DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Worsening humanitarian crisis as internal displacement escalates in the east A profile of the internal displacement situation 29 November, 2007 This Internal Displacement Profile is automatically generated from the online IDP database of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). It includes an overview of the internal displacement situation in the country prepared by the IDMC, followed by a compilation of excerpts from relevant reports by a variety of different sources. All headlines as well as the bullet point summaries at the beginning of each chapter were added by the IDMC to facilitate navigation through the Profile. Where dates in brackets are added to headlines, they indicate the publication date of the most recent source used in the respective chapter. The views expressed in the reports compiled in this Profile are not necessarily shared by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. The Profile is also available online at www.internal-displacement.org. About the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established in 1998 by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body monitoring conflict-induced internal displacement worldwide. Through its work, the Centre contributes to improving national and international capacities to protect and assist the millions of people around the globe who have been displaced within their own country as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based Centre runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries. Based on its monitoring and data collection activities, the Centre advocates for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced in line with international standards. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre also carries out training activities to enhance the capacity of local actors to respond to the needs of internally displaced people. In its work, the Centre cooperates with and provides support to local and national civil society initiatives. For more information, visit the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre website and the database at www.internal-displacement.org. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Norwegian Refugee Council Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 799 07 00 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 OVERVIEW 8 WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AS INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT ESCALATES IN THE EAST 8 RÉSUMÉ DU PROFIL EN FRANÇAIS 13 REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO: LE NOMBRE DE RETOURS DEPASSE LE NOMBRE 13 DE NOUVEAUX DEPLACEMENTS DANS L’EST 13 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 20 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 20 DRC POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS- CHRONOLOGY: 1870-2007 20 MONUC PEACEKEEPING MISSION WORKS TO BRING SECURITY TO EASTERN DRC (1999- 2007) 22 UN SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNED ACTIVITIES OF ARMED GROUPS AND URGED INCREASED ASSISTANCE TO IDPS (2006) 25 FIRST DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL ELECTIONS AFTER 45 YEARS (2006-2007) 27 THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOBILISATION OF CONGOLESE AND FOREIGN COMBATANTS (2003- 2007) 28 ARMED CONFLICT BRINGS FURTHER INSTABILITY IN 2007 32 INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT HAS JURISDICTION TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES COMMITTED IN DRC (2003-2007) 33 NORTH KIVU: A STRATEGIC PROVINCE MARRED BY VIOLENCE (2005-2007) 34 SOUTH KIVU: SPILLOVER FROM NORTH KIVU (2007) 38 ROLE OF CONGOLESE TUTSI IN THE KIVUS (2007) 39 INSECURITY CAUSED BY CONTINUOUS ATTACKS BY HEMA AND LENDU MILITIAS IN ITURI DISTRICT (1999-2007) 39 KATANGA PROVINCE: LULL IN THE CONFLICT? (2006-2007) 42 OVERVIEW OF ARMED GROUPS 44 OVERVIEW OF ARMIES AND GROUPS INVOLVED IN EASTERN DRC (2005-2007) 44 MAIN ARMED GROUPS IN ITURI (2007) 49 MAIN CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT 50 PLUNDER OF NATURAL RESOURCES BY WARRING PARTIES CONTINUES TO BE MAJOR FACTOR CAUSING DISPLACEMENT (1998-2007) 50 90 PERCENT OF NEW DISPLACEMENT IN DRC IS DUE TO ARMED CONFLICT (AUGUST 2006) 52 DISPLACEMENT IN NORTH KIVU, DUE TO ARMY OPERATIONS AGAINST MILITIAS, AND ATTACKS BY RENEGADE TROOPS AND MILITIAS (2007) 52 3 FIGHTING BY LOCAL MILITIAS, AND BETWEEN THE ARMY/MONUC AND MILITIA ALL CAUSED MAJOR DISPLACEMENT IN ITURI DISTRICT (2007) 54 LRA REPORTEDLY CAUSED THE DISPLACEMENT OF 20,000 PEOPLE IN ITURI (SEPTEMBER 2007) 55 RECENT DISPLACEMENT IN SOUTH KIVU (2006-2007) 55 FIGHTING AMONG GOVERNMENT TROOPS, SOME LOYAL TO DISSIDENT COLONEL CAUSE DISPLACEMENT IN SOUTH KIVU (JANUARY 2007) 57 PYGMY POPULATIONS IN NORTH KIVU FLEE FORESTS (2006) 58 LITTLE NEW DISPLACEMENT IN KATANGA PROVINCE (2006-2007) 59 500,000 NEW IDPS FOLLOWING MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST MILITIA GROUPS (2006) 60 OTHER CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT 60 SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DISPLACED DUE TO FLOODS IN EASTERN DRC (2007) 60 FIRE CAUSES INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT (2006) 61 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 63 GLOBAL FIGURES 63 CLOSE TO 1.4 MILLION IDPS IN SEPTEMBER 2007 63 TOTAL ESTIMATE OF IDPS DROP TO 1.1 MILLION IN NOVEMBER, COMPARED TO 1.48 MILLION IN AUGUST (END 2006) 64 1.6 MILLION IDPS AS OF THE END OF 2005 66 2.3 MILLION IDPS AS OF END 2004 66 FROM 2 TO 3.4 MILLION PEOPLE DISPLACED IN DRC (2000-2003) 67 FROM 500,000 TO CLOSE TO A MILLION IDPS (1998-1999) 68 100,000 BELIEVED TO BE DISPLACED BY THE END OF 1997 69 400,000 BELIEVED TO BE DISPLACED BY THE END OF 1996 70 DISAGGREGATED FIGURES 70 CENTRAL KATANGA: SOME 92,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED BY CONFLICT IN A YEAR (2006) 70 IN KATANGA, UNHCR DELIVERS DIGITAL CARDS TO IDPS TO SYSTEMATIZE ASSISTANCE (MAY 2006) 71 DISTRIBUTION OF IDPS BY PROVINCE (MID-99-MID 2006) 72 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 73 GENERAL 73 SHORT DISPLACEMENTS AND PRE-EMPTIVE DISPLACEMENTS IN ITURI AND NORTH KIVU (JANUARY 2007) 73 DOUBLE SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENTS OF DISPLACEMENT AND RETURN COMPLICATE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (2006-2007) 73 DISPLACEMENT IS CONSTANT FEATURE IN THE LIFE OF MOST PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN KATANGA (2006) 74 NIGHT COMMUTERS/PENDULUM DISPLACEMENT IN THE KIVUS (2007) 75 BATWA “PYGMY” POPULATION HAS BEEN DISPLACED AND MARGINALIZED (2003-2004) 76 MAJORITY OF IDPS ARE NOT HOUSED IN CAMPS BUT HAVE MERGED INTO HOST COMMUNITIES (1999-2006) 76 IDPS SEEKING SHELTER IN THE FOREST CONSTITUTE BE THE MOST VULNERABLE IDP GROUP (2000-2007) 77 4 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 79 GENERAL 79 URGENT PROTECTION CONCERNS FOR IDPS AND OTHER CIVILIANS (2006-2007) 79 IDP REPRESENTATIVE RECOUNTS ORDEAL TO UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR (SEPTEMBER 2006) 82 ITURI: INCREASED HARASSMENT OF IDPS IN GETY CAMPS, RAPE IN NEIGHBOURING AVEBA (AUGUST 2006) 83 CORRUPTION HAS IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON HUMANITARIAN SITUATION (JULY 2006) 83 IDPS ARE SUBJECT TO THEFT AND WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL KATANGA (JANUARY 2006) 84 RWANDAN HUTU REBEL GROUPS BASED IN DRC COMMITTED MASSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN SOUTH KIVU (2005) 85 UN REPORTS CANNIBALISM, SYSTEMATIC KILLING AND RAPE (2003-2007) 85 WOMEN 87 INVESTIGATION OF SEXUAL ABUSES COMMITTED BY UN PEACEKEEPERS (2004-2007) 87 RAPE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GIRLS AND WOMEN BY ALL FORCES IN EASTERN DRC (2000-2005) 88 HIGH INCIDENCE OF RAPES AMONG DISPLACED AND OTHER WOMEN CONTINUE (2006-2007) 90 CHILDREN 94 DISPLACED CHILDREN NEED PROTECTION FROM RECRUITMENT BY ARMED GROUPS (2001- 2007) 94 DISPLACED CHILDREN AT RISK IN NORTH KIVU (SEPTEMBER 2007) 100 WATCHLIST ON CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICTS DOCUMENTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST DISPLACED AND OTHER CHILDREN (2006) 100 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 101 ARMY RESTRICTS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF IDPS IN CENTRAL KATANGA (MARCH 2006) 101 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 102 GENERAL 102 ALARMING HIKES IN MALNUTRITION RATES AND EPIDEMICS AMONG IDPS IN NORTH KIVU (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2007) 102 UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR TELLS IDPS THAT IT IS NEITHER NORMAL NOR ACCEPTABLE THAT THEY HAVE TO LIVE THIS WAY (SEPTEMBER 2007) 103 IDP RECOUNTS ORDEAL AND HUNGER IN SOUTH KIVU (JULY 2007) 103 MAJOR HEALTH RISKS AND LACK OF FOOD AMONG IDPS IN ITURI (JANUARY 2007) 104 IDPS' NEEDS IN KATANGA (2006) 105 HEALTH 106 CONFLICT CAUSES DEGRADATION OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (2001-2007) 106 VACCINATION CAMPAIGN TARGETS DISPLACED CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN IN NORTH KIVU (SEPTEMBER 2007) 107 ITURI: CHOLERA, BUBONIC PLAGUE, MENINGITIS, ETC IN 2006 (MARCH 2007) 108 3.9 MILLION PEOPLE ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF DRC WAR, ACCORDING TO IRC (2006) 108 IDPS IN BUKAVU CANNOT LEAVE HOSPITAL DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS (JUNE 2006) 110 LACK OF DATA ON HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE AMONG IDPS (2006) 110 CIVIL WAR INFLICTS UNBEARABLE HARDSHIP ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN (2000-2007) 111 5 NUTRITION AND FOOD 112 FOOD SECURITY REMAINS ISSUE, PARTICULARLY AMONG RETURNING IDPS, IDPS AND REFUGEES (2006) 112 SHELTER 113 CAMPS SET UP IN NORTH KIVU DURING INTENSE CONFLICT (2007) 113 MSF REPORTED TERRIBLE LIVING CONDITIONS IN CAMPS IN ITURI (AUGUST 2005) 114 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 116 GENERAL 116 CONFLICT HAS HAD TERRIBLE IMPACT ON ALREADY FAILING EDUCATION SYSTEM (2001-2007) 116 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 119 SELF-RELIANCE 119 MOST IDPS CANNOT BE SELF-RELIANT, DUE TO INSECURITY AND LOOTING (2006) 119 POPULATIONS HOSTING IDPS ARE GENERALLY LESS VULNERABLE THAN IDPS THEY ARE HOSTING (OCTOBER 2006) 120 AGENCIES CONDUCT HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY STUDIES, LIVELIHOOD ANALYSIS IN EASTERN AND NORTHEASTERN DRC (2003-2007) 121 DETERIORATING SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION DUE TO THE WAR (2001-2007) 123 MANY DISPLACED WOMEN HAVE BECOME THE HEAD OF THE HOUSEHOLD AND PAY AN VERY HEAVY PRICE (2001-2006) 125 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 126 IDP COMMITTEE IN ITURI APPEALS FOR UN PROTECTION (JUNE 2006) 126 DOCUMENTATION NEEDS AND CITIZENSHIP