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“You Will Be Punished” RIGHTS Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo WATCH

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“You Will Be Punished” RIGHTS Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo WATCH Democratic Republic of Congo HUMAN “You Will Be Punished” RIGHTS Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo WATCH “You Will Be Punished” Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo Copyright © 2009 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-582-2 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org December 2009 1-56432-582-2 “You Will Be Punished” Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo Maps ........................................................................................................................ 1 Summary ............................................................................................................... 10 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 18 Recommendations .................................................................................................20 I. Background ......................................................................................................... 27 Conflict in Eastern Congo .................................................................................. 27 Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) ...................................... 29 National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) ................................... 30 Support and recruitment in Rwanda ............................................................. 31 Clashes and the Failure of Mixage ..................................................................... 32 More Peace Talks Fail Again .............................................................................. 33 Applicable Legal Standards ............................................................................... 34 Individual responsibility .............................................................................. 35 II. Lead-Up to Military Operations .......................................................................... 39 Crisis Point ....................................................................................................... 39 Rwanda-Congo Deal .......................................................................................... 40 Joint Military Operations ................................................................................... 42 Umoja Wetu ................................................................................................. 42 Kimia II ........................................................................................................ 43 Outcome of Military Operations since January 2009 .......................................... 44 Rape as a weapon of war ............................................................................. 46 III. Human Rights Abuses by FDLR and Allies ......................................................... 48 FDLR Structure .................................................................................................. 48 Political structure ........................................................................................ 48 Military wing ................................................................................................ 48 FDLR diaspora ............................................................................................. 50 Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD)-Urunana: an FDLR Ally ............................... 50 A Strategy of Deliberately Targeting Civilians ..................................................... 51 Explicit Threats to “Punish” Civilians ................................................................. 53 Warning letters ............................................................................................ 53 Public meetings ........................................................................................... 55 Other oral threats ........................................................................................ 56 Massacres and Killings ..................................................................................... 58 Killings in Ufumandu area ............................................................................ 58 Killings in Waloaluanda area ....................................................................... 61 Killings in Ziralo area .................................................................................. 66 Killings in other areas ................................................................................. 68 Targeting local chiefs .................................................................................. 68 Killings by RUD-Urunana in Southern Lubero ..................................................... 71 Rape and Sexual Slavery ................................................................................... 72 Burning and Pillage ........................................................................................... 76 IV. FDLR Responsibility .......................................................................................... 78 Ignace Murwanashyaka..................................................................................... 78 Gen. Sylvester Mudacumura .............................................................................. 81 Other Commanders ........................................................................................... 83 V. Abuses by the Congolese Army and Other Forces ............................................... 85 Massacres and Killing of Civilians during Operation Umoja Wetu ....................... 87 Ndorumo massacre .................................................................................... 88 Byarenga massacre .................................................................................... 90 Other killings ............................................................................................... 91 Other Abuses during Operation Umoja Wetu ..................................................... 92 Sexual violence ........................................................................................... 92 Unlawful destruction of homes and other structures .................................... 93 Arbitrary arrests, torture and illegal transfers to Rwanda .............................. 94 Massacres and Killings during Kimia II ............................................................. 96 Massacres in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ........................................................... 96 Other killings in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ....................................................... 99 Killings along road between Nyabiondo and Lwibo .................................... 100 Motivation for attacks in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ......................................... 102 Killings in other areas during Kimia II ......................................................... 103 Other Abuses during Kimia II ........................................................................... 105 Sexual violence ......................................................................................... 105 Forced labor .............................................................................................. 108 Extortion and pillage .................................................................................. 110 Arbitrary arrests .......................................................................................... 111 Responsibility for the Crimes ........................................................................... 112 Crimes committed during Umoja Wetu ....................................................... 112 Crimes committed during Kimia II ............................................................... 113 VI. Congolese Army Attacks on Rwandan Hutu Refugees ...................................... 116 Shalio Area Massacre ...................................................................................... 118 Individual Responsibility for Killings in Shalio area.......................................... 121 Lt. Col. Innocent Zimurinda ........................................................................ 122 Other Killings and “Disappearances” of Rwandan Hutu Refugees .................... 124 VII. Congolese Government and Army’s Failure to Protect Civilians ...................... 126 Inadequate Civilian Protection Planning .......................................................... 126 Integration Problems Increase Risks ................................................................ 127 Entrenched Impunity ....................................................................................... 128 Some Good Intentions .................................................................................... 130 “Zero tolerance” ........................................................................................
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