DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 350 Fifth Ave 34 th Floor New York, N.Y. 10118-3299 http://www.hrw.org (212) 290-4700 Vol. 15, No. 11 (A) - July 2003 I hid in the mountains and went back down to Songolo at about 3:00 p.m. I saw many people killed and even saw traces of blood where people had been dragged. I counted 82 bodies most of whom had been killed by bullets. We did a survey and found that 787 people were missing – we presumed they were all dead though we don’t know. Some of the bodies were in the road, others in the forest. Three people were even killed by mines. Those who attacked knew the town and posted themselves on the footpaths to kill people as they were fleeing. -- Testimony to Human Rights Watch ITURI: “COVERED IN BLOOD” Ethnically Targeted Violence In Northeastern DR Congo 1630 Connecticut Ave, N.W., Suite 500 2nd Floor, 2-12 Pentonville Road 15 Rue Van Campenhout Washington, DC 20009 London N1 9HF, UK 1000 Brussels, Belgium TEL (202) 612-4321 TEL: (44 20) 7713 1995 TEL (32 2) 732-2009 FAX (202) 612-4333 FAX: (44 20) 7713 1800 FAX (32 2) 732-0471 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] “You cannot escape from the horror” This story of fifteen-year-old Elise is one of many in Ituri. She fled one attack after another and witnessed appalling atrocities. Walking for more than 300 miles in her search for safety, Elise survived to tell her tale; many others have not. I am fifteen years old and my father is Hema while my mother is Nande. I was in Komanda in August 2002 when Ngiti fighters attacked the town. They were killing people especially the Hema. I hid with my family in the forest but they found us. There were six of them in civilian clothes with axes and machetes. I saw people being killed, men, women and children. Then it was our turn. They asked us what ethnic group we were. We said Nande. They did not believe us and said they would kill us. They took us one by one. They killed my mother, father and older brother. Then they took me and cut my wrist, my neck and both shoulders. They thought I was dead, so they left me. I think more than 200 people were killed that day, mostly Hema and Gegere. I managed to get up and find a hospital in Komanda. It took me about five hours. I had to walk six miles to get there. I was all alone. At the hospital they treated my hand and neck. I spent some time in the hospital before the Hema militia decided to take me to the bigger hospital in Nyakunde. I spent one month there or so, and then on September 5 the Ngiti attacked that town as well. They killed many people. This time it was the Ngiti, Lendu, and the APC soldiers. I hid in the operating room with other Hema people. They were killing everybody leaving only Nande and those who were not Hema. I did not know what to do. I told them I was Nande and I managed to escape. Along with about 50 others we were able to run away. I wanted to go far away from the killing and so I walked to Mambasa [about 200 miles away]. I went to the white priest, who arranged for me to get treatment in Mambasa hospital. Another women also helped to look after me. But then in October, Mambasa was also attacked by the Effaceurs [MLC and RCD-N troops]. They were shooting from morning till evening. We fled into the forest. They looted our things. They raped many girls. I spent about one month in the forest. They killed four people in Mambasa. They were killed under a tree near the house of the commissaire. They were buried in a mass grave. I found the bodies decomposing. I fled again to Mayuano, some 20 miles away, but the Effaceurs reached there too. So I went to Teturi where they also attacked and then to Byakato. I continued on to Mangina where I stayed. Will this killing ever stop? (Human Rights Watch interview, Mangina, February 2003) July 2003 Vol. 15, No. 11 (A) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ITURI: “COVERED IN BLOOD” Ethnically Targeted Violence In Northeastern DR Congo LIST OF ACRONYMS.............................................................................................................................................. i I. SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................................................................1 II. RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................................................3 To the Ugandan, Rwandan and DRC Governments:..............................................................................................3 To the Ugandan Government: ................................................................................................................................3 To the DRC Government: ......................................................................................................................................3 To the Hema, Lendu, Ngiti and Other Armed Political Groups:............................................................................3 To the United Nations: ...........................................................................................................................................3 To Donor Governments:.........................................................................................................................................4 To the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court: ....................................................................4 III. CONTEXT: EXTERNAL ACTORS...................................................................................................................5 The Peace Process and Ituri....................................................................................................................................5 RCD-ML and Its Links with Ethnic Groups in Ituri ..............................................................................................5 Ugandan Manipulation of Local Politics................................................................................................................6 The Ugandan Government Response .................................................................................................................7 The Role of the DRC Government in Ituri.............................................................................................................8 Military Assistance to the RCD-ML and Other Armed Groups.........................................................................9 DRC Minister of Human Rights Taken Hostage..............................................................................................10 Involvement of RCD-Goma and the Rwandan Government in Ituri....................................................................10 Economic Gain .....................................................................................................................................................12 IV. LOCAL CONTEXT – ARMED POLITICAL GROUPS .................................................................................14 Proxies Pursuing Their Own Interests..................................................................................................................14 The Hema - Lendu Conflict..................................................................................................................................18 Rumor, Propaganda and Prejudice ...................................................................................................................18 V. MASSACRES AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES..............................................................................19 The Attack on Bunia.............................................................................................................................................19 Massacres and other Abuses by the UPC .............................................................................................................21 The UPC Government and the Growth of Extremism......................................................................................21 Attack at Mabanga............................................................................................................................................22 Massacre at Songolo.........................................................................................................................................22 Massacre at Mongbwalu...................................................................................................................................23 UPC Abuses of Lendu and Others Seen as Political Opponents......................................................................27 Massacres and Other Abuses by the APC and by Lendu and Ngiti Armed Groups.............................................30 Nyakunde Massacre..........................................................................................................................................30 Lendu and Ngiti Summary Executions Tolerated by RCD-ML Authorities....................................................35 Abuses by the MLC and RCD-N..........................................................................................................................36 Summary Executions and Looting at Mambasa ...............................................................................................36 Assassination of Governor Joseph Enecko...........................................................................................................38 0 Blocking Humanitarian Aid and Targeting