DRC

1-15 FEBRUARY 2021

BI-WEEKLY REPORT Table of Contents

Map - Key Events p3

Summary p4

Politics & Economy p5

Civil Society p6

Security p7

Environment & Infrastructure p9

Health & Medical p11

Upcoming Events p12

Sources & Links p13

About Spearfish p14 MAP- KEY EVENTS -Spearfish Alert,460 people killed in and Ituri Feb 4, 2021 --Spearfish Alert,Ituri, Recurrent attacks by armed groups highlight need to avoid all travel to rural areas,Feb 8, 2021

-Spearfish Alert, FARDC soldier killed by comrade, Feb 2, 2021 -Spearfish Alert,DRC -Beni, protests on -Spearfish Alert, Tshisekedi takes over Fev 4, 2021- AU chair , Feb 6, 2021 --- -Spearfish Alert, Ambush, Beni ,Mulua -Spearfish Alert,DRC Kin, National Assembly Rwenzori Feb 4, 2021 Speaker elected 3, 2021 -Spearfish Alart-At least 14 people were killed in the village of Mabule (, North #Kivu) during the night of Friday, February 5 to Saturday, February 6. The ADF are suspected.

-Spearfish Alert, Bukavu gunmen kill 4 people, Feb 1, 2021

-Spearfish Alert, Kinshas senate president resigns ,Feb 5, 2021 -Spearfish Alert, Kinshasa, new flyover -Alert,DRC senate president under impeachement double vehicles accident ,Feb 4, 2021 procedures,Feb 2, 2021

-Spearfish Alert, Lubumba sishooting near the Kimbembe military camp earlier on 14 February. Congolese troops and members of a local secessionist militia exchanged gunfire from around 06.00 (local time).

3 SUMMARY

Executive summary • A shooting ook place on 14 February near Kimbembe military camp. Congolese troops and members of a The Democratic Republic of Congo government should reopen its investigation local secessionist militia exchanged gunfire at around into the 2010 double murder of the leading human rights defender Floribert 06.00 (local time). Chebeya and his driver, Fidèle Bazana, following new revelations about the case. Amid allegations reported by international media outlets that the murders • Tshisekedi wins power struggle in DRC. were carried out on the orders of the police chief at that time, Gen. John Numbi, Human Rights Watch called for a credible, impartial, and independent • WHO confirms second Ebola death in DR Congo on inquiry. 12 February. Felix Tshisekedi push out the last Kabila ally, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba as the • Inquiry into Prominent Activist’s Murder reopens to speaker of the upper house of Parliament. Lawmakers file motion of no investigate new leads in 2010 Chebeya-Bazana Case. confidence against the president of the Senate with more than 80 signatures. Moreover, prosecutors and senators have reportedly launched new moves • The Senate reshuffle continues with the resignation of against the camp of former President Joseph Kabila just days after the removal Alexis Mwamba. Tshisekedi supporters move to of a prime minister loyal to him. More than 60 of the Senate’s 100 members remove Kabila ally in DRC Senate. More than 60 demanded the resignation of Kabila ally and upper house leader Alexis senators reportedly demand the resignation of Thambwe Mwamba in a letter. Kabila’s confidant and Senate Speaker Mwambe. A second person has died of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following a resurgence of the disease, three months after authorities declared the end of the country's latest outbreak.

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• Lawmakers elected Christophe Mboso, an ally of President Tshisekedi is something of an accidental president. He was declared the Felix Tshisekedi, as the new National Assembly speaker. winner of the DRC’s December 2018 elections despite independent The development comes after lawmakers removed Senate observers believing another candidate, Martin Fayulu, was the clear winner. speaker and ally of former president Joseph Kabila, Thambwe Mwamba, on 2 February in a move to reduce Kabila’s influence. • The senate president in DR Congo resigns after colleagues file a President Tshisekedi has sought to remove Kabila’s allies from motion of no confidence against him. He's the latest Kabila-era leader positions of power across DRC’s institutions following the to step out of the picture. We bring you more from our correspondent. dissolution of a coalition government on 7 December 2020. Also, Congolese and international rights groups urge the US to reinstate sanctions on Dan Gertler. An Israeli diamond tycoon accused of obtaining • Prosecutors and senators loyal to President Felix corrupt mining deals in the DR Congo. We speak to Margot Mollat du Tshisekedi launched a move to demand the resignation of Jourdin from "Global Witness". And, the UN warns refugees in the Tigray Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, the upper house leader and an ally are facing an "extremely alarming " situation. of former president Joseph Kabila. At least 60 senators signed a letter demanding that Mwamba resign. The move comes as • Tshisekedi supporters move to remove Kabila ally in DRC SenateP; supporters of Tshisekedi seek to reduce the influence of Kabila More than 60 senators reportedly demand the resignation of Kabila’s and his allies, after dissolving the power-sharing coalition confidant and Senate Speaker Mwambe. government on 7 December 2020. • DRC is rich with farmland, so why do 22 million people there face • The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took starvation? You have to wonder how a country with eight months of rain, over the chairmanship of the African Union this week. Days more than 50% of all the rivers, lakes and wetlands in Africa, and more earlier, he won an ongoing power struggle with his predecessor, agricultural land than any African country, with the potential to feed up to Joseph Kabila, by convincing a large swath of parliament to 2 billion people, gets to the point where it is unable to feed its population leave Kabila's camp and vote out the speaker, a Kabila ally. of 100 million.

5 CIVIL SOCIETY

On 8 February, in an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) and Deutsche Welle, two Congolese police officers in exile admitted to taking part in the murders of Chebeya and Bazana on the premises of police headquarters on 1 June 2010. They provided a detailed account of the murder.

At a meeting in April 2019, President Felix Tshisekedi personally told Chebeya’s wife and human rights groups that he was committed to conducting an impartial investigation into the murder. In the light of the latest events, Thomas Fessy, senior Congo researcher at Human Rights Watch stresses that it is time for President Tshisekedi to take concrete action as latest information require a new inquiry, and represent a chance for justice.

6 SECURITY

• 14 February, a shooting took place near the Kimbembe • Four members of security forces and one civilian were killed in a military camp. Congolese troops and members of a local separatist militia attacks on Lubumbashi’s military camps. secessionist militia exchanged gunfire from around 06.00 (local time). • Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants killed 12 people in an attack near the village of Kithovhira in Beni territory, North Kivu • Security forces killed one ADF militant during a counterattack province. An unconfirmed number of people are also missing. ADF operation in the village of Kakalali, approximately 2 km from militants carry out regular attacks targeting civilians in North Kivu the town of Mutwanga, Beni territory, North Kivu. Security province (08/02/2021). forces also captured two other ADF militants. The operation prevented the militants from advancing into the centre of • Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants killed five civilians Mutwanga but resulted in one civilian casualty. ADF militants during an attack on the village of Halungupa, Ruwenzori sector, Beni and security forces regularly clash in North Kivu. territory, North Kivu. Local media reported that the assailants looted several homes and set fire to businesses. The development follows a • Clashes between the Nyatura CMC and the Nduma Defense suspected ADF attack on 6 February which left 14 people dead in of Congo-Renovated Bria Wing armed groups left at least Mabule village, approximately 5 km away from Halungupa. ADF three fighters dead in the town of Kalembe, , militants carry out regular attacks targeting civilians and have been North Kivu. The clash did not result in any civilian casualties, increasing their activity in eastern DRC since late 2020 (07/02/2021). according to local media. The reason for the fighting was not immediately clear. More than 100 armed groups operate in North and South Kivu, and armed clashes are common.

7 SECURITY

• Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants killed 14 people in Mabule village, Beni territory, North Kivu province, local media reported (06/02/2021).

• Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants killed two civilians in the village of Mulwa, approximately 20 km from the city of Mutwanga, North Kivu province. Local media reported that the militants targeted the villagers as they returned home from farming nearby. ADF militants are highly active across North Kivu province and regularly target civilians.04/02/2021

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carries out frequent attacks in eastern DRC, with the UN estimating that the rebel group has killed over 1,000 civilians in the region since 2019.

8 ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Environment

The main environmental threats in the DRC are flooding, earthquakes, and volcanoes. The government’s weak disaster response capabilities increase the country’s vulnerability to environmental threats. During the DRC’s rainy season there is a risk of flooding in equatorial regions. Heavy rainfall and flooding leave many roads impassable between April and October in northern regions and from November to March in the south. Floods regularly damage or destroy infrastructure. Kinshasa is particularly prone to flooding, as demonstrated by a November 2019 flood in the capital that killed 39 people. Unregulated development in Kinshasa has exacerbated the effects of flooding in the capital.

For more Kinshasa weather updates:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/cd/kinshasa/113487/weather- forecast/113487

9 ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

DRCongo Infrasturucture The DRC has 3,500 km of largely dilapidated railway. Chinese and Russian companies have proposed investment in new rail infrastructure but it’s The DRC has extremely poor infrastructure due to decades of unclear whether this will materialise. The country’s air infrastructure has conflict, government negligence, and challenging geography. also fallen into disrepair and accidents are common. Kinshasa’s main Much of the country’s existing infrastructure is unconnected, airport, N’djili International Airport, and its ferry terminal frequently close at inadequate and in disrepair. Foreign aid and investment will be short notice. critical to improving the country’s infrastructure in the near-term, but political and security challenges hinder attraction of much The DRC is one of the least electrified countries in Africa. Only around 10 needed capital. percent of the country has access to electricity, and the rate is only above The DRC has only around 2,800 km of paved roads, wholly 50 percent in Kinshasa and a handful of other locations. The challenge inadequate for a country two-thirds the size of Western Europe. stems in part from the DRC’s underdeveloped and dysfunctional power grid. More than 90 percent of the DRC’s 152,400 km road network is in Access to electricity is likely to remain limited due to infrastructural and need of repair. Because of limited connections and poor geographical challenges, forcing many businesses to depend on expensive infrastructure, road travel between key population centres and diesel generators to ensure reliable electricity supplies. Telecommunications rural areas is extremely difficult. The DRC has 25,000 km of services are extremely limited. There is restricted network coverage in navigable waterways, but their effectiveness as a transport major urban areas, but it deteriorates rapidly in rural regions. Similarly, system is complicated by silting, inadequate infrastructure, and internet access is typically only available in the DRC’s largest cities, weak governance. Boats that do traverse the country’s lakes and including Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Matadi, Kikwit and Katanga. The growth rivers are often poorly maintained, overcrowded and lack of internet services is stunted by the absence of computers and fixed lines. adequate safety provisions. The government regularly shuts down mobile internet services ahead of sensitive events such as protests.

10 HEALTH & MEDICAL

Ebola COVID-19

The health ministry said it had identified a new Ebola case in Domestic restrictions remain in place such as the mandatory use of face eastern North Kivu province. A woman from Biena, 90 km masks in public and mandatory self-isolation for those with existing southwest of , died in Butembo on 3 February while health conditions and those over the age of 60. displaying symptoms of Ebola. Testing confirmed she had the Moreover, limitations to international travel continue. virus. Health authorities and UNICEF are deploying a response team to the area. Eastern DRC was hit by a severe Ebola outbreak between August 2018 to June 2020 that infected 3,470 Advice people and killed 2,287. on Feb ,12, 2021 Medical authorities confirmed a third new case of the Ebola virus in the city of Emphasize basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing Butembo, eastern North Kivu province. The confirmation comes with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and after two new cases were reported days earlier in towns close to water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., the city of Butembo, marking a new outbreak of the virus. A covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining UNICEF health team has been dispatched to the province. DRC distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that was affected by a severe outbreak of Ebola which began in the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent August 2018 but was declared over in June 2020. this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions. Compared to the United States and Europe, the region has so far been spared the worst of the pandemic. West and Central African countries are reporting between dozens and a few hundred new daily cases.

11 UPCOMING EVENTS

DRC: Appeal Hearing In Vital Kamerhe’s Case Set For 15 Anticipate protests, increased tensions following coalition February 2021 breakdown (Revised)

The all-powerful former chief of staff of the head of state, Kamerhe, Protests linked to the breakdown of the ruling coalition are probable in the had lodged an appeal against the judgement of the Gombe tribunal coming weeks, and should be avoided as a precaution. Associated de grande instance which sentenced him on June 20 to 20 years of tensions between President Felix Tshisekedi and his predecessor Joseph hard labour for embezzling public funds Kabila (in office 2001-19) are also likely to increase. The resignation of Kabila’s allies Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba and Alexis Thambwe Mwamba Congo (DRC): Ituri, North Kivu provinces: Recurrent attacks from their respective roles as prime minister and head of the Senate may by armed groups highlight need to avoid all travel to rural prompt demonstrations by the former president’s supporters. The arrest areas of another pro-Kabila former politician, Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda, is another potential trigger for gatherings. Suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia killed at least 12 civilians and kidnapped several others overnight on 5-6 February in Mabule, roughly 15 miles (25 km) south-east of Beni (both North Kivu province). Previously, on 23 January, three members of the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) were killed and many others were injured during clashes with a self-defence militia in Walikale territory (North Kivu). The frequency of attacks by armed groups underlines the need to avoid all travel to rural areas of North Kivu and Ituri.

12 SOURCES & LINKS

• https://www.axios.com/tshisekedi-kabila-power-struggle-drc-parliament-508a8927-69ee-4bd2-beeb-62b7782c2dc3.html • https://nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/second-ebola-death-in-dr-congo-who-3288490 • https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/11/dr-congo-reopen-inquiry-prominent-activists-murder • https://www.africanews.com/2021/02/05/drc-senate-reshuffle-continues-with-the-resignation-of-alexis-mwamba/ • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/tshisekedi-allies-move-to-oust-kabila-ally-who-heads-senate • https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/eye-on-africa/20210205-dr-congo-political-shake-up-senate-leader-resigns-as-kabila-s- influence-wanes • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/2/tshisekedi-allies-move-to-oust-kabila-ally-who-heads-senate • https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/12/congo-famine-crisis-international-tribunal-drc-militias • https://www.hrw.org/node/377849/printable/print • https://www.theafricareport.com/65267/drcs-annie-chebeya-joseph-kabila-is-responsible-for-my-husbands-death/ • https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/08/17/afd-kill-12-dr-congo/

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