BRIEFING

Weekly Briefing: 28TH November – 4TH December

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HEADLINES


– DR Congo:
·  UN launches first surveillance drones to monitor armed groups
·  Mai-Mai Cheka militia pulls out of Pinga, North Kivu (UN)

– Central African Republic:
·  ex-Seleka rebels seen leaving capital Bangui before arrival more French troops
·  Christian ‘anti-balaka’ militia suspected of killings in Boali
·  heavy fighting in capital Bangui
·  UN Security Council authorises African and French troops to restore order
·  senior LRA commander killed by Ugandan soldiers

 

IPIS News


* The briefing is going on a winter break, in which we’ll conduct a reader’s survey. We’ll be back mid-January in an new format.

* IPIS and Action Aid’s “Oil in Uganda” project will be conducting a capacity-building session on Business & Human Rights in Kampala, Uganda, on December 9 and 10, 2013.
The event’s full title is: What does “business and human rights” mean and how can we bring about a healthy relationship between the two?
Participants registered so far include private sector representatives as well as Ugandan and international nongovernmental organizations based in Kampala and in the oil-rich region of the country.
For further information, please contact Anna Bulzomi (anna.bulzomi@ipisresearch.be) and Gabriella Wass (gabriella.wass@ipisresearch.be).

 

 

IPIS’ Latest Publications


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.

 

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)
The African Union-Led Regional Task Force scores success against the Lord’s Resistance Army | 29 November 2013 | African Union | Reliefweb
Ugandan Rebels On the Run, Says African Union | 2 December 2013 | Sudan Tribune | allAfrica
Since the launch of its “Operation Monsoon” against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), on 9 August 2013, the Regional Task Force (RTF) of the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the LRA (RCI-LRA) has continued to exert sustained pressure on the LRA in the Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and parts of South Sudan. On 28 November 2013, the RTF scored a major success against the LRA, by destroying one of its key camps located in the CAR.

UPDF kills top Kony commander in ambush | 1 December 2013 | Daily Monitor
African Troops Kill Senior LRA Commander, Uganda Says | 3 December 2013 | Reuters
Ugandan Soldiers Kill Senior Lord’s Resistance Army Leader | 3 December 2013 | Bloomberg
Ugandan soldiers killed a senior commander in the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army, ‘Col.’ Samuel Kangul, in an operation in Central African Republic backed by U.S. forces.

When Kony goes quiet | 1 December 2013 | Good Governance Africa
Attacks by the violent and mystical Lord’s Resistance Army may be diminishing, but fear of their resurgence remains high.

LRA Crisis Tracker – Q3 Security Brief July–September 2013 | 4 December 2013 | Resolve, Invisible Children
Sharp decrease in LRA killings and abductions
LRA attacks rise in Congo, fall in CAR
Destruction of LRA camps in Congo

 

 

DRC

MONUSCO weekly press conference
Conférence de presse des Nations Unies du mercredi 4 décembre 2013 | 4 December 2013 | MONUSCO

Kabila and Museveni want conclusion to Kampala talks
Congo’s President in Uganda for talks on stalled peace deal | 2 December 2013 | Reuters
Kampala : rencontre entre Joseph Kabila et Yoweri Museveni | 2 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s president, Joseph Kabila, flew into Uganda on Monday for talks aimed at reviving a peace deal between his government and rebel fighters, a Ugandan official said.

Congo’s Kabila wants to conclude talks with rebels: statement | 3 December 2013 | Reuters
Les présidents ougandais et congolais veulent une reprise des discussions avec le M23 | 2 December 2013 | RFI
Kabila et Museveni veulent l’aboutissement des pourparlers de Kampala avec le M23 | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
Congo’s president wants talks with rebels in the country’s east concluded as soon as possible, Ugandan and Congolese statements said, although there was no sign of a breakthrough on the wording of an accord that scuppered a signing last month.

UN Special Envoy on tour in DRC
RDC: pour entamer le développement, il faut désarmer tous les groupes rebelles (Robinson) | 29 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
Mary Robinson : «les pays signataires de l’accord cadre doivent tenir leurs promesses» | 30 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
L’envoyée spéciale de l’ONU dans les Grands-Lacs, Mary Robinson, a estimé vendredi que le développement de la République démocratique du Congo dépendait du désarmement de tous les groupes armés encore actifs dans l’est du pays.

RDC – Mary Robinson : faites l’accord, pas la guerre ! | 4 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
En tournée dans la région des Grands Lacs, l’envoyée spéciale de l’ONU a appelé la RD Congo à négocier avec la rébellion du M23.

US Special Envoy travels to Europe and Rwanda
Special Envoy Feingold’s Travel to Europe and Rwanda | 3 December 2013 | US Department of State
Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo Russell D. Feingold will travel to Kigali and Paris to meet with government representatives and Great Lakes heads of state this week.

UN inaugurates drones to monitor armed groups
UN peacekeeping chief in Eastern DR Congo to inaugurate new protection technology, sees progress | 2 December 2013 | UN News Centre
Drone Surveillance Begins in Congo | 2 December 2013 | Reuters | The New York Times
Les drones de surveillance aérienne bientôt opérationnels en RDC | 2 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
RDC : l’ONU va déployer ses premiers drones à Goma | 2 December 2013 | RFI
The United Nations will start using surveillance drones for the first time in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, United Nations officials said Monday. The drones will be used to monitor the volatile border between Congo and Rwanda and the movements of armed groups in the region. The mission will start with two drones, built by an Italian company, officials said.

Clark – “Concerns About New Use of Drones” | 2 December 2013 | DW | allAfrica
A new fleet of drones is set to make its first flight over the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, an area where one rebel group, the M23, was recently defeated, but where many others still operate.

UN launches unmanned surveillance aircraft to better protect civilians in vast DR Congo | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
RDC: vol inaugural du premier drone de surveillance de la MONUSCO | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
U.N. forces use drones for first time, in eastern Congo | 3 December 2013 | Reuters
UN starts drone surveillance in DR Congo | 3 December 2013 | BBC Africa
UN Launching Drones Over DRC | 3 December 2013 | Voice of America
RDC: vol inaugural du premier aéronef non armé et sans pilote de la Monusco | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
RDC: le drone de l’ONU a fait son premier vol au-dessus du Nord-Kivu | 3 December 2013 | RFI
UN launches spy drones to pressure rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo | 4 December 2013 | The Guardian
With top United Nations and Government officials and a crowd of reporters looking on, the world Organization today launched its first-ever unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in the interest of better protecting civilians in the restive east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Uganda Hopeful UN Drones Will Help Combat ADF | 4 December 2013 | Voice of America
Uganda’s military is welcoming the deployment of U.N. drones over its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Officers hope the drones will help combat a Ugandan rebel group, the ADF, that hides out in the eastern DRC.

Armed groups
Nord-Kivu : après le M23, la Monusco cible les FDLR | 29 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
« Après le succès contre le M23, la priorité de la Monusco est de combattre les FDLR ». Le Représentant spécial du secrétaire général de l’Onu en RDC, Martin Kobler l’a déclaré à Radio Okapi jeudi 29 novembre à Goma.

Congolese president says fight against rebels not over | 1 December 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Joseph Kabila said Sunday the fight against insurgents in the country’s conflict-torn east was not over despite the recent defeat of the M23 rebels. Delivering the keynote speech of a 1,200-kilometre (750-mile) tour of the mineral-rich but deeply unstable region, Kabila said the surrender of the M23 army mutineers was just one stage in an offensive against armed groups that have harrowed the east for decades.

Groupes armés actifs en R. D. Congo – Situation dans le « Grand Kivu » au 2ème semestre 2013 | 2 December 2013 | GRIP
L’objectif de la présente étude est de donner un descriptif de la situation des groupes armés actifs dans l’est du Congo, en particulier dans les provinces du Nord-Kivu, du Sud-Kivu et du Maniema, telle qu’elle l’était en cette seconde moitié de l’année 2013.

UN force to go after other armed groups in DR Congo | 3 December 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
The United Nations on Tuesday announced its peacekeeping troops will go after other armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after helping to defeat the M23 rebel force. Tackling such groups is now “a prospect” for the UN’s 20,000-strong MONUSCO force and “that’s just what we are going to do,” the head of UN peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, said in the northeastern city of Goma, capital of strife-torn North Kivu province.

RDC : que reste-t-il des FDLR ? | 3 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
RDC: la pression monte sur les rebelles FDLR rwandais | 5 December 2013 | RFI
Après la fin de la rébellion du Mouvement du 23-Mars (M23), les rebelles des Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) sont la prochaine cible de la brigade d’intervention des Nations unies, dans sa mission de neutralisation des groupes armés de la partie est de la RDC. Quelle menace les FDLR représentent-elles dans le Kivu ? Décryptage.

Goma : la nouvelle structure de démobilisation manque de moyens suffisants | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La nouvelle structure de désarmement, démobilisation et réinsertion (DDR-III) ne dispose pas d’assez de moyens logistiques et financiers. Le ministre de la Défense, Alexandre Luba Ntambo a confirmé sa mise en place. Cependant, Il a indiqué que cette structure aura besoin de l’appui de la communauté internationale comme les précédentes.

Hervé Ladsous : «Il faut offrir aux ex-combattants une perspective qui les empêche de récidiver» | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
«Il faut offrir aux ex-combattants une perspective sinon ils seront tentés de repartir à leurs crimes passés», a estimé mercredi 4 décembre le secrétaire général adjoint des Nations unies chargé de maintien de la paix, Hervé Ladsous.

After M23: Bunagana border post reopened, Rutshuru, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu : le poste frontalier de Bunagana rouvert | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La RDC perdait chaque mois quelque six millions de FC au poste de Bunagana pendant l’occupation du M23 | 3 December 2013 | Digitalcongo.net
Le gouvernement congolais a ordonné la réouverture du poste frontalier de Bunagana, fermé pendant plus d’une année à cause de l’occupation du M23.

Families flee FDLR in northwestern Rutshuru, North Kivu
Nord-Kivu : 800 familles à Kanyabayonga pour fuir les rebelles rwandais des FDLR | 2 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
En RDC, des familles fuient les zones contrôlées par les rebelles du FDLR | 4 December 2013 | RFI
Huit-cents familles des villages de Lusowa, Buheri, Bulindi et Burumbule, dans la chefferie-collectivité de Buito, sont arrivés en trois jours dans le groupement de Kanyabayonga, dans le territoire du même nom, au Nord-Kivu. Ils fuient la menace des rebelles rwandais des FDLR contre leurs localités situées à environ 150 Km au nord de Goma.

Mai-Mai Cheka leave Pinga, North Kivu
RDC: une milice accusée de tueries et viols massifs rend les armes (Kobler) | 29 November 2013 | AFP | Reliefweb
Nord-Kivu : Pinga et ses alentours libérés des Maï-Maï Cheka, selon Martin Kobler | 30 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le chef de la Monusco, Martin Kobler, a annoncé vendredi 29 novembre que la localité de Pinga et ses alentours, dans le Nord-Kivu, ont été libérés depuis 36 heures des combattants de Nduma Défense of Congo (NDC) du chef milicien Cheka.

Beni, North Kivu
Beni: Martin Kobler dément les allégations de cannibalisme portées contre des casques bleus | 28 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Des véhicules de la Monusco ont été caillasses ces deux derniers jours à Beni (Nord-Kivu) par des manifestants en colère, accusant des casques bleus basés dans cette entité de cannibalisme. Le patron de la Monusco, Martin Kobler, a démenti jeudi 28 novembre ces allégations contre la mission onusienne, les qualifiant de “graves”.

Nord-Kivu : les ADF/NALU se cherchent des boucliers humains pour échapper aux Fardc | 3 December 2013 | Le Potentiel | Digitalcongo.net
En territoire de Beni, dans la province du Nord-Kivu, les rebelles ougandais des ADF/NALU se cherchent des boucliers humains pour échapper à la frappe annoncée par le chef de l’Etat Joseph Kabila.

Shabunda, South Kivu
Shabunda : la société civile réclame un centre de regroupement pour les Raia Mutomboki démobilisés | 29 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Un centre de regroupement pour les miliciens Raia Mutomboki démobilisés doit être mis en place à Shabunda-Centre pour mieux contrôler leurs mouvements.

Uvira, South Kivu
Sud-Kivu : 1 mort et 20 blessés dans l’explosion d’une grenade à Uvira | 28 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Une personne est morte et vingt autres grièvement blessées mercredi 27 novembre lors de l’explosion d’une grenade dans un marché de Mulongwe dans la cité d’Uvira au Sud-Kivu. Selon la police qui a livré l’information, cet engin a été lancé par des hommes armés dont l’identité n’est pas encore connue.

Uvira : la société civile demande au gouvernement de résoudre les conflits entre les communautés de Ruzizi | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La nouvelle société civile Congolaise d’Uvira au Sud-Kivu plaide pour l’implication du gouvernement dans la résolution des conflits entre les communautés vivant sur la plaine de Ruzizi.

Katanga
Katanga : trois rebelles FDLR tués lors d’une attaque de l’armée à Kabulo | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
Trois rebelles des Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) ont été tués et un autre blessé au cours d’une attaque lancée par l’armée congolaise, lundi 2 décembre près de la localité de Kabulo à Kalemie.

Katanga : l’armée renforce les mesures sécuritaires à la frontière avec la Zambie | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La 6ème région militaire a déployé des troupes à Mokambo et Sakania dans le territoire de Kipushi mardi 3 décembre. Le commandant région des Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC), le général Mbwayama Siana affirme que ce renforcement de mesures sécuritaires le long de la frontière avec la Zambie vise à lutter contre les incursions répétées des miliciens Bakata Katanga.

La société civile dénonce des tracasseries militaires sur la route Lubumbashi –Manono | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La société civile de Mulongo, dans le territoire de Malemba Nkulu, à près de 700 Km de Lubumbashi, au Katanga, dénonce les tracasseries militaires dont sont victimes les populations locales.

FARDC – Presentation of Rapid Reaction Unit trained by Belgians in Kindu, Maniema
Kindu: plus de 600 commandos des FARDC formés par des instructeurs belges et congolais | 29 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Remise par De Crem de 600 commandos des FARDC à Luba Ntambo : Joseph Kabila va décider sur leur déploiement | 29 November 2013 | MMC | Digitalcongo.net
Six cent soixante-dix-sept commandos du 323e bataillon de l’Unité de réaction rapide de l’armée congolaise formés pendant sept mois par des instructeurs belges et congolais ont été présentés le jeudi 28 novembre à Kindu.

Equateur
Equateur: le député Busa appelle les autorités à résoudre le conflit entre Ngbandi et Ngbaka | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le député Jean-Lucien Busa, élu de Budjala, a déploré mardi 3 décembre les accrochages qui opposent les membres de la communauté Ngbandi du secteur Bolingo dans le  territoire de Budjala et ceux de la communauté Ngbaka du secteur de Bowase dans le territoire de Gemena à l’Equateur. Les deux communautés se disputent des terres.

Police chase after Kinshasa juvenile delinquents
RDC: les Kuluna, gangs de jeunes qui sévissent à Kinshasa | 28 November 2013 | RFI
RDC : opération coup de poing contre les “kuluna” de Kinshasa | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Kinshasa : Féroce traque des “Kuluna” | 29 November 2013 | Syfia Grands Lacs
RDC : Quand la Police dérape à Kinshasa | 1 December 2013 | Afrikarabia
Pour mettre un terme aux agissements des groupes de délinquants armés, appelés “kuluna”, Kinshasa a opté pour la manière forte en lançant une opération coup de poing. Au risque de commettre des bavures et de créer la polémique en RDC.

45 Kulunas arrêtés à Brazzaville renvoyés à Kinshasa | 28 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le chef de la police nationale congolaise (PNC), district de la Lukunga, le général Célestin Kanyama, a présenté à la presse 45 membres de gangs dits « Kulunas » qui avaient tenté de fuir à Brazzaville, au Congo voisin.

Matadi: les autorités alertent la population sur l’arrivée des kulunas venus de Kinshasa | 29 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Matadi : pas d’afflux de gangsters venus de Kinshasa, selon la PNC | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi

Opération «Likofi» : le général Kanyama passe le commandement au général Sengelwa | 2 December 2013 | Radio Okapi

Law passed on control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
RDC : le Sénat adopte la loi sur le contrôle des armes | 4 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
Le Sénat adopte la loi portant réduction et contrôle des armes en RDC | 4 December 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Vote au Sénat d’une proposition de loi réglementant la détention et le trafic d’armes légères en RDC | 4 December 2013 | ACP | Digitalcongo.net
La loi portant prévention, contrôle et réduction des armes légères et de petit calibre et de leurs munitions en RDC, a été adoptée à l’unanimité, le mardi 3 décembre, par la plénière du Sénat.

Sexual violence
Access to justice and reparations for victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 28 November 2013 | UN Human Rights Council
Sexual violence against women in the context of the armed conflict has plagued the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the 1990s.

Congo’s Forgotten Curse: Epidemic of Female-on-Female Rape | 3 December 2013 | Time World
In a secure darkened room, Marie, a 36-year-old mother of six, whispers and struggles to make eye contact.

DRC : Denial of justice for the victims of sexual crimes | 4 December 2013 | FIDH
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), victims of sexual crimes are facing insurmountable obstacles to obtain justice and reparation. The cost of proceedings is prohibitive and judicial decisions are hardly implemented. This is the damaging picture described in a report FIDH and its member organisations in DRC are publishing today, following several missions in that country.

Crimes of Sexual Violence in the DRC: Interview with Soyata Maiga, Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) | 4 December 2013 | FIDH

Mob justice
The disconcerting popularity of “justice populaire” in the Eastern DR Congo | 2 December 2013 | LSE Blog
By Judith Verweijen
Mob justice, or justice populaire as it is called in the DR Congo, is the practice by which citizens “take the law into their own hands” and collectively kill alleged perpetrators of crime or witchcraft, for example by beating or stoning them to death, or by burning them alive.
Although there are no reliable statistics on this phenomenon, as on most other matters in the DR Congo, there is a general impression that mob justice is on the rise in certain parts of the east, as I learnt in the course of fieldwork in this region.

Human Rights Risk Atlas 2014
Human Rights Risk Atlas 2014 | 4 December 2013 | Maplecroft
In sub-Saharan Africa, ongoing ethnic and sectarian conflict has resulted in a worsening risk score – from 4.56/10 in 2008 to 3.34/10 in 2014. Sudan (2nd), DR Congo (3rd) and Somalia (5th) remain amongst the five most extreme risk countries in the world, with DR Congo still having amongst the worst records of all countries for violations of women’s and girl’s rights, particularly sexual violence.

Amani Itakuya essay series
Eradicating the FDLR for sustainable peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo | 29 November 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #22, by Olivier Nduhungirehe
There is a general consensus that one of the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Colonial Remembering, Injured Bodies, and Current Humanitarianism | 1 December 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #23, by Charlotte Mertens
Congolese colonial subjects narrate vivid memories of the grotesque and spectacular violence inflicted upon them by European ‘sadists’ during Leopold’s reign of the Congo Free State: …

Promoting the values of ubuntu and their implications on peacebuilding in the DRC | 4 December 2013 | ChristophVogel.net
Amani Itakuya #24, by Michel Bigwi
The purpose of this article is discuss how Congolese can engage the discourses that promote the values of ubuntu (quality of human-ness) and the implications of these values on conflict prevention and resolution in DR Congo.

 

Uganda

Uganda Hopeful UN Drones Will Help Combat ADF | 4 December 2013 | Voice of America
Uganda’s military is welcoming the deployment of U.N. drones over its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Officers hope the drones will help combat a Ugandan rebel group, the ADF, that hides out in the eastern DRC.

 

Rwanda

UN mission to assess former M23 rebels in Rwanda
Now, UN experts to assess former M23 rebels | 30 November 2013 | The EastAfrican
The United Nations has agreed to send a mission to Rwanda to participate in the process of identifying and verifying former M23 rebels who fled to its territory early this year.

Interview with Gen. Nyamaswa
Kagame Govt Days Are Numbered – Gen Nyamwasa | 28 November 2013 | The Observer (Kampala) | allAfrica
Interview.
Three years after an assassination attempt on him in South Africa, the former Rwandan army Chief of Staff, Gen Kayumba Nyamaswa, has finally broken his silence has spoken about his assassination ordeal, bush war memories, and how President Paul Kagame has betrayed the purpose for Rwanda’s liberation struggle.

 

Central African Republic

Security situation
Babacar Gaye évalue la situation à Bossangoa | 29 November 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Le Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Général Babacar Gaye, s’est rendu mercredi dernier à Bossangoa. L’objet de sa mission est d’évaluer la situation sécuritaire et humanitaire sur le terrain.

RCA: les anti-balaka lancent un ultimatum à Michel Djotodia | 29 November 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
Alors que la Centrafrique attend l’adoption d’un projet de résolution à l’Onu, qui permettrait de soutenir la force africaine chargée de rétablir l’ordre sur le territoire, un groupe de Centrafricains lance un ultimatum de 72 heures au président de transition Michel Djotodia, qui a renversé François Bozizé le 24 mars dernier.

Central African Republic interim leader denies genocide threat | 30 November 2013 | Reuters
Central African Republic transitional leader Michel Djotodia on Saturday denied European assertions that his country was on the brink of genocide and all-out inter-religious war.

Centrafrique: le couvre-feu rétabli | 30 November 2013 | BBC Afrique
Le couvre-feu est réinstauré alors que les Centrafricains s’apprêtent à célébrer dimanche, le premier décembre, la fête nationale.

Centrafrique : d’ex-rebelles désertent Bangui | 30 November 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
L’effet d’annonce de Paris a joué à plein: avant même le début de l’intervention militaire française à Bangui, d’ex-rebelles plient bagages depuis quelques jours et désertent la capitale centrafricaine où ils terrorisaient la population depuis des mois.

Centrafrique : “C’est qui eux ?, ou l’imbroglio des patrouilles dans Bangui | 1 December 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
“C’est quel groupe, ça ?” s’interroge un passant en voyant s’approcher dimanche dans un nuage de poussière ocre un convoi de pick-up chargés de soldats, le long du bouvevard menant à l’aéroport de capitale centrafricaine.

Centrafrique : la chasse aux criminels est ouverte | 2 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Des sanctions devraient être prochainement prises à l’ONU contre certains membres de l’ex-Séléka. À charge, ensuite, aux forces militaires sur place de les faire appliquer.

Cameroon Deploys Troops to CAR Border | 3 December 2013 | Voice of America
The government of Cameroon said it has deployed troops to its eastern border with the Central African Republic to stop rebels from entering the country. Officials said the rebels are bringing weapons into Cameroon’s territory.

UN speaks out after latest violence claims more lives in Central African Republic | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
RCA: le BINUCA vivement préoccupé par des violences meurtrières | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
Twelve killed in Central African Republic attack: U.N. | 3 December 2013 | Reuters
Le gouvernement centrafricain fait part de nouvelles exactions | 3 December 2013 | RFI
Nouvelles exactions en Centrafrique | 4 December 2013 | RFI
Centrafrique : Regain de violence, situation tendue à Boali dans l’Ombella M’Poko | 4 December 2013 | Radio Ndeke Luka
Central African Republic militia ‘killed’ children | 4 December 2013 | BBC Africa
Unidentified Gunmen Kill at Least 12 Civilians in CAR | 4 December 2013 | Voice of America
The United Nations said unidentified gunmen have killed at least 12 civilians, including children, in the Central African Republic where security has been deteriorating since a March coup.

Deteriorating Situation in the Central African Republic | 4 December 2013 | US Department of State
Les Etats-Unis, « consternés » par le meurtre d’innocents près de Bangui | 5 December 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
Press Statement by Marie Harf, Deputy Department Spokesperson
The United States is appalled by today’s reports of the murder of innocent women and children outside of Bangui. This horrifying account is the latest in a string of reports that illustrate the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) that could lead to an escalation in violence and further atrocities.

Heavy weapons fire heard in Central African Republic capital | 5 December 2013 | Reuters
Central African Republic: Shots heard in Bangui | 5 December 2013 | BBC Africa
U.N. to discuss Central African Republic peacekeeping force as violence escalates | 5 December 2013 | CNN
Heavy fire erupts in CAR capital | 5 December 2013 | Al Jazeera
Nicolas Tiangaye: «Les anti-balaka auraient déclenché les hostilités» | 5 December 2013 | RFI
Heavy and small arms fire rang out in the capital of Central African Republic on Thursday morning.

France deploys troops to secure CAR capital after clashes | 5 December 2013 | Reuters
RCA: 250 militaires français déployés dans les rues de Bangui après des accrochages | 5 December 2013 | RFI
The French army deployed 250 troops to the capital of the Central African Republic, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday after clashes broke out between former rebels and militias.

Clashes erupt as militia enter Central African Republic capital | 5 December 2013 | Reuters
Centrafrique: tension et peur sur Bangui | 5 December 2013 | RFI
Rival militia forces clashed in Central African Republic’s capital on Thursday hours before the U.N. was expected to authorize a French mission to halt Muslim-Christian sectarian violence that threatens to escalate into widespread massacres.

UN Security Council authorises African and French troops to use force
U.N. Measure Would Send Forces to Aid Central African Republic | 3 December 2013 | The New York Times
Centrafrique : vers une résolution à l’ONU “jeudi matin au plus tard” | 4 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Centrafrique : la MISCA doit recevoir son mandat de l’ONU jeudi | 4 December 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
France formally circulated a Security Council resolution on Tuesday night that would authorize thousands of African troops, aided by hundreds of French soldiers, to restore order in the Central African Republic, a mineral-rich country that has plunged into deadly anarchy and threatens to destabilize the region.

UN-Backed Troops Set to Deploy in CAR | 4 December 2013 | allAfrica
Centrafrique: l’ONU prête à autoriser l’opération militaire | 5 December 2013 | RFI
The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on Thursday to approve UN intervention in the Central African Republic (CAR), giving African and French troops already in the country the go-ahead to deploy.

U.N. authorizes French, African troops in Central African Republic | 5 December 2013 | Reuters
The U.N. Security Council authorized French and African troops in Central African Republic on Thursday to use force to protect civilians, imposed an arms embargo on the country and asked the United Nations to prepare for a possible peacekeeping mission.

France – more French troops arriving
En RCA, «les militaires ne doivent pas faire d’humanitaire pour éviter le mélange des genres» | 28 November 2013 | RFI
Les autorités françaises assurent que le déploiement de militaires français en Centrafrique poursuit un double motif sécuritaire et humanitaire.

With military commitments in Africa, France to leave Kosovo | 28 November 2013 | Reuters
NATO confirmed on Thursday that France plans to withdraw its 320 troops from Kosovo, citing commitments in Mali and a pending French intervention in Central African Republic.

La France rappelle son ambassadeur en Centrafrique | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
France to replace ambassador in Central African Republic | 30 November 2013 | RFI English
France has announced it will replace its ambassador to the Central African Republic, just days after sending extra troops to the country ahead of a possible military intervention backed by the United Nations.

Un mini-sommet sur la Centrafrique se tiendra le 7 décembre à Paris | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
François Hollande et plusieurs de ses homologues d’Afrique centrale se réuniront, le 7 décembre, à Paris, pour un mini-sommet sur la Centrafrique. Seront également présents Ban Ki-moon et Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Les discussions auront lieu en marge du sommet de l’Élysée sur la paix et la sécurité.

Centrafrique : la France commence à renforcer sa présence militaire à Bangui | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Forces françaises en Centrafrique: l’heure de la «montée en puissance» | 29 November 2013 | RFI
En prévision de son imminente intervention en Centrafrique, l’armée française a commencé jeudi à acheminer hommes et matériels vers Bangui à partir des pays voisins. En attendant une prochaine résolution de l’ONU.

Les objectifs de la nouvelle opération française en Centrafrique | 29 November 2013 | RFI
Environ 800 soldats sont attendus en renfort, pour porter à 1 200 le nombre de militaires français présents sur le terrain. Objectif : épauler la force africaine déjà sur place, pour enrayer le cycle des représailles, permettre le retour des travailleurs humanitaires, jusqu’à ce que la Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique (Misca) soit pleinement opérationnelle et puisse prendre en charge la sécurité de la RCA.

RCA: les premiers renforts français attendent le feu vert | 30 November 2013 | RFI
La République centrafricaine est dans l’attente du déploiement des renforts militaires français. Ce sont 350 soldats français qui sont déjà arrivés à bord d’un bâtiment de la marine. Ils ont accosté au port de Douala au Cameroun.

En Afrique, Paris aimerait n’être plus que “l’ultime recours” | 1 December 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
Dans ses relations avec l’Afrique, la France voudrait désormais n’apparaître qu'”en appui” de l’Union africaine. Mais lors des crises, l’ex-puissance coloniale demeure encore et toujours en première ligne.

Central African Republic crisis: France sends more troops | 2 December 2013 | BBC Africa
The first reinforcements to the French force in the Central African Republic (CAR) are deploying in a bid to restore order after a rebel takeover.

Centrafrique : Bangui réaménagée pour l’intervention militaire française | 2 December 2013 | Afrik.com
L’intervention militaire française en Centrafrique se prépare minutieusement. L’aéroport de Bangui a été réaménagée pour les besoins l’engagement militaire français.

Centrafrique : 350 soldats français débarqués au Cameroun en attente d’instructions | 3 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Centrafrique: à Douala, les soldats français prêts à prendre la route de Bangui | 3 December 2013 | RFI
Le Dixmude, bâtiment de projection et de commandement des forces armées françaises (BPC), est à quai à Douala, au Cameroun, où il a débarqué 350 soldats et une centaine de véhicules.

RCA: le général Soriano à la tête de l’opération française «Sangaris» | 4 December 2013 | RFI
Le général Francisco Soriano prendra la tête de l’opération française en Centrafrique. Une opération baptisée « Sangaris », du nom d’un papillon rouge que l’on trouve dans les forêts centrafricaines. Le général dirige actuellement les forces françaises au Gabon.

France seeks to shed policeman role at Africa meeting | 4 December 2013 | Reuters
Laurent Fabius: notre objectif en Centrafrique est «d’assurer la sécurisation et la reconstruction» | 4 December 2013 | RFI
Jean-Pierre Bat : en Afrique, “la France n’agit plus en solo” | 4 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
France will tell African leaders at a Paris summit on Friday it will no longer play policeman on the continent, even as it prepares to act in a new conflict in Central African Republic after its Mali intervention this year.

AU Support Mission (MISCA/AFISM)
La Misca bientôt sur le terrain | 29 November 2013 | Africa Info (Douala) | allAfirca
A en croire le colonel Michel Narkoyo, ex-porte-parole militaire de l’ex-rébellion de la Séléka (au pouvoir) aujourd’hui patron de la gendarmerie nationale, d’ici la semaine prochaine, la Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique prendra la révèle de la Force multinationale de l’Afrique centrale.

Crise centrafricaine – Le Congo envoie le premier contingent de la Misca | 2 December 2013 | Les Dépêches de Brazzaville | allAfrica
Centrafrique: un contingent de 500 soldats congolais envoyé à Bangui | 2 December 2013 | RFI
Centrafrique : le Congo envoie 500 militaires pour rétablir l’ordre | 2 December 2013 | AFP | Jeune Afrique
Quelque 500 militaires congolais ont quitté Brazzaville dimanche pour renforcer la force africaine déjà déployée à Bangui et aider à rétablir l’ordre en Centrafrique avec l’appui de la France.

Appeals for help and troops
Central African Republic needs many more peacekeepers: E.U. | 28 November 2013 | Reuters
Central African Republic needs up to four times more peacekeepers than are now deployed to quell a worsening sectarian conflict and provide security for aid workers, the European Union’s top humanitarian official said.

Humanitarian Groups Warn of Unprecedented Violence in CAR | 28 November 2013 | Reuters | Voice of America
Humanitarian groups say the situation in the Central African Republic is worsening daily, with the violence in some areas reaching unprecedented levels.

Archbishop Appeals to World to Intervene | 29 November 2013 | CISA | allAfrica
The Archbishop of Bangui, the Most Reverend Dieudonne Nzapailanga has asked the United Nations to send an effective intervention force, with a mandate to use force where necessary to protect the people of Central African Republic (CAR).

CAR PM Calls for Aid, Foreign Troops | 2 December 2013 | Voice of America
Nicolas Tiangaye à la VOA: “la priorité pour la RCA, c’est la stabilité” | 2 December 2013 | La Voix de l’Amérique
The interim prime minister of the Central African Republic said stabilizing his violence-plagued country will require foreign financial aid in addition to the deployment of international troops.

Central African Republic: UN peacekeeping mission needed to avoid mass slaughter | 2 December 2013 | Amnesty International
The UN Security Council has no time to waste to authorize a robust peacekeeping force for deployment to the Central African Republic to protect civilians from the violence and chaos engulfing the country, Amnesty International said today.

RCA: “il faut aider le gouvernement” | 3 December 2013 | BBC Afrique
L’intervention militaire de la France en Centrafrique “ne pourra elle seule résoudre les problèmes” d’un pays qui “est une catastrophe”, a averti le président de Médecins sans frontières (MSF), Meguerditch Terzian.

Comments, analysis, stories, interviews
En RCA, «les militaires ne doivent pas faire d’humanitaire pour éviter le mélange des genres» | 28 November 2013 | RFI
Les autorités françaises assurent que le déploiement de militaires français en Centrafrique poursuit un double motif sécuritaire et humanitaire. Mais elles refusent le mélange des genres comme l’explique Alain Boinet, le fondateur de l’ONG Solidarités International.

Ne contrôlant presque plus rien, Michel Djotodia vit ses derniers moments à la tête de la RCA | 29 November 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Boudé et ignoré par la communauté internationale qui préfère plutôt discuter avec le Premier ministre Nicolas Tiangaye, le président de la transition centrafricaine, Michel Djotodia ne contrôlant presque plus rien, serait entrain de vivre ses derniers moments à la tête de ce pays.

Exclusif Christian Nyombayire : “Il n’y a pas de fatalité centrafricaine” | 1 December 2013 | Afrik.com
Alors que la France a décidé d’envoyer plus d’un millier de soldats en Centrafrique, Christian Nyombayire, membre du Comité exécutif du think tank CAPafrique (www.capafrique.org) nous livre son analyse sur l’intervention française et fait le point sur la situation de ce pays chroniquement instable.

From terror to tyranny | 1 December 2013 | Good Governance Africa
The former rebel coalition Seleka has taken over the Central African Republic and plunged it into unmitigated violence and chaos.

La RCA face à l’indispensable intervention militaire | 1 December 2013 | Cameroon Tribune | allAfrica
Pour la République centrafricaine, la journée de dimanche aurait dû être un moment de joie et de réjouissances populaires. C’est le 1er décembre 1958 qu’est née des fonts baptismaux la République centrafricaine, même si formellement l’indépendance n’est proclamée que deux ans plus tard, 13 août 1960.

Central African Republic crisis: Another French intervention? | 2 December 2013 | BBC Africa
A fresh crisis in Africa – and once again French troops are on their way.
So what’s new? Is this just a case of Paris once again acting as gendarme in a former sub-Saharan colony?

Centrafrique : Séléka, dégage ! | 2 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Du chaos qui s’est installé en Centrafrique, Michel Djotodia et la coalition qui l’a porté au pouvoir en mars sont directement responsables. Une seule solution : les faire partir, et vite.

Central African Republic: Better Late Than Never | 2 December 2013 | International Crisis Group
Central African Republic: Better Late than Never | 2 December 2013 | International Crisis Group – Africa Briefing N°96
As the Central African Republic (CAR) stares into an abyss of potentially appalling proportions, the international community must focus on the quickest, most decisive means of restoring security to its population.

French army buildup in CAR unlikely to quell bloodshed | 2 December 2013 | Africa Daily
France deployed more than 200 troops by the weekend in the crisis-torn Central African Republic, once part of its African empire, and is expected to send another 600 in a bid to end months of sectarian bloodshed.

Centrafrique : silence, on tue | 3 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Par Peter Bouckaert, Human Rights Watch
Les journalistes ne peuvent plus s’y rendre, mais quelques humanitaires bravent encore le danger. Peter Bouckaert, directeur de la section Urgences de Human Rights Watch, a raconté à Jeune Afrique son voyage dans le nord de la Centrafrique, là où l’État a cessé d’exister. Là où tout peut arriver.

Fear and brutality stalk CAR after rebel takeover | 3 December 2013 | BBC Africa
République centrafricaine: où sont-ils donc tous passés? | 4 December 2013 | BBC Afrique
Foreign warnings of “genocide” here in CAR widely viewed as alarmist. But the amount of fear, chaos and communal distrust here is chilling.

The politics of preventing genocide | 3 December 2013 | IRIN
The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been deteriorating for the best part of this year. In the words of UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, the international community has “watched from a distance” as the country descended into “virtual melt-down.” He called the decision to act “a profoundly important test of international solidarity and of our responsibility to prevent atrocities.”

Briefing: Central African Republic: Inter-communal dialogue key to long-term stability – December 2013 | 3 December 2013 | Conciliation Resources | Reliefweb
The current upsurge in violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has not come out of the blue – the country has suffered years of cyclical crises, as well as neglect by the international community.

«Aujourd’hui, on lit sur le visage d’un Centrafricain la haine et la souffrance» | 3 December 2013 | RFI
Entretien avec Béatrice Epaye, figure de la société civile centrafricaine. Ancienne députée indépendante, elle siège aujourd’hui au Conseil national de transition et préside la Voix du cœur, une association pour les enfants des rues.

CAR: ‘Genocide’ risk in CAR “overstated” but religious tensions rising – interview with Thierry Vircoulon, International Crisis Group | 4 December 2013 | African Arguments
African Arguments interviewed Thierry Vircoulon, Project Director for Central Africa at International Crisis Group on the current situation in the Central African Republic.

Central African Republic: Abandoned and burnt villages | 4 December 2013 | BBC Africa
The sectarian and sexual violence gripping the Central African Republic is now the worst it has ever been. Andrew Harding reports.

AU Expresses Concern Over Security in CAR | 4 December 2013 | Voice of America
The African Union (AU) is gravely concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) following violence that has forced thousands to flee after the overthrow of President Francois Bozize last March, says Erastus Mwencha, deputy AU chairman.

Why Is It France Rescuing CAR? | 4 December 2013 | The Star
After the rebel group Seleka captured power last year, the Central African Republic imploded. There is virtually no security and Christians and Muslims are in open warfare. France has been leading the rescue attempts. It wants to increase its troops in CAR from 600 to 1,200 and raise international funding to expand the tiny African Union peacekeeping force up to 3,600.

Is the Central African Republic on the Verge of Genocide? | 5 December 2013 | Africa is a Country
By Louisa Lombard
Over the last few weeks, the usually unrelenting stream of baby pictures and lose-weight ads in my Facebook feed has increasingly been interrupted by news from the Central African Republic (CAR). “Unspeakable Horrors in a Country on the Verge of Genocide,” blared one particularly oft-shared headline.

 

Refugee and IDP Reports

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

 

Enhancing Economic Opportunities for the Vulnerable in LRA-Affected Areas | 3 December 2013 | Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Program | Reliefweb
The World Bank’s Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Program (TDRP) supported thousands of conflict-affected and vulnerable people in areas of Central Africa ravaged by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict. The pilot project ‘Consolidation of Peace through Empowering Socio-economic Associations’ responded to the urgent needs of the most affected communities with significant results.

 

 

DRC

RDC: le gouvernement veut fermer les camps de déplacés autour de Goma | 28 November 2013 | RFI
Dans l’Est de la République démocratique du Congo, le gouvernement veut fermer les camps de déplacés autour de la ville de Goma. Certains existent depuis dix ans, ils accueillent des déplacés, des Congolais qui ont fui leurs maisons, leurs villages et les combats pour se rassembler autour de la capitale du Nord Kivu. Environ 30 000 personnes seraient concernées.

Masisi : la détérioration des routes empêche les humanitaires d’atteindre les déplacés | 28 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Plus de quarante mille déplacés internes risquent d’être privées d’assistance humanitaire à cause du mauvais état des routes dans le territoire de Masisi au Nord-Kivu, s’inquiètent le Bureau de coordination des affaires humanitaires (Ocha) dans son rapport hebdomadaire paru mardi 26 novembre à Goma.

Humanitarian aid still needed in east of country | 2 December 2013 | ICRC | Reliefweb
With the end of fighting between the armed forces and M23 in Rutshuru, displaced people are returning home. The ICRC and the Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are carrying on with their humanitarian work in the east of the country.

Funding shortage forces UN agency to reduce food assistance in DR Congo | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
Le PAM contraint de réduire son aide alimentaire en RDC, faute de contributions financières | 3 December 2013 | UN News Centre
Serious resource constraints are forcing the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce or interrupt some of its activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) beginning this month, leaving thousands of people with no food assistance.

MSF Vaccinates, Provides Supplies to Thousands Displaced by Violence in Northeastern DRC | 3 December 2013 | MSF

Local Voices redonne la voix aux sans voix du Kivu | 4 December 2013 | Afrikarabia
Un projet journaliste original propose sur internet une série de témoignages photographiques sur le quotidien des populations du Kivu, en conflit depuis 20 ans.

Masisi, the Wound of Kivu | 5 December 2013 | Local Voices
Torn apart by a 20-year bloody conflict, the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most violence-stricken parts of the world. In a region with colossal economic potential, many armed groups without specific goals regularly engage in fighting with dramatic consequences for the local populations.

ECHO Factsheet Democratic Republic of Congo, December 2013 | 4 December 2013 | European Commission Humanitarian Aid Departement | Reliefweb

UNOCHA bulletins
Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province Orientale No 47/13, 3 décembre 2013 | 4 December 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

Bulletin d’Information Humanitaire – Province du Nord-Kivu No 41/13, 04 décembre 2013 | 4 December 2013 | UNOCHA | Reliefweb

 

Uganda

By Providing Food Assistance, WFP Helps Refugees Rebuild Their Lives | 29 November 2013 | WFP | Reliefweb

 

Justice and Tribunals

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

 

ICC
Some ICC accused may attend trial by video-conference | 28 November 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency
Kenyatta trial: ICC may allow video-link evidence | 28 November 2013 | BBC Africa
La CPI et les pays africains trouvent un accord | 28 November 2013 | RFI
Procès Kenyatta : la CPI autorise la visioconférence pour apaiser les tensions avec l’Afrique | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Sidiki Kaba: «L’accord est un compromis dynamique qui réconcilie l’Afrique et la CPI» | 29 November 2013 | RFI
Some defendants at the International Criminal Court (ICC) may be authorized to attend court sessions by videoconference, according to a new amendment to the ICC’s founding statute agreed by member states. The amendment was adopted by the twelfth session of the Assembly of States Parties, which ended Thursday in The Hague, Netherlands.

Court Is Accused of Unfairly Targeting a Continent’s Leaders | 3 December 2013 | The New York Times
Little noticed outside Africa, a movement against the International Criminal Court has been brewing on the continent this fall, challenging a unique but often polarizing international mechanism to prosecute grave human rights abuses.

 

 

 DRC

ICC Bemba case
Bemba, lawyer and MP before court for suspected witness tampering | 28 November 2013 | Hirondelle News Agency
Congolese Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba, his lawyer and a Congolese MP from his party made their initial appearance Wednesday afternoon before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for suspected witness tampering.

Bemba’s Legal Representation Dilemma | 28 November 2013 | Bemba trial website | allAfirca
A day after his initial appearance over fresh charges of presenting forged evidence and “ordering, soliciting or inducing his associates to pay money to court witnesses,” Jean-Pierre Bemba was back in the court room to discuss how the new charges and the arrest of two senior members of his defense team would affect his ongoing trial.

RDC : coup de bambou pour Bemba, qui ne baisse pas les bras | 3 December 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Quatre proches du leader du Mouvement de libération du Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, ont été arrêtés. Accusés de subornation de témoins, ils ont été transférés devant la Cour pénale internationale, comme leur chef.

L’article 70 du Statut de Rome détermine les compétences de la CPI en matière de « subornation de témoin » | 4 December 2013 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
L’arrestation à Kinshasa du député MLC Fidèle Babala Wandu dans la nuit du samedi 23 à dimanche 24 novembre 2013 et son transfèrement au quartier pénitentiaire de la Cour pénale internationale (CPI) le 25 novembre à La Haye (Pays-Bas) font polémique en République démocratique du Congo (RDC).

Trial for Minova mass rapes
RDC: le traumatisme des femmes violées de Minova | 4 December 2013 | RFI
RDC: inquiétudes à l’ouverture du procès public des viols de Minova | 4 December 2013 | RFI
RDC: le procès Minova ajourné dès sa reprise | 5 December 2013 | RFI
En RDC, le procès Minova a repris ce mercredi 4 décembre. Il doit juger 39 membres de forces armées congolaises accusés de graves violations des droits de l’homme, dont des viols massifs commis en novembre 2012 à Minova, dans l’est du pays. Mais hier, la deuxième audience a été suspendue, le temps de trancher sur deux problèmes soulevés par les avocats des victimes.

 

Rwanda

Mutabazi Trial to Be Conducted in Camera | 2 December 2013 | Rwanda Focus | allAfrica
The military court today ruled that terror suspect Lt. Joel Mutabazi’s trial will be conducted in camera due to the nature of crimes that he and his co-accused are being tried for.

 

Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region

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

Reducing mercury use in artisanal gold-mining

Focus On Private Sector – How Miners Can Cut Mercury Use | 28 November 2013 | SciDev.Net | allAfrica
Last month, 92 countries met in Japan and signed the Minamata Convention, an agreement aiming to curb global mercury pollution.

Elephant poaching
African, Asian Nations Agree on ‘Urgent’ Steps to Save Elephants | 3 December 2013 | Voice of America
Botswana Summit Pledges Action to Save Elephants | 4 December 2013 | DW | allAfrica
An international gathering in Botswana has come to agreement on the urgent steps to be taken to combat the illegal trade in ivory and protect elephant populations in Africa.
The agreement calls for governments to classify ivory trafficking as a “serious crime” and impose “maximum” sentences for wildlife offenses. It also urges nations to cooperate in legal matters such as extradition and asset seizure and forfeiture.

Economic value of Africa’s natural resources
Placing Economic Value on Africa’s Natural Resources | 4 December 2013 | UNEP
African Ministers and Experts Spotlight Efforts to Incorporate Natural Wealth Accounting in Development Planning.
Wealth accounting and the valuation of ecosystem services are critical to Africa’s future growth, as the continent undergoes unprecedented development.

 

 

DRC

Joint UNDP-UNICEF-FAO project for North Kivu artisanal mining community
Rubaya (Nord Kivu): Les mines doivent participer au développement! | 4 December 2013 | UNDP-PNUD
Le Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD), le Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’Enfance (UNICEF) et l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture (FAO) ont élaboré un projet conjoint pour renforcer la cohésion sociale et l’accessibilité des moyens de subsistance dans la zone minière de Rubaya. Le projet, intitulé « Consolidation de la paix dans les zones minières et artisanales du Nord Kivu », cherche notamment à réduire les tensions communautaires, favoriser le développement durable au travers de la prestation de services sociaux de base et l’amélioration des moyens de subsistance de la population.

Tin in Maniema
Tin Production in Congo Province Seen Rising as Tracing Starts | 28 November 2013 | Bloomberg
Tin production is rising in Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern province of Maniema, according to an industry group that introduced a program for tracing the source of metal mined in the war-torn country.

Oil exploration in parks
Oil Rush in Africa’s Parks Drives Hunt for Eco-friendly Methods | 28 November 2013 | Reuters | Voice of America
East Africa’s oil rush is spreading into parks and protected areas, prompting companies to develop new ways to explore for hydrocarbons without disturbing wildlife and natural treasures such as rare fossils.

Illegal timber seized in Germany
Allemagne: saisie de deux cargaisons de bois illégalement exporté de la RDC | 28 November 2013 | Radio Okapi
Deux cargaisons de bois en provenance de la RDC ont été saisies en Allemagne par les autorités du pays. L’action du gouvernement allemand a été déclenchée au début novembre à la suite d’une alerte de Greenpeace, renseigne un communiqué de presse de cette ONG environnementale. Selon Greenpeace, cette saisie constitue le premier cas d’application du nouveau règlement européen sur le bois depuis son entrée en vigueur le mois de mars 2013.

Land reform
La société Civile renforce les capacités de ses organisations pour le processus de la réforme foncière | 4 December 2013 | Hyamaz/MMC | Digitalcongo.net
Le S.G. du ministère des Affaires foncières assure la société civile de son implication dans le processus de la réforme foncière en cours en RDC | 4 December 2013 | ACP | Digitalcongo.net
Les organisations de la société civile bénéficient depuis mardi d’une formation en vue de renforcer et améliorer leur participation et représentativité dans le processus de la Réforme foncière initiée par le gouvernement.

 

Uganda

Oil
Oil Rush in Africa’s Parks Drives Hunt for Eco-friendly Methods | 28 November 2013 | Reuters | Voice of America
East Africa’s oil rush is spreading into parks and protected areas, prompting companies to develop new ways to explore for hydrocarbons without disturbing wildlife and natural treasures such as rare fossils.

Pétrole : pactole en vue en Afrique de l’Est | 29 November 2013 | Jeune Afrique
Depuis deux ans, on a trouvé plus d’hydrocarbures le long des côtes orientales africaines que dans n’importe quelle autre région du monde. Les exportations devraient bondir. Encore faut-il que les infrastructures suivent…

Oil Could Trigger Financial Markets Growth | 1 December 2013 | The Observer (Kampala) | allAfrica
Uganda could see more companies list or buy shares on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) as the country gets closer to producing its first barrel of oil, Grace Kavuma, the board chairman of the Capital Markets Authority, has said.

Following the oil money: How much has it done? | 3 December 2013 | Daily Monitor
At any Oil and Gas revenue workshop, economic experts will always weigh in on how Uganda should better utilise its oil revenues. So far, the argument has been that Uganda invests the money in infrastructure and social services like education, health and to focus on improving the traditional sources of income like agriculture to avoid the infamous Dutch disease and rent seeking. However, as we plan how to use the money, how much oil money has entered Uganda’s economy since the discovery of the resources?

 

Rwanda

Mineral certification
Certificates Required to Export Rwandan Ore | 1 December 2013 | East African Business Week | allAfrica
Rwanda is the first country in the Great Lakes Region to issue mineral export certificates which confirm traceability and transparency in the whole mining procress.

OECD calls on traders to favour Rwanda | 3 December 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
The chairman of the OECD working party on responsible business conduct, Roel Nieuwenkamp, a former executive of Arthur Andersen & Co. (…)

 

Central African Republic

Diamonds – Kimberley Process suspension
C.African Republic calls for end to ban on diamond exports | 29 November 2013 | Reuters
Central African Republic has called for a ban on its diamond exports to be lifted, saying it needed the tax revenue from sales to revive its crisis-crippled economy.
The Kimberley Process, a global watchdog set up to stop the trade in “blood diamonds”, announced a suspension of certified diamond trading with the country in May, two months after a coalition of mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize.

 

Extractive Companies, Energy, Trade and Foreign Investment

Recent news on national and international extractive and energy companies and investment in the Great Lakes Region

 


Shrinking mining budgets will spark government disputes – Chatham House | 28 November 2013 | Mineweb
Conflict and Coexistence in the Extractive Industries | November 2013 | Chatham House
“Future disputes have significant ramifications not only for the economic and political stability of the countries concerned but also for companies’ assets and reputations,” says a new Chatham House report.

 

DRC

Ashanti Goldfield Kilo (AGK)
Province Orientale : l’entreprise minière Ashanti Gold dénonce l’occupation de sa concession | 2 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
Plus de quatre cents creuseurs artisanaux d’or ont envahi depuis près d’une année sept kilomètres carrés de la concession de l’entreprise minière Ashanti Gold Kilo (AGK), dans le territoire de Djugu (Province Orientale).

Tiger
Tiger draws down on funding for Kipoi development | 3 December 2013 | Mining Weekly
Copper miner Tiger Resources has drawn down on a A$50-million advanced payment facility from Gerald Metals SA to support the construction of its Stage 2 solvent-extraction and electrowinning (SX-EW) plant at the Kipoi copper project, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

MDM Engineering – Casa Mining
Mexican and DRC silver and gold project work awarded to MDM Engineering | 3 December 2013 | Mineweb
MDM has announced two more contract awards to add to its string of current work with work on the Parral silver/gold tailings project in Mexico and the Misisi gold project in the DRC.

Fleurette Group
Billionaire Gertler’s Congo Gold Deposit May Be ‘World Class’ | 4 December 2013 | Bloomberg
Billionaire Dan Gertler’s Moku-Beverendi gold project in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo may contain as much as 5 million ounces of the metal, his Fleurette Group said.

 

Uganda

Tullow Oil
Oil – Money Is At the Production Stage | 3 December 2013 | The Observer (Kampala) | allAfrica
By Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive Officer of Tullow Oil Plc.
We were one of the first exploration companies to risk our capital and invest in finding oil in the Lake Albert Rift Basin. As a result of this investment and our exploration expertise we have had exceptional success. We have drilled 79 exploration and appraisal wells and found an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil.

 

Central African Republic

AXMIN
Tax discount for Axmin | 3 December 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
Fearing for a while that it could lose its gold licenses in Central African Republic, the Canadian mining concern Axmin finally carried the day. (…)

 

Other

Zambia suspends Chinese mining licence
Zambia suspends Chinese mine licence over noncompliance on conditions | 4 December 2013 | Reuters | Mining Weekly
Zambia has suspended the licence issued to a unit of China’s Nonferrous Mining Corp to build a $832-million copper mine after the company failed to comply with some conditions, the country’s environmental agency said on Wednesday. The agency said NFC Africa had not fulfilled a requirement to prepare a comprehensive resettlement plan for parties affected by the project.

 

 

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 

Global tax justice
Global Tax Justice in Africa: It’s Time to Turn Words into Action | 28 November 2013 | ThinkAfricaPress
Africa has incredible resource wealth, but if it is to reap the benefits, there must be a change of attitude amongst governments, corporations and the international community.

Access to Judicial Remedy project
The Third Pillar: Access to Judicial Remedies for Human Rights Violations by Transnational Business | December 2013 | ICAR, CORE, ECCJ
The Access to Judicial Remedy (A2JR) Project set out to identify and analyze the barriers in the United States, Canada, and Europe…The detailed mapping exercise undertaken in the development of this Report shows that States are generally not fulfilling their obligation to ensure access to effective judicial remedies to victims of human rights violations by businesses operating outside their territory.

 

 

DRC

Conflict-free minerals
‘Conflict free’ minerals from the DRC will only be possible if companies stay | 4 December 2013 | The Guardian
New legislation for the disclosure of conflict minerals in companies’ supply chains may force many to leave the troubled DRC, but change will only happen if they stay

 

Rwanda

Mineral certification
Certificates Required to Export Rwandan Ore | 1 December 2013 | East African Business Week | allAfrica
Rwanda is the first country in the Great Lakes Region to issue mineral export certificates which confirm traceability and transparency in the whole mining procress.

OECD calls on traders to favour Rwanda | 3 December 2013 | Africa Mining Intelligence
The chairman of the OECD working party on responsible business conduct, Roel Nieuwenkamp, a former executive of Arthur Andersen & Co. (…)

 

Central African Republic

Kimberley Process suspension
C.African Republic calls for end to ban on diamond exports | 29 November 2013 | Reuters
Central African Republic has called for a ban on its diamond exports to be lifted, saying it needed the tax revenue from sales to revive its crisis-crippled economy.
The Kimberley Process, a global watchdog set up to stop the trade in “blood diamonds”, announced a suspension of certified diamond trading with the country in May, two months after a coalition of mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize.

 

Other

Zimbabwe plans sale of Marange diamonds in Antwerp
Zimbabwe Plans Gem Sale From Field Said to Fund Mugabe | 4 December 2013 | Bloomberg
Diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Marange fields will be sold in Antwerp after the European Union lifted sanctions even as rights groups allege abuses at the mines and say revenue has financed President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party.

 

 

Other

 

East African monetary union deal
East African trade bloc approves monetary union deal | 30 November 2013 | Reuters
The leaders of five East African countries signed a protocol on Saturday laying the groundwork for a monetary union within 10 years that they expect will expand regional trade.

Corruption perceptions index
Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 | December 2013 | Transparency International
The Corruption Perceptions Index 2013 serves as a reminder that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world. The Index scores 177 countries and territories on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). No country has a perfect score, and two-thirds of countries score below 50.

Perceived Corruption High in Sub-Saharan Africa | 3 December 2013 | Voice of America
Somalia, North Korea, Afghanistan Head Corrupt State Index | 3 December 2013 | Voice of America
Several African nations were among the worst performers in Transparency International’s annual report on perceived corruption.

Fragile states
Africa’s fragile states need extra help | 4 December 2013 | Institute for Security Studies
It is true for Mali and Somalia. But not for Burkina Faso or Kenya. To be labelled a ‘fragile state’ is not something any country in Africa welcomes. The category implies that a country is unable to borrow on the market and faces stringent conditionalities put in place by international financial institutions such as the World Bank. It carries the stigma of incapacity and lack of progress; of poverty, violence and poor governance.


DRC

Indice de perception de la corruption : la RDC améliore légèrement son score | 3 December 2013 | Radio Okapi
La RDC se situe en 2013 à la 154è position sur 177 pays classés sur l’indice de perception de la corruption publié chaque année par Transparency International. Le pays gagne ainsi 6 places comparé à l’indice 2012

 uganda

Uganda Drops Lower in Global Corruption Perception Index | 3 December 2013 | The Independent (Kampala) | allAfrica
This year’s Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index has seen Uganda drop ten places from last year’s 130th position with a point’s score of 26 out of a possible 100.

Rwanda

Rwanda : L’aide du gouvernement aux ONG se fait attendre | 29 November 2013 | Syfia Grands Lacs
Les Ong rwandaises attendent avec impatience l’aide financière du gouvernement, prévue par une loi de 2012, alors que les financements extérieurs se font rares. Mais l’arrêté qui doit en fixer les modalités n’est toujours pas paru.

Burundi

Burundi : Polémique sur la prolongation du mandat du BNUB | 29 November 2013 | Syfia Grands Lacs
Estimant que le pays a retrouvé la paix et la sécurité, le gouvernement burundais demande à l’ONU de mettre fin au mandat du Bureau des Nations Unies au Burundi (BNUB). Mais pour l’opposition et la société civile, ce bureau reste indispensable pour consolider le dialogue politique et prévenir les dérapages lors des élections de 2015.

Burundi: le gouvernement annonce la mise en place d’un dialogue | 28 November 2013 | RFI
Le gouvernement, qui avait refusé jusqu’ici de débattre de sa révision constitutionnelle, vient de reculer. Il a annoncé mercredi 27 novembre qu’il va organiser un cadre de dialogue sur le sujet, alors que la tension était en train de remonter.

UN mission calls on all Burundians to show restraint during constitutional review process | 4 December 2013 | UN News Centre
Le BNUB appelle à la modération et à la retenue dans le débat sur la révision de la Constitution | 4 December 2013 | UN News Centre
The United Nations today called on all political parties and actors in Burundi to show restraint as the country carries out its constitutional review process.

 

IPIS Recent Publications

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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