Democratic Republic of Congo
27.09.02
Urgent Interventions
DRC: demonstrators attacked and arrested, resulting in one death and several injured persons
Case COD 220201
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Collectif d’Actions pour le Développement des Droits de l’Homme au Congo - Kinshasa – CADDHOM, a member of the OMCT network, of the risk of execution of a woman and her five year old child by the military authorites of the RCD in Bukavu, Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the information received, Mrs. Espérance Ungilila, daughter of Kamalanga, and her five year old child, have been kidnapped from their home by military of the 6th Brigade of the Rassemblement congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD). They both live in the neighbourhood Muhungu III, next to the Ecole d'application de l'Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu (EDAP/ISP). Mrs. Ungilila has been tortured during the entire night in order to bring her to denounce her neighbour and friend who is accused to collaborate with the Mai-mai of Kaziba.
Mrs. Espérance Ungilila and her child are allegedly being incarcerated in a room residing in the residence of one of the commanders of the town of Bukavu. On February 20, she was questioned by secret service officers of the Patriotic Army of Rwanda in the offices of the ANR (what does this stand for - not explained in French text ??).
In fact, Mrs. Ungilila's neighbour and friend, a mother of three children, has been persecuted by the Mai-mai of Kaziba for having revealed, on January 22, 2001, their hiding-place to UNHCR humanitarian officers. They went to the named area in order to pay the ransom for the liberation of two of their drivers. Confronted by continuing threats of the Mai-mai, she has decided to flee to Bukavu.
Since February 15, RCD's secret service of Bukavu has begun a search for her. During this search, her neighbour Mrs. Espérance Ungilila Kamangala and her child have been captured instead, while the former was shopping on the market of Kadutu.
Under the pressure of torture, Mrs. Ungilila has already denounced her neighbour who will probably also be captured shortly.
The life of these two women and of the child are at risk within the next 48 hours (comment from Stephan: 72 hours n the French text dating from feb. 20 !!) just as other women who were buried alive in Mwenga in November 1999 (see xy-OMCT-appeal???).
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD) urging them to:
- order the immediate release of Mrs. Ungilila and her child, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
- take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all of the above-mentioned persons;
- order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
- guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Mr. Bizima Kahara, Head of RCD's Département de l'intérieur et de la sécurité in Goma;
Mr. Mudumbi Joseph, Head of RCD's Foreign Office in Goma;
Benjamin Serukiza, vice-governor of South-Kivu in Bukavu.
tél. and fax-numbers???
Please also write to the embassies of Democratic Republic of Congo in your respective country. (suggestion Stephan: eliminate this, since rebel-controlled territory!)
Geneva, February 22, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Collectif d’Actions pour le Développement des Droits de l’Homme au Congo - Kinshasa – CADDHOM, a member of the OMCT network, of the risk of execution of a woman and her five year old child by the military authorites of the RCD in Bukavu, Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the information received, Mrs. Espérance Ungilila, daughter of Kamalanga, and her five year old child, have been kidnapped from their home by military of the 6th Brigade of the Rassemblement congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD). They both live in the neighbourhood Muhungu III, next to the Ecole d'application de l'Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu (EDAP/ISP). Mrs. Ungilila has been tortured during the entire night in order to bring her to denounce her neighbour and friend who is accused to collaborate with the Mai-mai of Kaziba.
Mrs. Espérance Ungilila and her child are allegedly being incarcerated in a room residing in the residence of one of the commanders of the town of Bukavu. On February 20, she was questioned by secret service officers of the Patriotic Army of Rwanda in the offices of the ANR (what does this stand for - not explained in French text ??).
In fact, Mrs. Ungilila's neighbour and friend, a mother of three children, has been persecuted by the Mai-mai of Kaziba for having revealed, on January 22, 2001, their hiding-place to UNHCR humanitarian officers. They went to the named area in order to pay the ransom for the liberation of two of their drivers. Confronted by continuing threats of the Mai-mai, she has decided to flee to Bukavu.
Since February 15, RCD's secret service of Bukavu has begun a search for her. During this search, her neighbour Mrs. Espérance Ungilila Kamangala and her child have been captured instead, while the former was shopping on the market of Kadutu.
Under the pressure of torture, Mrs. Ungilila has already denounced her neighbour who will probably also be captured shortly.
The life of these two women and of the child are at risk within the next 48 hours (comment from Stephan: 72 hours n the French text dating from feb. 20 !!) just as other women who were buried alive in Mwenga in November 1999 (see xy-OMCT-appeal???).
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD) urging them to:
- order the immediate release of Mrs. Ungilila and her child, in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
- take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all of the above-mentioned persons;
- order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
- guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
Mr. Bizima Kahara, Head of RCD's Département de l'intérieur et de la sécurité in Goma;
Mr. Mudumbi Joseph, Head of RCD's Foreign Office in Goma;
Benjamin Serukiza, vice-governor of South-Kivu in Bukavu.
tél. and fax-numbers???
Please also write to the embassies of Democratic Republic of Congo in your respective country. (suggestion Stephan: eliminate this, since rebel-controlled territory!)
Geneva, February 22, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.