowed by its widening asset base.

Insurance Institute Eyes Oil Sector Risks | 16 February 2014 | allAfrica | The Observer (Kampala)
As part of activities to marks its 50th anniversary, the Insurance Institute of Uganda (IIU) has organised a seminar to discuss risks associated with the oil and gas sector.

Mining – hydropower
Kilembe Mines to Produce 12 Megawatts | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | The Observer (Kampala)
Tibet Hima, the consortium that took over Kilembe Mines Limited, has announced that it will upgrade electricity generation capacity on River Mubuku from the 5MW to 12MW.

Regulation, voluntary initiatives, and CSR

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

DRC

Apple in conflict mineral ‘name and shame’ crackdown | 13 February 2014 | BBC Africa
Apple has begun publicising which of its suppliers may be sourcing minerals from conflict zones.

Other

DRC

Vital Kamerhe: Kabila’s public enemy number one? – By Kris Berwouts | 17 February 2014 | African Arguments
On Friday 7th and Sunday 9th of February, the Congolese opposition leader Vital Kamerhe and a delegation of his party tried to take a plane from Kinshasa to Goma, to complete a tour through eastern Congo. The authorities prevented his departure twice.

Rwanda

Opposition towards alliance
Rwanda: vers une alliance de l’opposition | 17 February 2014 | RFI
L’opposition rwandaise sur la voie d’une alliance. Six partis politiques ont tenu une réunion, le samedi 15 février, à Bruxelles pour annoncer un premier rapprochement et ils ont jusqu’au 1er mars pour officialiser cette alliance. En attendant, ils ont créé un comité élargi pour élaborer une plate-forme commune et un code de conduite.

Burundi

UN mission extended
Security Council extends UN mission in Burundi until December 2014 | 13 February 2014 | UN News Centre
U.N. Security Council renews Burundi mission amid political crisis | 13 February 2014 | Reuters
The Security Council today renewed until the end of the year the United Nations mission helping Burundi recover from decades of ethnic war, despite the Central African country’s request to end it earlier, as it moves towards crucial elections amid political violence and intra-party tensions.

Burundi: Rising Threats to Democracy, Peace | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | AfricaFocus

Political crisis
Burundi: des opposants tutsi arrêtés | 16 February 2014 | BBC Afrique
La police a dispersé dimanche à Bujumbura un rassemblement politique en procédant à des arrestations de leaders dont trois membres du principal parti tutsi du Burundi.

Burundi army won’t intervene in political crisis: minister | 17 February 2014 | Reuters
Burundi’s national army said on Monday it would not intervene in the worst political crisis to grip the east African country since a 12-year civil war ended nearly a decade ago.

Burundi president appoints ministers to end crisis, rivals reject move | 18 February 2014 | Reuters
Burundi: nouvel épisode dans la crise entre le pouvoir et l’Uprona | 18 February 2014 | RFI
Burundi’s president appointed three ministers from his junior coalition partner in a bid to end a political crisis on Tuesday, but a rival group in the party rejected the candidates and said it no longer considered itself part of the government.

Burundi : quand le président Nkurunziza s’immisce dans les affaires de l’Uprona | 18 February 2014 | IRIN
L’Union pour le progrès national (Uprona), principal allié du CNDD-FDD, au pouvoir au Burundi, est au bord de l’explosion. À la manœuvre, le camp du président Pierre Nkurunziza déterminé à affaiblir une formation politique qui s’est prononcée contre un troisième mandat de son champion.

Sacking of Vice President Tilts Burundi Into Crisis | 19 February 2014 | allAfrica | DW
In Burundi, there are growing strains within the fragile coalition. At issue is whether President Pierre Nkurunziza should run for a third term – and the future of an alliance of ex-civil war foes.

ICG report
Fields of Bitterness (II): Restitution and Reconciliation in Burundi | 17 February 2014 | International Crisis Group
Les terres de la discorde (II) : restitution et réconciliation au Burundi | 17 February 2014 | International Crisis Group
To avoid a revival of past ethnic tensions between Hutu and Tutsi, Burundi needs to find the right balance between land restitution and national reconciliation.

Uganda

Anti-homosexuality bill
Obama Condemns Uganda’s Tough Antigay Measure | 16 February 2014 | The New York Times
Obama Condemns Uganda Law Criminalizing Homosexuality | 16 February 2014 | Voice of America
Ugandan anti-gay law is huge step backwards, says Barack Obama | 16 February 2014 | The Guardian
Barack Obama warns Uganda’s Museveni over anti-gay bill | 17 February 2014 | BBC Africa
Enacting Anti-Gay Law Will Complicate U.S.-Uganda Relations, Obama Says | 17 February 2014 | allAfrica | The Independent (Kampala)
President Obama on Sunday condemned a measure to criminalize homosexuality in Uganda, publicly warning the country’s president that such discrimination could harm its relationship with the United States.

Making Sense of Museveni’s Decision to Sign the Anti-Homosexual Bill | 16 February 2014 | allAfrica | The Independent (Kampala)
Below are the President’s remarks on decision to sign anti-homosexual bill at the closing ceremony of the 10-day retreat of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, 16th February 2014:

Uganda dismisses Obama pressure on anti-gay law | 18 February 2014 | Reuters
Uganda on Tuesday dismissed U.S. president Barack Obama’s call to its leader Yoweri Museveni not to sign an anti-homosexuality law, saying the U.S. was trying to blackmail the east African country.

Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill has ‘serious human rights implications’ – UNAIDS | 18 February 2014 | UN News Centre
Ouganda : l’ONUSIDA appelle à ne pas promulguer une loi visant les homosexuels | 18 February 2014 | UN News Centre
The United Nations agency leading the global HIV/AIDS response warned today that the signing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda would have “serious human rights implications” and urged protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people around the world.

European Statement On Anti-Homosexuality Bill | 18 February 2014 | allAfrica | European Union External Action
Statement by European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton on anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda: “I am deeply concerned about the news that Uganda will enact draconian legislation to criminalise homosexuality. The EU deplores discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It is firmly committed to fundamental human rights and the rule of law in respect of those rights, including freedom of association, conscience and speech and the equality of persons.”

Uganda: Anti-Homosexuality Law Will Come at a Serious Cost | 19 February 2014 | Human Rights Watch
Uganda’s pending Anti-Homosexuality bill violates the country’s human rights obligations and is a barrier to advancing critical public health goals.Uganda’s international donor partners should clearly and publicly specify the consequences for relations with Uganda if the Anti-Homosexuality bill becomes law. Uganda’s parliament passed the bill on December 20, 2013, and President Yoweri Museveni has indicated that he intends to sign the bill.

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.

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

Weekly Briefing: 13TH – 19TH February 2014

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