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MORE CIVILIANS LIVES LOST, RAPES, EMBUSHES ON ROADS AND INSECURITY: THE LATEST FROM THE VILLAGES OF SOUTH KIVU
More ambushes on the main roads of South Kivu
Saturday 14 July 2000, around 2 am, tens of armed men speaking Kinyarwanda and Swahili attacked 5 vehicles carrying people and goods at the place known as 'Toyota' on the main road between Bukavu and Nyangezi. The attack took place around the Mudusa-Kabare area. Among the passengers who were onboard of these vehicles was the choir of the Pentecostal local church known as the 8ieme CEPAC (Communaute des Eglises de Pentecotes en Afrique Centrale) Imani-Panzi, which was on its way for an evangelical crusade to Luhwindja. Onboard of one of these cars were also staffs of the 5ieme CELPA who were of their way to Kaziba and several other persons returning from Uvira. All the passengers were ordered to lay flat on the road. They then were all beaten up and searched. All valuables goods and belongings such as watches, stereos, telecommunications sets, etc were taken by the attackers.
6 passengers were onboard the vehicle belonging to the protestant church 5ime CELPA. Among them were Mr. Barhafumwa Chisuma Bardes, Haliyamutu, the local leader of the NGO CAPES, Mr. Lusambo Kange, his son Clovis Imani (15 years old), misses Prudence Loli (17years old) and Lariska Mali (3 years old) both daughters of Mr. Vove Bengenhya. All these passengers were beaten up. After the ordeal, they were all taken to the General Hospital of Bukavu for general check up.
In fact Heritiers de la Justice has been reporting and underlining the growing insecurity that continues to feature any journey on all the main roads of South Kivu. Despite the fact that roads, such as Bukavu-Bunyakiri, Bukavu-Kalehe, Bukavu-Mwnega, Bukavu-Uvira, Bukavu-Kaziba are indispensable for the daily lives of the populations of South Kivu who depends on these roads for accessing to basics foods they (these roads) have become almost impracticable and ambushes have become frequent.
The Mudusa area under persistent insecurity.
On July 1, 200, around 9 pm, a group of armed men in military uniforms attacked the village of Chirhagabwa in the Mudusa- Kabare area. During the attack, two young girls and several women were raped. Several houses were also looted by the attackers who also tortured the owners of the premises they broke into. In total 15 families were victims of the attack. These families are Mweze Bashombe, Kabi Stanislas, Katula Cibululanda, Badesire Vedaste, Namegabe Balagizi, Barthélemy, Cifundire Mulashe, Gode Chibembe, Leonard Mihambo, Nzusa Marandura, Prospère Marandura, Théodore Lugukumula, Etienne Lugukumula, Birhaheka Bashwere, Mparanyi Mulume Cikanda, Mugisho Bagula and Jean-Pierre Kayeye. During the same night, Mr. Rwabanda and his son were seriously injured. They are currently being treated at the health center of Kadutu.
Tuesday June 12, 2001 three members of the Ngwengwe family of Chimpwiji-Mudusa area, were arrested by unidentified men in military uniforms. The armed men were carrying a warrant of arrest allegedly issued by the local tribunal of Kabare. Intrigued and worried by this incident Mr. Mirindi Gustave Lugerero, living by alerted the whole village.
Monday June 11, 2001 unidentified armed men opened fire in the air before looting several houses at Igoki, Chirhagabwa and Lwanvuhye, all villages in the Mudusa-Kabare area. During this regrettable incident, Mr. Corneille Ntahakana was injured by a gun shot at his legs. He is currently undergoing medical treatment at the hospital of Panzi. Furthermore, two women of the same area were forced by the attackers to pay up to 10 US $ each in order not to be subjected to more ill treatment.
Tuesday June 5, 2001 15 goats were looted by a band of armed men who were on rampage in the Mudusa-Kabare area again. This area is regarded by many as a head quarter of several armed gangs and bands. Civilian population who still live in this area are victim of very brutal and persistent insecurity.
The killing of cicilians continues at and around Lemera.
On the night of Friday April 2001, Mr. Kiroha Lukumbira, a 67 year old resident of Butole village within the Lemera area of the Bafuliru constituency of Uvira/South Kivu was abducted a group of soldiers of the RCD (the rebel movement in control of the South Kivu region of the Congo). On the following day, the body of Mr. Kiroha Lukumbira was found in the village. On the same day, Mr. Piripiri and his daughter in law, both residents of Nyamiutiri village of the Lemera area were shot dead by another group of RCD's soldiers.
Abusive exploitation of minerals by the occupying powers continue to cause great misery to the civilian population of the Kivu region
More than 130 habitants, two building belonging to the protestant local church known as the 5ieme CELPA (Communautes des Eglises des Pentecotes en Afrique) and buildings of the 26ieme CLMCO (Communaute Libre Methodiste au Congo), together with the local cemetery of Kaseti/Baligi-Wamuzimu/Mwenga on the main road between Kamituga and Kitutu are under threat of being destroyed by mining activities. All these public buildings are threatened by gold mining activities, which have led to the village being divided into two. More than 44 houses and part of the local cemetery are already destroyed by the miners. The leader of the local association of miners, Mr. Mbike Wakasumba enjoys the protection of the local authorities. The traditional chief of the Wamuzimu area, Mr. Ali Byemba Longangi is said to be on the side of those causing the destruction of these public buildings. At the end of May 2001, the military commander in place, Mr. Claude, is reported to have ordered the local authorities and the traditional chief to do all possible in order to silence any local resistance to the mining activities. On May 29, 2001, a number of villagers were forced to pay 2400 Congolese francs (more of less 20 UD dollars) each for having attempted to stage a protest against the abusive exploitation of gold in their area.
Furthermore, two underground dungeons identical to the one denounced by Heritiers de ls Justice in its Nota Bebe N0. 90 of last month are now in use in Kamituga and Mungombe/Bashikasa-Wamusimu/Mwenga. The dungeon of Kamituga is known as 'Mandaki' and is under the authority of the Commander Pichen, the officer in charge of the 61ieme battalion. Victims who are detained in this horrific place are mostly former owners of coltan and gold mining areas. They often have to pay heavy fine in mineral to be freed. The dungeon of Mungombe is notoriously known as the 'Titanic'.
Several case of extra-judicial executions have also been reported in the Mwenga area during the last three months (April, may and June).
On June 13, 2001, Mr. Itongwa Musunga, a commander of the local militia mai-mai, together with his body guard were killed by member of the notorious interahamwe militia. They both were accused of trying to reconcile soldiers of the RCD with a group of the mai-mai movement operating in the Kasika-Lwindi area.
On June 10, 2001 Mr. Wasso Kyumbula, a 27 years old habitant of the Lusungu village was shot dead by a soldier of the RCD (the rebel movement in charge of the South Kivu region) at Powe. The soldier who committed this crime was part of the team of soldier hired by Shenimed, a company involved in coltan business.
On June 1, 2001 Mr. Kanefu Mwenebulinji, a resident of the village of Itula, within the Shabunda area was killed by a group of soldiers of the RCD (the main rebel movement) at Lwino. The authors of this crime are said to be part of the soldiers who were on the run following clashes in the Kilembwe area. In addition to killing Mr. Kanefu, these soldiers committed also several acts of rape and looted several houses of local residents.
On April 2001, Mr. Lwango Hogo, otherwise known as 'Mchele', a 25 years old man was assassinated by men said to belong to the militia mai-mai at Lowe/Kibe in the Wamusimu-Mwenga area. Theses authors of this killing were accompanied and enjoyed the guidance of Mr. Dembi of the Katoke/Mulombozi village, who is also said to enjoy strong protection by the RCD. During the same night, the remains of Mr. Kanefu were discovered. Mr. Kanefu, a 72 old man, was a former active member of the militia mai-mai at the time when the Congolese war started back in 1996. Mr. Kanefu is reported to have been killed by the soldiers of the RCD based at Bigombe.
In addition to the killings, several acts of looting against civilian populations are reported in several villages of the South Kivu region. On July 4 2001 for example, soldiers of the RCD based at Ngenga/Lutambi-Lwindi looted kiomvu. A large quantity of valuable goods belonging to local people were looted by these soldiers
On July 1, 2001 a band of armed men coming from Mulungu-Baliga looted the town center of Kamituga at the very same time that soldiers of the RCD were patrolling the area. Local people are of the view that both the armed men and the RCD soldiers knew what was going on.
On June 21, 2001 men belonging to the notorious Interahamwe Ruandese militia who emerged from the Ilibo/Buzinda forest looted the villages of Kidasa, Kalana, Irangi, and Kashaka at Kasika.
In provision to a coming visit of the Governor of South Kivu to the Mwenga area, the local authority of Mwenga, Mr. Kalowe Mika is currently selecting a number of schools children who will take active role in the welcoming ceremony of the Governor. Several songs and dances are being prepared to make the Governor feel at home. Each owner of local shop is required to contribute with 40 US $. Owners of freight companies are required up to 50 US $ each. Each mining group has also to pay 20 US $ and each owner of pharmacy is required to pay US $ 150 for having his or her business reopened. Our readers should recall that in April 2001, more than 68 pharmacies were closed in Mwenga by the local health authority, Mr. Vincent Kininga Mba on the grounds that these businesses had not the required authorization. Local people believe this has nothing to do with not having the necessary authorization and see the closing of these pharmacies as a way by the local authority to get money out of the local people. Consistent reports confirm that most of these 68 pharmacies had paid up to US $ 166 each to the regional health inspector, Mr. Mbuku Tsosa, who unfortunately did not provide receipts for the payments.
Heritiers de la Justice continue to call on all parties to the Congolese conflict to respect lives an the belonging of non-combatant civilians. Heritiers de la Justice call also upon the International Community to stop drugging its feet and do all it can end the Congolese conflict in the same way as it did in Kosova and East Timor.
Again Heritiers de la Justice call for an end to the state of insecurity that continues to prevail on the main roads of the Kivu region and reiterate its call for justice in the name of the civilian victims of this insecurity.
Heritiers de la Justice
Bukavu July 26, 2001
La Reporting on Kivu Villages
Mwenga centre | Kamituga |
Kalambi | Baraka | Bideka | Ibanda-Ngweshe
| Baraka | Ville de Bukavu |
Uvira | Luvungi
| Kalehe | Sange | Lemera| Bunyakiri
|
Nyabibwe | Kitutu | Kalonge | Kaziba
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