|
Evolution of the Peace Process in the Democratic Republic of Congo submitted to CPNN in French by Solidarité avec les Victimes et pour la Paix and translated into English by CPNN For the original article in French, see RDC Solidarite. From the recent past to today After the armed hostilities in 1996 and the fall of Mobutu in May 17, 1997, there was a period of relative calm for fourteen months. A new rebellion began on August 2, 1998. Very early, negotiations started in Lusaka (Zambia) and arrived at the first agreements of ceasefire dated from July 10, 1999. It was to oversee respect of these agreements of Lusaka that the Security Council of the United Nations set up its resolution creating the Observation Mission of the United Nations (MONUC). It was in October 2006 that the first free elections were organized. To establish an account of the situation is difficult, but it is easier to say that at the present time the effects of armed conflict are still sad at various levels. There is extreme poverty in the civilian population. Until the present a responsible solution has not been found to assure access of children to education. Good news today is that the country now has a Constitution, a President of the Republic, a Parliament and a Senate and provincial assemblies as well as provincial governments following the democratic elections organized in 2007. In general, the Democratic Republic of Congo is arriving slowly at peace and stability despite the constraints of reconstruction and restoration of a state of law. Without pretending to be exhaustive, this report is a description of human rights violations on the civilian population in the city of Kinshasa. Acts of torture continue to take place. Political assassinations continue to sow horror and desolation. Great suffering is experienced every day by the victims and their families. The arrests of defenseless people have not been halted. Liberation of arrested victims with conditions This year 2007 has been marked by the liberation of over 200 prisoners by the Ministry of Justice. According the report of the Director of the Prison, each prisoner receives a pension of 100 Congolese francs per day (equivalent of one US quarter). Under these conditions, one can say that the victims have been subjected to hunger and conditions unfit for human dignity. This report has several cases of victims that have benefited from this measure of conditional liberty. In the East, Serge Maheshe On the evening of Wednesday, 13 June 2007, Mr Serge Maheshe, journalist of the Bukavu (East) station of Radio Okapi sponsored by the United Nations, was killed by bullets fired by several unknown assailants as he tried to get into his vehicle which was marked by the symbols of the United Nations. Aged 31 years, Maheshe, working for Radio Okapi since 2002, was a well-known figure of the press in the region. In the West, Madame Anne-Marie Kalanga On 18 June 2007, Madame Anne-Marie Kananga, a commentator on a regular program of the National Congolese Radiotelevision was hit by bullets fired by three men dressed like policemen who attempted to enter her home in a neighborhood in the west of the capital city. The journalist, hit by two bullets in the leg, along with her younger brother also hit by a bullet in the leg, is hospitalized in the Ngaliema Clinic. Tolerating child labor At the root of the tolerating of child labor in the country is the failure to guarantee the right of education for all children. The right of education is constitutionally guaranteed, but the RDC government has failed to implement its promises according to the Accords of Mbudi. Parents are not able to pay for the expense to send all of their children to school, and when children have not paid their tuition on time, they are excluded and chased out of the classroom. These practices should have been stopped after the election, but they continue and the actual cases have been identified. And finally, according to the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, a country cannot survive unless it allows some political opposition. This plays an essential role in the reconstruction of democratic rights. During the disarmament of troops in the city of Kinshasa in 2007, the behavior of the RDC Armed Forces (FARDC) seemed not to be aware of this principle at the basis of the United Nations when they used force and firearms. There are several cases of victims who were wounded or killed. Respect for human rights is necessary for a sustainable peace. |