Kinshasa (Fides Service) - Following appeals launched by numerous missionaries denouncing violence against civilians in the eastern part of democratic Congo, Fides Service has watched the situation carefully and offers here a summary of main events.
July 30 in Pretoria, South Africa, a peace accord is signed by Democratic Congo and Rwanda: the latter agrees to withdraw its troops from east Congo, in exchange for the disarmament and repatriation of Hutu militia groups which have used this territory as a hideout/launching-pad since 1994. A UN peace keeping force is deployed to guarantee respect for the accords.
The withdrawal of Rwandan troops is slow. In eastern provinces of Congo, south Kivu and Ituri the situation becomes incandescent with various groups fighting for control of vast areas.
In early September 2002 the Congolese Group for Democracy-Movement for Liberation RCD-ML together with Ngiti warriors attacks Nyakunde, 20 km from Bunia in the Ituri province. Hundreds of Hema are killed, including patients and medical personnel of Bunia hospital. Out of retaliation some weeks later Hema militia belonging to the Union of Congolese Patriots UCP, massacre hundreds of Ngiti and RCD-ML supporters. During the fighting, Ugandan troops, still present in Bunia according to a previous agreement between Kinshasa and Kampala, did nothing to prevent the mass killling of civilians.
In mid October a group of Mai Mai and Banyamulenge (Tutsi of Congo) took the town of Uvira, south Kivu, from RCD-Goma, a rebel movement supported by Rwanda and Burundi. On October 19 RCD-Goma recaptured the town with the help of Rwandan and Burundian troops. Various episodes of violence against civilians, rape, murder and arbitrary arrests are reported.
This is a war over resources, gold, diamonds coltan and precious timber. "It is time for the international community to strengthen its position here" a missionary told Fides Service. "Every day civilians suffer violence and a whole young generation is lost because they know nothing but war". For the west, Africa fails to make the headlines: for the media massacres in Africa are hardly more serious than pick-pocketing. We recall in this regard an appeal launched by missionaries in support of Democratic Congo published by Fides on October 24 see www.fides.org . The appeal ends with these words: "It is our duty to defend the fundamental rights of all men and all women. Aware that the events reported in our appeal may be judged hardly important enough to merit publication, but prompted by our consciences and a spirit of solidarity, we appeal to you to act in the name of justice and to take action swiftly because every hour that passes means life or death for many innocent people." (Fides Service 7/11/2002)