drc: No peace without an end to impunity

News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

Democratic Republic of Congo: No peace without an end to impunity for human
rights abuses

AI Index: AFR 62/047/2003 (Public)
24 October 2003

The transitional government in Kinshasa must give the highest priority to
stopping, urgently and immediately, the horrendous cycle of human rights
abuse still prevailing in eastern DRC, said Irene Khan, Secretary General
of Amnesty International, at the end of her visit in Kinshasa.

"While the different factions now in Kinshasa wrangle for power and
privilege, people still live in fear of death, plunder and carnage in the
Kivus, Ituri and other parts of the country. Mutilations and massacres
continue. Children are still being used as soldiers, and rape of women and
girls is a standard tactic of warfare. That grim reality throws a cold
shadow on the optimism in Kinshasa," said Ms. Khan.

Underlining the continued links between several senior members of the
government, the political parties they represent and the armed elements who
are committing these abuses, Ms. Khan said: "The credibility of the
transitional government will suffer if these atrocities are allowed to
continue with impunity."

"Neither national unity nor democracy can be built on the back of abuse and
impunity. The right of victims and their families to truth and justice is
an essential element of the process of reconciliation and peace in the DRC.
Those who are suspected of having perpetrated war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide must be investigated, regardless of the position or
power they enjoy," Ms Khan said.

"We welcome the indications by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that
they will investigate crimes committed in Ituri. This must be accompanied
by further action at the national and international level to investigate
crimes beyond the scope of the ICC."

In talks with the Vice Presidents and other senior members of the
government as well as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary
General and members of the diplomatic community, Amnesty International
stressed that the real test of the political process in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) will not lie in the planned election two years down
the road but in the willingness and ability of the government to reign in
the armed elements, to end human rights abuse, address impunity and
undertake fundamental reform of the army, police and justice systems.

"Giving men and women the chance to vote is meaningless if they do not
enjoy the right to a life free from the threat of rape, murder, torture,
arbitrary detention and forcible displacement. Preparations for elections
and economic reconstruction must go hand in hand with building institutions
of governance, based on respect for human rights and international
humanitarian law," emphasised Ms. Khan.

During a visit to Bunia last week, Amnesty International noted that a
reinforced MONUC has brought some degree of security, but a lot more needs
to be done to deploy troops in other parts of Ituri and in the Kivus, to
support the reform of the army and the police, and demobilisation and
disarmament.

"The international community must continue to give MONUC the political and
financial support it needs and must stay the course until the tasks are
done," urged Irene Khan.

"More attention must be given to assisting the victims of sexual violence
and the demobilisation and rehabilitation of child soldiers, in particular
building the capacity of local organisations."

"The UN Security Council must insist on the most scrupulous respect of the
arms embargo on eastern DRC. It must put teeth in its resolution by setting
up a mechanism to enforce the embargo, and provide MONUC with the resources
to support this mechanism," said Irene Khan.

Amnesty International calls on UN member states not to engage in arms
transfers and supplies of military and police equipment or training to the
DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda unless these transfers are subject to the
most stringent certification and scrutiny to ensure that the equipment will
not be used to perpetrate human rights abuses.

"We must not forget that the desire to control and exploit the natural
resources of DRC has been a major driving force behind massive human rights
abuses," said Irene Khan.

"So far, the findings of the UN Panel, implicating Uganda, Rwanda and
Zimbabwe as well as many companies worldwide, have not led to
investigations or action against these actors. On the eve of the
publication of the final report of the UN Panel, we call on the UN Security
Council to take concrete action to implement the recommendations of the
four reports of the Panel. It is of the utmost importance that the UN
Security Council establishes a mechanism to continue to monitor actively
the resource exploitation to ensure that it is not tainted with human
rights abuses."

"In order to gain the confidence of the Congolese people and set a new
beginning for this country, the Congolese leaders must take firm steps to
stop babies from being mutilated, children from being recruited to fight
wars, women from being raped. The United Nations, the international
community and governments in the region must work with the Transitional
Government -- but the ultimate responsibility lies with the Congolese
leaders," concluded Irene Khan.

Background
Irene Khan, the Secretary General of Amnesty International led a high level
mission to Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo from 15 - 24
October 2003 to discuss with the leaders of these countries, their role in
ending grave violations of human rights in eastern DRC, including massive
summary killings of civilians, torture, rape, "disappearances", forced
displacements and systematic use of rape as a weapon of war. Ms. Khan also
raised with various presidents and senior government leaders Amnesty
International's human rights concerns specific to their countries.

Amnesty International recognizes the regional dimensions of the conflict in
eastern DRC and has, during the current visit to the Great Lakes region,
raised its concerns with the Presidents and governments of Rwanda and
Uganda. Kigali and Kampala must take immediate steps to translate into
fact, pledges made to end their continued support of armed groups and the
economic plunder which fuels the human rights atrocities in eastern DRC.

In addition to Kigali, Kampala and Kinshasa, Amnesty International's
delegation visited Goma and Bunia in eastern DRC where it met with human
rights defenders, civil society, survivors of human rights abuses, the
governor of North Kivu, MONUC and other UN officials.

The delegation gathered information indicating that a large number of
civilians, including children, women and the old, continue to be
deliberately and systematically subjected to horrendous human rights abuses
in eastern DRC.

All documents on the Democratic Republic of Congo:

http://amnesty-news.c.tep1.com/maabAGBaa1yEcbb0iygb/

Take action to help end the use of child soldiers in the DRC:

http://amnesty-news.c.tep1.com/maabAGBaa1yEdbb0iygb/

****************************************************************
You may repost this message onto other sources provided the main
text is not altered in any way and both the header crediting
Amnesty International and this footer remain intact. Only the
list subscription message may be removed.
****************************************************************