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5 Best Stories You Might Have Missed This Week

Posted by Laura Heaton on Feb 26, 2010
 

Here at Enough, we often swap emails with interesting articles and feature stories that we come across in our favorite publications and on our favorite websites. We wanted to share some of these stories with you as part of our effort to keep you up to date on what you need to know in the world of anti-genocide and crimes against humanity work.

An even less talked about humanitarian crisis brewing as a result of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (this time not in the east) comes to life in this BBC slideshow. Fighting in the northwest corner of Congo beginning last October has forced an estimated 100,000 people across the river into the Republic of Congo in just a few short months.

Stunning photographs make this post on the International Rescue Committee’s Voices from the Field a standout of the week. A film crew captured footage among urban refugee communities in Kenya’s capital for an upcoming short film, and this glimpse suggests that it will be visually spectacular film and challenge typical notions of what it means to be a ‘refugee.’

The IRC’s blog also highlighted the benefits of a community-centered program, Tuungane (Swahili for “let’s unite”), in communities in eastern Congo that allocates money to villages according to the projects the villagers themselves decide they want to pursue. Peter Biro’s photos help illustrate the stories of some of the individuals impacted by the program.

In the upcoming print edition of Newsweek, Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations offers a dismal overview of governments’ lack of interest in human rights these days: “Obama's waffling [on human rights issues] was hardly unique. Across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, many democracies have abandoned global human-rights advocacy, trotting it out only for occasional speeches or events like International Human Rights Day.” Kurlantzick suggests some (equally depressing but interesting) reasons why the case may be.

An investigative piece by Colum Lynch of the newly launched Turtle Bay blog at Foreign Policy reveals some quiet lobbying on behalf of the notorious military junta leader of Guinea, who stands accused of orchestrating the mass atrocities that took place in the Guinean capital during a peaceful protest last September. The legal advice came from a surprising source.

Submitted by John Gyovai (not verified) on March 4, 2010 - 5:59pm.

Thanks Laura for covering the blog post about our project on urban refugees with the International Rescue Committee. The video is now in editing and in case any readers are interested, we have video clips and behind the scenes pictures posted. Here is the link to some video clips from the field: http://vimeo.com/user3009136/videos
and pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mediaserveintl/

Thanks again,
John Gyovai

Submitted by Alex Rwemera (not verified) on March 1, 2010 - 7:32am.

War on the Western Highlands of Itombwe: rapes and murders committed by the FARDC

Since the beginning of 2010 the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), as part of Operation Leo Amani and on order of President Joseph Kabila, has deployed around 5,000 soldiers on the Highlands of 'Itombwe with the aim of neutralizing once and for all the 200 fighters of FRF.

Recall that Operation Amani Leo was launched officially to fight the FDLR and not armed Congolese groups. Not only this operation is diverted for political and criminal, but it is unbelievable to see how the government lets the FDLR continue to kill people across South and North Kivu while he commits an expeditionary force of 5000 military to neutralize 200 former military Banyamulenge, who retreated to the Highlands to mediate between local people and former Interahamwe militiamen arrived in Congo after the genocide of Rwandan Tutsis in 1994. All these armed men are the FRF is to protect the local population against the FDLR and Mayi-Mayi allies. They certainly pose no problems of public order or national security.

As already indicated in our last article of 2 February, FARDC troops have suffered heavy losses (of lives and weapons and ammunition) during recent fighting against elements FRF in several localities, including Kamombo and Kirumba. The civilian population of the villages affected by the fighting had to flee the scene and is now found confined without humanitarian assistance, in both villages and Mikalati Kabara. In addition, the population was threatened by armed forces officers who clearly hinted that if the fighters FRF attack them again, they would take revenge on civilians.

After suffering heavy losses and unable to locate elements of FRF in a specific location, the FARDC, as is their wont, began to commit acts of rape. According to information obtained from local NGOs and passengers from the Highlands, many women were raped and 6 of them were subsequently killed to bury the already committed rape. In fact, as the victims were in very poor condition after having been raped, FARDC soldiers have decided to finish them and then claim they were victims of stray bullets. Now it appears the places where these crimes were committed were never, even here, the clashes between the FARDC and the FRF.

Faced with these barbaric acts denounced by the population, the FARDC had to hurry on the Hauts Plateaux strong delegation led by Major General Amisi (aka Tango Four) which is supposed to investigate these cases of rape and murder of 'One of these women victims of sexual crimes. In addition to General Amisi, the delegation consisted of senior officers: the Colonels Kayimbi, Makenga, Mitabu, Manga and Kalume. We learn that this delegation has returned 5 military (including two commanders of troops) believed to be the perpetrators of these rapes and murders. General Amisi also presented a public apology to the civilian population on behalf of the army, after a visit to several victims of rape, and a passage to the cemetery where he was shown the graves of murdered 6 women: Munyamulenge one (in the village of Mikalati), four Bembe (a mother and her three daughters in the village deMikenke), and Munyindu (in the village of Kangwa).

What is surprising in all this is that all these events are happening in full sight of the MONUC, which claims to be there to protect the civilian population. Not only does it not protect the Banyamulenge people, Bambembe and Banyindu, victims of abuses, but also and above all the United Nations Mission in Congo refuels regular weapons, ammunition and rations FARDC troops responsible for these crimes.

The Editors