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Tackling Small Arms in Central Africa Tackling Small Arms in Central Africa
paper 29 Tackling Small Arms in Central Africa Tackling Small Arms in Central Africa by Lucien Mufor Atanga Published by ©BICC, Bonn 2003 Bonn International Center for Conversion Director: Peter J. Croll An der Elisabethkirche 25 D-53113 Bonn Germany Phone: +49-228-911960 Fax: +49-228-241215 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.bicc.de Table of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgements 4 1. Introduction 5 1.1 Background and Problem 5 1.2 Scope 11 1.3 Objective 12 1.4 Research Propositions/Questions 12 1.5 Significance of the study 12 1.6 Definition of Core Concepts 13 1.7 Methodology 13 2. Literature and Analysis 14 2.1 The Literature 14 2.2 Practical Disarmament in Latin America 20 2.3 Practical Disarmament in Africa 23 2.4 Some Technical Aspects of Micro-Disarmament 26 2.5 Aspects of Conceptual and Theoretical Considerations 27 3. The Way Forward? 30 3.1 Elements for Practical Micro-disarmament in the sub-region of Central Africa 30 3.2 Traditional Authorities 37 3.3 The International Community and NGOs 38 3.4 The Role of Business and MNCs 39 4. Conclusion 41 5. References 44 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements My stay at the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC) as a Ford Research Fellow has been quite an enriching experience professionally. I thank both the Ford Foundation and my host institution, BICC for granting me such an opportunity. I also wish to express my appreciation to the University of Buea, Cameroon, for granting me leave of absence to take up the fellowship. -
THIS IS CONGO a Film by Daniel Mccabe
PRESENTS THIS IS CONGO A film by Daniel McCabe Running Time: 91 minutes Language: English, French, Swahili and Lingala with English subtitles The Democratic Republic of the Congo / United States / Canada PRESS CONTACT: SALES CONTACT: Dogwoof. Dogwoof Yung Kha +44(0)20 7253 6244 Ana Vicente +44 7977 051577 CONFIDENTIAL: The information contained in this document may contain confidential information and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity(ies) to whom it is addressed. The information contained in this document may also be protected by legal privilege, federal law or other applicable law. Any distribution, dissemination or duplication of this docu- ment is strictly prohibited. SYNOPSIS Why is it that some countries seem to be continually mired in cyclical wars, political instability and economic crises? The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one such a place, a mineral-rich Central African country that, over the last two decades, has seen more than five million conflict-related deaths, multiple regime changes and the wholesale impoverishment of its people. Yet though this ongoing conflict is the world’s bloodiest since WWII, little is known in the West about the players or stakes involved. THIS IS CONGO provides an immersive and unfiltered look into the Africa’s longest continuing conflict and those who are surviving within it. By following four compelling characters — a whistleblower, a patriotic military commander, a mineral dealer and a displaced tailor — the film offers viewers a truly Congolese perspective on the problems that plague this lushly beautiful nation. Colonel ‘Kasongo’, Mamadou Ndala, Mama Romance and Hakiza Nyantaba exemplify the unique resilience of a people who have lived and died through the generations due to the cycle of brutality generated by this conflict. -
A Peace of Timbuktu: Democratic Governance, Development And
UNIDIR/98/2 UNIDIR United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research Geneva A Peace of Timbuktu Democratic Governance, Development and African Peacemaking by Robin-Edward Poulton and Ibrahim ag Youssouf UNITED NATIONS New York and Geneva, 1998 NOTE The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. * * * The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Secretariat. UNIDIR/98/2 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. GV.E.98.0.3 ISBN 92-9045-125-4 UNIDIR United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research UNIDIR is an autonomous institution within the framework of the United Nations. It was established in 1980 by the General Assembly for the purpose of undertaking independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international security issues. The work of the Institute aims at: 1. Providing the international community with more diversified and complete data on problems relating to international security, the armaments race, and disarmament in all fields, particularly in the nuclear field, so as to facilitate progress, through negotiations, towards greater security for all States and towards the economic and social development of all peoples; 2. Promoting informed participation by all States in disarmament efforts; 3. Assisting ongoing negotiations in disarmament and continuing efforts to ensure greater international security at a progressively lower level of armaments, particularly nuclear armaments, by means of objective and factual studies and analyses; 4. -
Mamoudou Département D’Histoire Faculté Des Lettres Et Sciences Humaines Université De Douala /Cameroun Email : Mamoudou [email protected]
165 WILLIAM AURÉLIEN ÉTEKI MBOUMOUA,… WILLIAM AURÉLIEN ÉTEKI MBOUMOUA, LA DIPLOMATIE CAMEROUNAISE ET L’ORGANISATION DE L’UNITÉ AFRICAINE 1960 -1978 Mamoudou Département d’Histoire Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines Université de Douala /Cameroun Email : [email protected] Résumé : Géographiquement situé en Afrique centrale, le Cameroun fut l’un des Etats fondateurs de l’Organisation de l’Unité Africaine (OUA) en 1963. En tant que acteur des relations internationales, il a eu une diplomatie dynamique influencée par l’héritage colonial, les contingences historiques et le quotient personnel de ses fils au rang desquels figure en bonne place William Éteki Mboumoua. Ce dernier qui succède à son compatriote Joseph Nzo Ekangaki à la tête de l’OUA en 1974, contribua grandement au développement et au rayonnement de l’institution panafricaine dans un contexte où le Cameroun déployait, sous la houlette de son chef de l’Etat Ahmadou Ahidjo, une diplomatie de présence et d’affirmation. Cette réflexion, qui s’adosse sur la biographie de William Éteki Mboumoua, montre la contribution d’un acteur de l’histoire à l’émergence de la diplomatie camerounaise et à la vitalité diplomatique de l’OUA. Grand commis de l’Etat, Éteki Mboumoua laissa une marque indélébile dans l’histoire de l’OUA. Fin négociateur, ce camerounais a œuvré pour la promotion économique du potentiel africain et pour la diplomatie culturelle en Afrique. Il fit montre de grandes qualités humaines et professionnelles tout au long de son mandat à la tête du secrétariat général de l’organisation panafricaine. Il quitta son poste en 1978, non sans regrets, pour regagner son pays et occuper le poste de conseiller diplomatique à la présidence de la république. -
Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa) Freedomhouse.Org
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2015/congo-democratic-republic-kinshasa#.VXCogKoetdY.cleanprint Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa) freedomhouse.org Political corruption, weak rule of law, and violence remained prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2014. With President Joseph Kabila’s second presidential term set to expire in 2016, factions of Kabila’s coalition, the Alliance of the Presidential Majority (AMP), sought to amend the constitution to allow him to seek a third term. The national army, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), remained implicated in human rights violations, with little effective civilian control over its activities. Journalists and human rights advocates continued to face threats, unlawful detention, and beatings by state security forces and rebel groups around the country. In some cases, opposition lawmakers were arrested and imprisoned for speaking out against the government. Despite progress implementing 2013 accords that formally ended hostilities between the national army and the M23, numerous rebel groups remain active in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Orientale, and Katanga, contributing to mass internal displacement. The DRC launched a new disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program in 2014 as part of its approach to armed groups in the country’s east. Some critics decried a lack of progress toward implementing the UN-drafted Addis Ababa Accord, signed in 2013 by the DRC and ten neighboring countries, which aims at a region-wide effort to reduce support for armed groups in the DRC. Regulations by western nations on trade in “conflict minerals” played a significant role in driving reforms in the extraction of natural resources in the DRC. -
This Is Congo
PRESENTS THIS IS CONGO In honor of the 58th Anniversary of The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Independence In Theaters beginning June 29, 2018 A film by Daniel McCabe Language: English, French, Swahili and Lingala with English subtitles The Democratic Republic of the Congo / United States / Canada / Qatar Run Time: 91 minutes PRESS CONTACT Victoria Vargas / [email protected] Erica Abrams / [email protected] 212.445.7100 SYNOPSIS Why is it that some countries seem to be continually mired in cyclical wars, political instability and economic crises? The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one such a place, a mineral-rich Central African country that, over the last two decades, has seen more than five million conflict-related deaths, multiple regime changes and the wholesale impoverishment of its people. Yet though this ongoing conflict is the world’s bloodiest since WWII, little is known in the West about the players or stakes involved. THIS IS CONGO provides an immersive and unfiltered look into Africa’s longest continuing conflict and those who are surviving within it. By following four compelling characters — a whistleblower, a patriotic military commander, a mineral dealer and a displaced tailor — the film offers viewers a truly Congolese perspective on the problems that plague this lushly beautiful nation. Colonel ‘Kasongo’, Mamadou Ndala, Mama Romance and Hakiza Nyantaba exemplify the unique resilience of a people who have lived and died through the generations due to the cycle of brutality generated by this conflict. Though their paths never physically cross, the ongoing conflict reverberates across all of their lives. When THIS IS CONGO begins in 2012, Rwandan and Ugandan-backed M23 rebels have begun massing in the North Kivu region of Congo, threatening peace and stability. -
Weekly Briefing 30Th October - 5Th November 2014
WEEKLY BRIEFING 30TH OCTOBER - 5TH NOVEMBER 2014 IPIS is an independent research institute which focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa. Our studies concern three core themes: arms trade, exploitation of natural resources and corporate social responsibility. This briefing provides a round-up of the week's news and analysis on security, natural resource and CSR issues arising in the Great Lakes region of Africa Content NEWS IN BRIEF News in brief In the Democratic Republic of Congo, events in Burkina Faso this week are said to have prompted Congolese authorities to clamp down on demonstrations against constitutional IPIS’ Latest Publications reform in Kinshasa with 200 arrests. Ongoing violence in North Kivu was in the spotlight this week as Joseph Kabila visited Beni, promising to put an end to the violence attributed to ADF militia and requesting an increased MONUSCO presence in the region. Further massacres this Conflict and security week – 14 dead in the village of Kampi ya Chui on Wednesday night and around 8 killed by DRC gunmen in Rwenzori on Saturday – has seen public anger prompt further protest about the Rwanda insecurity. On Monday, clashes erupted between the ADF and FARDC on the outskirts of Beni Burundi town, with unconfirmed reports of three deaths by the second day. On Wednesday an joint Uganda operation between MONUSDCO and the Congolese police saw the announcement of over 200 CAR arrests in connection with the killings – among them Congolese citizens. In Katanga the preceding week reportedly saw ten Bakata Katanga attacks within the space of a week in Moero sector, Pweto territory, whilst this week has seen thousands flee following attacks on Humanitarian news villages in Mitwaba territory. -
Mass Killings in Beni Territory: Political Violence, Cover Ups, and Cooptation
Mass Killings in Beni Territory: Political Violence, Cover Ups, and Cooptation Investigative Report No2 September 2017 CONGO RESEARCH GROUP | GROUPE D’ÉTUDE SUR LE CONGO The Congo Research Group (CRG) is an independent, non-profit research project dedicated to understanding the violence that affects millions of Congolese. We carry out rigorous research on different aspects of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of our research is informed by deep historical and social knowledge of the problem at hand, and we often invest months of field research, speaking with hundreds of people to produce a report. We are based at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and we work in collaboration with the Centre d’études politiques at the University of Kinshasa. All of our publications, blogs and podcasts are available at www.congoresearchgroup. org and www.gecongo.org. Mass Killings in Beni Territory: Political Violence, Cover Ups, and Cooptation Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction 5 2. Overview of Beni’s Mass Killings 8 The role of the ADF 11 Who was Responsible for the Killings? 13 3. Development of Beni’s Armed Politics (1980s-2010) 17 ADF/NALU’s Political Integration (1980s-1997) 18 Second Rebellion (1998-2003) 19 Post-Conflict Entangled Military Networks (2004-2010) 21 4. Mass Killings: The First Movers (2013) 29 The precursors to the massacres: ex-APC mobilization during the M23 Crisis (2012-2013) 29 Killings in Watalinga and Ruwenzor 31 5. Mass Killings in 2014-2015 38 Transitioning between waves of violence: First movers’ plans for killings (2014-2016) 39 Second movers: How the FARDC coopted existing groups 44 6. -
Report of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office On
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS JOINT HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE ON INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY ALLIED DEMOCRATIC FORCES (ADF) COMBATANTS IN THE TERRITORY OF BENI, NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, BETWEEN 1 OCTOBER AND 31 DECEMBER 2014 MAY 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................4 I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................5 II. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................5 III. CONTEXT OF THE ATTACKS IN THE TERRITORY OF BENI ................6 IV. LEGAL FRAMEWORK .......................................................................................8 V. IDENTIFICATION OF ALLEGED PERPETRATORS ...................................8 VI. MODUS OPERANDI ..........................................................................................10 VII. VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW .............................................................................................................11 VIII. RESPONSE OF THE CONGOLESE AUTHORITIES ...................................15 IX. MEASURES TAKEN BY MONUSCO AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ..............................................................................................................16 X. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................17 2 LIST OF ACRONYMS ACHPR African Charter on Human -
DR Congo: ADF Rebel Group Responsible for Grave International Humanitarian Law Violations, Says UN Report
DR Congo: ADF rebel group responsible for grave international humanitarian law violations, says UN report KINSHASA/GENEVA, 13 May 2015: A UN report published Wednesday reveals that grave violations of international humanitarian law were committed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group from Uganda, in Beni territory, North Kivu province, over a three-month period at the end of 2014. These violations, which were both systematic and extremely brutal, may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the report says. Between 1 October and 31 December 2014, at least 237 civilians were killed, including 65 women and 35 children, by ADF combatants in Beni territory. Some 47 civilians were also wounded, 20 abducted and two sexually abused. In total, ADF combatants attacked 35 villages. Attackers used machetes, hammers and knives, among other weapons, to wound or execute civilians. Some had their throats slits, were shot at while trying to flee or were burned alive in their homes. Several cases of looting and destruction of property were also documented. The report details the results of in-depth investigations conducted by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (UNJHRO)*. Human rights officers on the ground gathered more than 180 testimonies from various sources, including from victims and witnesses. The total number of victims could be much higher, the report says, as UNJHRO human rights officers encountered many difficulties in conducting their investigations and could not access some areas for security reasons. The report also documents violations of international humanitarian and human rights law committed in Beni territory during the same period by members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) deployed on Operation Sukola I against the ADF. -
Statement of the Africa Forum on the Situation in Syria
FORUM FOR FORMER AFRICAN HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT Ref: AF/ Statement/Syria.1/09/2013 STATEMENT OF THE AFRICA FORUM ON THE SITUATION IN THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC Pretoria, 5 September 2013 We, members of the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government, commonly referred to as Africa Forum (AF), have been deeply concerned about the protracted civil war in Syria, which has now raged for two-and-a-half years. It has been our understanding from the beginning that this conflict was occasioned by serious differences among the Syrian people concerning their country’s constitutional and political system. It was also our understanding that the root cause of the conflict was and remain essentially political. Accordingly, its solution could only be political, and not military. Against this background, we have therefore held the view that the Syrian belligerents must urgently enter into inclusive negotiations to end the civil war through a peaceful process. Consequently, the international community has had the solemn responsibility to encourage and assist all the Syrians to engage in these inclusive negotiations. In this regard, as Africans, we have been ready to give all necessary support to the two eminent Africans, Kofi Annan and Lakhdar Executive Secretariat: 7th Floor Metro Park Building, 351 Fancis Baard Street, Pretoria P.O. Box. 6541,Pretoria 0001, Republic of South Africa Tel: +27 12 354 8073/ 8048 Fax: +27 12 354 8163 E-mail: [email protected] www.africaforum.org 1 Brahimi, who were given the onerous responsibility to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict. -
Conjonctures Congolaises 2013
CONJONCTURES CONGOLAISES 2013 PERCÉE SÉCURITAIRE, FLOTTEMENTS POLITIQUES ET ESSOR ÉCONOMIQUE n° 84 2014 Cahier 85 - Conjontures Congolaises 2013.indd 1 20/03/14 17:54 Cahier 85 - Conjontures Congolaises 2013.indd 2 20/03/14 17:54 Conjonctures congolaises 2013 Percée sécuritaire, flottements politiques et essor économique sous la direction de Stefaan Marysse et Jean Omasombo Tshonda n° 84 2014 Éditions L’Harmattan 5-7, rue de l’École-Polytechnique 75005 Paris Cahier 85 - Conjontures Congolaises 2013.indd 3 20/03/14 17:54 Cahiers afriCains – afrika studies Musée royal de l’Afrique centrale (MRAC) Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika (KMMA) Section d’Histoire du Temps présent (anciennement Institut africain/Cedaf) Afdeling Eigentijdse Geschiedenis (voorheen Afrika Instituut-ASDOC) Secrétaire de rédaction : Edwine Simons Cet ouvrage a fait l’objet d’une procédure d’évaluation scientifique. Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgique Tél. : + 32 2 769 58 47 Fax : + 32 2 769 58 20 E-mail : [email protected] Site : http://www.africamuseum.be/research/dept4/research/dept4/africainstitute/index_html Conditions de vente : www.africamuseum.be/research/publications ; [email protected] Mise en page : F. Richard (Quadrato) Couverture : Mieke Dumortier (MRAC) Photo de couverture : Une jeune commerçante a installé son petit commerce au bas d’une position militaire de l’armée nationale vide, les militaires congolais étant partis en renfort pour se battre contre le M23 à proximité de Goma. Katale, territoire de Masisi, juillet 2013 (© 2013 A. Bouvy, Local Voices, International Alert & Search For Common Ground - www.localvoicesproject.com). Photos arrière : Lavage sur le site de Kolwezi, photo Th. De Putter © MRAC ; Militaire membre du 322e bataillon des FARDC en formation à Lokandu, Maniema, mars 2012, photo Krawczyk © MRAC ; Transporteur dans la province du Kasaï, Tshikapa, 26 mai 2009, photo projet provinces, équipe locale © MRAC.