The Tragedy in Central Africa

Date: 13th of June 2000
Speaker: Mr Cissa Gaston Wa Numbe, Director of United Nations Association of Democratic Republic of Congo
Topic: The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Introduction

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,

My name is Cissa Gaston Wa Numbe, I am Sociologist and Anthropologist . A poet-writer, environmentalist, peace and human rights advocate from Congo.

As director of UNA-CONGO, by leading peace and human rights educational programme; for attending several UN international conference and summit, I have relevant understanding on international and Africa issues.

It is a honour for me to meet you to day and I would like to think all of you and especially the chairman Tim Windsor-Show for organising this speech.

After meeting him, I tried to reflect on what can be the title of our conference to day. I tried to imagine my self about what you expect from my speech and I avowed that it not easy for me to find a final title. For a whole of questions, I says to my self that you would like to know more about what really happening in Africa. Especially in Great lacks region.

So, during my speech I will try:
* To exhibit the facts on human rights and humanitarian crisis
* The fundamental causes of conflict which lead to the wars

As Director of the United Nations Association of DR Congo, and one of the leaders of civil society from Kivu, I promised to give to the world the real message of what is the real situation in DR Congo.

So let me tell you:

There was this old lady, hit by a bullet, thirsty and exhausted, who said to me “Will one day, the world know what is really happening here? Will this suffering that we are enduring here ever come to anyone’s attention?” As for myself, with tears in my eyes, unable to speak, I just nodded.... She looked at me with despair in her eyes, and died in my arms.

Unfortunately, this is not fiction. It is a sad reality that I have lived, like thousands of displaced people from my country.
I have myself known what life was like, to be in hiding in the forest and mountains, and to live with fear, hunger and disease. For 6 months, I have had to live in those conditions with my family, in the East of the DR Congo. I am therefore both a witness, and a victim of those atrocious war events.
In my bitter suffering, I have been the powerless witness of hundred of people, children, elderly people, pregnant women, people affected by epidemics: cholera, malaria, diarrhoea, and starvation; others have just been slaughtered by the armies of the warlords.

You have seen for yourself on the video which we have just shown, the gravity of the situation in my country. These people who are suffering, are people like you or me. Do any of them deserve these sufferings? They are just victims of bigger powers, victims of greed and hatred. Do they deserve to be put in that position?

The conflict in my country has inflicted further terrible sufferings on a country that was already burdened with poverty and neglect. Did you know that more than 2,600,000 people are displaced within the country, in addition to some 900,000 refugees located on its territory?

The conflicts and wars has been characterised by appalling, widespread, systematic human rights violation, including mass killings, ethnic cleansing, rape and destruction of property.

Did you know that since the 2nd of August 1998, there are over 1,200,000 people dead in the DR of Congo? These are 1,200,000 death that are not known to the international public.

Did you know that there was carnage of over 250 people in the parish of Kasika, south Kivu on 27th August 98?

Did you know that over 1000 persons were killed between the 3 ~ of December and 1st of Jan 99 at Makobola (Fizi) South Kivu?

Did you know that in Wimbi (Fizi) 326 people were burnt alive, and that entire villages were also destroyed and burnt?

Did you know that during serious crash between Rwandan and Ugandan armies, over 1700 people were killed in Kisangani, Congolese territory.

How do you explain that two foreign army fought each other in a Sovereign Country, putting the Cities on fire and killing innocent civilians?

Where is the International Order and Justice?

A United Nations military observer in Kisangani says on 9/06/2000 that he has seem about 200 injured people in hospitals there, some without legs. Ahmed Jamil says drugs and medicines in the hospitals were unavailable and he says he could not estimate the number of dead and injured. He added the fighting that has been going on for two weeks between Rwanda and Uganda troops in Kisangani, is very, very heavy and intense.

Did you know that between 7,200 people and 9,000 people are believed to have been killed in the Lendu & Hema ethnic clash at Bunia only this last February? And that these conflicts are supported by Ugandan armies?

Can you believe the case of 15 Congolese women buried alive in Mwenga, South Kivu? The UN high commission for Human rights (Mr Robinson) has asked for an investigation.
The list of mass killing and ethnic cleansing and human rights violation is so long! So many massacres having taken place everywhere, such as in the territories under governmental control as in the rebel, Ugandan and Rwandan control.

But, what do you say of massive violations of Human rights? In the Eastern part of Congo, which is occupied by Ugandan, Rwandese and Burundese troops, and where the rebellion is thriving, the situation on Human rights is serious. For example, we know of summary executions made at Bukavu, Goma, Kindu, and Kisangani of the local elite; We know of people deportations in the neighbouring countries. Joseph Matara, a Rwandese militant of Human rights, has himself uncovered the existence of cremation sites of bodies. The recent discovery of cremation in Uganda will tell us more.

It has been also the arrests and tortures of leaders of the civil society, the last one to date being that of the Archbishop Kataliko of Bukavu.

Mr Robinson, the UN special reporter, has said in his report published during his recent visit at KINSHASA, LUBUMBASHI, and in KIVU:
“even if there are no assassinations recently ordered by the KINSHASA authorities (as it is happening in the occupied territories), the democratic liberties are far from being respected.”

However, several examples of harassment have been reported. Several journalists, politicians and human rights activists have been either questioned, or arrested, or prevented from getting out of the country.
As for the occupied territories, no press, no political parties are allowed. Hence Human Rights Organisations are in a complete state of panic.

HUMAN RIGHTS watch has condemned the International community in these terms: “In all the efforts made to try and find a peaceful answer to this conflict — those of the SADC, the OAU, the European Community, and the UN, the human right preoccupation has never been the major at the centre of all these discussions.

The Refugee International made the following statement:
“The major party of the carnage which is taking place now in the heart of Africa, has it roots in the failure of the international community to stop the Rwandese genocide in 1994. We can no longer allow ourselves to be just passive witnesses. Hundred and thousand of refugees are abandoned out there with the forest as their own resource. The silence surrounding these events is frightening. Other instances of death and tragedy of war in Kosovo or East Timor are reported, and brought to the public attention, but not the tragedy of the DR Congo, Rwanda and in Burundi.
It is also reported in Rwanda, assassination, torture and arbitrary detention, according to United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) of April 27,2000. Report says human rights abuses cross ethnic divide. The New York- based Human Rights Watch accuse the Tutsi Rwadan-led government of using the pretext of security and genocide to cover human rights violations against Rwandan citizens Hutu and that human rights abuses in Rwanda go beyond the ethnic divide.
In Burundi as in Rwanda, the Hutu civil population are lived in the regrouping camps under military high supervision.

REGARDING HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Out there, the situation is disastrous. The very few hospital and health centres have been seriously damaged, or turned to military use.

According to a report from Medicines sans Frontiers, published on the

17th of February, 16% of children living in KISANGANI are malnourished. It is 5% in GOMA, 9% at KINDU, and 3% in BUKAVU According to a survey of the International Rescue Committee, the monthly rate of mortality has gone from 4,8% per 1000 habitants, which is a rate 2&1/2 times higher than normal for Central Africa.

If already at KINSHASA, and in those other regions accessible, the malnutrition and the mortality rate are on the increase, what of the thousands of displaced people in the locked zones?
It is reported that the number of abandoned and orphan children have seriously increased . UNA-Congo, UNA-UK and Africa 2000 a UK charity based has set up a aid programme for assisting them. The recent report says that hospitals are not existed, and infrastructure of drinking water are destroyed. The result is that famine, and lack of drinking water and medicine are killing people on a daily basis.

BUT THE BIGGEST CATASTROPHE OF ALL IS THAT OF THE PROPAGATION OF HIV:

Last February, the Pan African news agency has announced that a Ugandese soldier, arrested in Kampala, has confessed to the deliberate infection of at least 30 women. Is this not biological genocide?

Statistics indicate that Rwanda and Uganda are the countries most affected by the HIV virus, in the whole of Africa. With all the incidents of rapes by the infected militaries, imagine what could be the degree of propagation of HIV in the region! Another reason of contamination, is the massive influx of refuges from Rwanda, Burundi, and RD Congo. An educational programme about HIV is really urgently needed.

THE FUNDAMENTAL CAUSES OF CONFLICTS WHICH LEAD TO THE WARS AND ALL ITS CONSEQUENCES.

A. Internal causes.

- In Congo as in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, the irresponsible as well as the criminality of the African politicians ready to sacrifice people and state interests for achieving their own materiel appetites. For evidences, in many African countries, like Congo, people still very poor while the politicians leaders (Presidents and Ministers) became more and more rich. A country can be very rich but have lack of based infrastructures like hospitals, schools etc...
- No- appearance of political and democratic culture. Mostly of African Presidents take power by force: coup d’Etat, civil wars. And once in power, they want still there for life. They don’t not to share power between others state institutions like parliament and judicial power. They never have the alternative notion of power. For not obtaining power by democratic ways, they detain it on ethnic, military and corruption basis.

B. International causes.

The African strategy of big power in last century was edited by politic aims. The two current ideologists (capitalism and communism) have been using Africa as their war field. Each of them tried to stop the advance of each other. So LUMUMBA was killed and it was the beginning of war in Congo in 1961 While Angola has becoming the theatre of war. Then president MOBUTU was used to combat and destabilise the neighbouring nationalist or communist countries( Tanzania, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville...). With the collapse of communism(Russia leadership), the West power still hence forward the only master of the game and the card-games has changed. What was political have became economical. Each power want the stakes of western power to control one portion of natural resources.

C. ECONOMIC DEAL

Africa is very rich , Its mineral resource are immense and still a virgin. However, the nuclear industries need same rare strategic minerals located in Africa like tantaline, nobium, tantigue, cadmium, wolframe, tangstene, baryl very search for nuclear purposes. Contrary to cold war era where capitalism fighting communism it is now Europe and USA who still fighting. Actually Africa represented a Zone where each power want to control one natural resources portion. It’s what certain opinions are calling” the diamond wars” the case of Congo, Sierra Leone, Angola ... thus as in the last period each power support this conflicts in order to put in power the president of its convenience who can protect its’ interests. The case of Angola (Dos Santos in one side and Savimbi) in other and in Congo (Mobutu in one side and Kabila in other), are genuine evidences. It is no secret that Angola is still divided in two parts. One under US influence with Savimbi and his diamond, another under French influence with president Santos and his petrol. Probably it will be the same with Congo, the Belgium tented this experience in favouring the secession with Katanga in 1961 and Kasai in the same year. It is for all of this reason that the Western Power tolerated and closed their eyes in the same circumstances and in the same countries in Africa.

Can ask together reflect on same questions as how French sending troops when Congo Brazzaville was in conflict? Why UK sending troops in Sierra Leone and how to understand that there are hesitation in sending troops in Congo where more than 10 foreign countries are fighting in this country?

THE POWERLESSNES AND INERTIA OF WORLD ORGANISATIONS AND PARTISAN SPIRIT OF THE BIG POWERS.

The principles of UN respected the integrity and non violation of countries borders. This principals has its effects in IRAQ, why not in
Congo which is aggressed by its neighbouring Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi?

In Haiti the president was put back in power after a coup d’Etat by Western Power. While in Burundi, Rwanda and Congo — Brazzaville the President of this counties was pull aside from power by coup d’Etat without any reaction from OAU, UN and the International Community! All these presidents were recruited by big power, managed their countries in with good governance policy!!!...Mobutu destroyed our Country!

Faced with this very depressing picture, the Congolese people have only one message to pass on to you:

We are troubled by wars, conflicts, and genocide, which do nothing but grieve us, destroy our environment, and plunge us into more and more under-development.

We have had enough of being dominated by these warlords. We want to be allowed to make our own choices, by way of democratic elections, to control our destiny. Please help us to do so.

United Nations organisations for African Unity, and thousands of us living as refuges in neighbouring countries, thousands of us wandering displaced in forests and mountains. We are malnourished, and we need food and medicine for our children and ourselves. Please help us to reconstruct our lives and our Country!

European Community have to strive to put an end to these politics of two weights, two measures. Whether we are European from Kosovo, East Timore or Africans, we are all human beings. We have equal rights and claims to justice and survival. Please, help us in the same manner, that you would help the rest of the world. There are

Finally, I am going to take this opportunity of asking you to support this Aid Programme as described on the Aid Appeal.


Thank you.