COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO APRIL 2006 RDS-IND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE Contents Paragraphs 1. SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT ............................................................... 1.01 2. GEOGRAPHY.................................................................................... 2.01 3. ECONOMY........................................................................................ 3.01 4. HISTORY ......................................................................................... 4.01 History to 1997 ............................................................................... 4.01 The Laurent Kabila regime 1997 .................................................... 4.02 The Joseph Kabila regime 2001 .................................................... 4.04 Events of 2005 ............................................................................... 4.05 5. STATE STRUCTURES ........................................................................ 5.01 THE CONSTITUTION........................................................................... 5.01 Citizenship and nationality ......................................................... 5.06 POLITICAL SYSTEM.......................................................................... 5.11 Government ............................................................................... 5.15 Elections .................................................................................... 5.24 Political parties........................................................................... 5.36 JUDICIARY ....................................................................................... 5.41 LEGAL RIGHTS/DETENTION ............................................................... 5.52 Legal rights ................................................................................ 5.52 Detention and arrest .................................................................. 5.54 Death penalty............................................................................. 5.61 INTERNAL SECURITY ......................................................................... 5.63 PRISONS AND PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................... 5.80 MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................ 5.94 Treatment of deserters and conscientious objectors ................. 5.107 MEDICAL SERVICES .......................................................................... 5.112 Kinshasa .................................................................................... 5.120 HIV/AIDS ................................................................................... 5.126 Mental health ............................................................................. 5.133 People with disabilities............................................................... 5.141 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM .................................................................... 5.143 6. HUMAN RIGHTS ................................................................................ 6.01 6A. HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES .................................................................... 6.01 General .......................................................................................... 6.01 Torture ....................................................................................... 6.12 Freedom of speech and the media ............................................. 6.15 Journalists.................................................................................. 6.19 Newspapers............................................................................... 6.26 Newspaper articles .................................................................... 6.29 Radio, television and the internet .............................................. 6.35 Freedom of religion...................................................................... 6.43 Legal framework ........................................................................ 6.43 Religious groups ........................................................................ 6.45 Religious freedom...................................................................... 6.46 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 6.49 Political activists......................................................................... 6.56 Employment rights....................................................................... 6.62 Trade unions.............................................................................. 6.62 Collective bargaining ................................................................. 6.66 Strikes........................................................................................ 6.67 This Country of Origin InformationReport contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as 2 at 10 March 2006. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. Equal employment rights ........................................................... 6.70 Child labour................................................................................ 6.73 People trafficking ......................................................................... 6.77 Freedom of movement................................................................. 6.80 6B. HUMAN RIGHTS - SPECIFIC GROUPS .................................................. 6.88 Ethnic groups............................................................................. 6.88 Ethnic issues.............................................................................. 6.94 Banyarwanda/Banyamulenge/Tutsis in eastern DRC................ 6.99 Tutsis in Kinshasa...................................................................... 6.109 Women ..........................................................................................6.117 Children.........................................................................................6.136 Child soldiers ............................................................................. 6.144 Childcare arrangements ............................................................ 6.153 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons…………… 6.155 Persons associated with the Mobutu regime ............................ 6.160 Former soldiers of the Mobutu regime ...................................... 6.167 6C. HUMAN RIGHTS – OTHER ISSUES....................................................... 6.171 Security situation – eastern DRC................................................ 6.171 Armed groups............................................................................... 6.174 Disarmament of foreign armed groups ...................................... 6.179 Ituri .............................................................................................. 6.187 North Kivu ..................................................................................... 6.211 South Kivu .................................................................................... 6.219 Bukavu June 2004 ..................................................................... 6.229 Gatumba massacre August 2004 .............................................. 6.235 Katanga ......................................................................................... 6.240 Possible secession attempt April 2005 ...................................... 6.251 Kilwa October 2004 ................................................................... 6.254 Internally displaced persons....................................................... 6.259 Refugee movement with neighbouring countries....................... 6.264 Humanitarian aid/international assistance ................................ 6.268 Treatment of non government organisations (NGOs) .............. 6.272 Human rights activists................................................................ 6.274 Official documents ....................................................................... 6.281 Birth, marriage and death certificates ........................................ 6.283 National identity cards ............................................................... 6.284 Driving licences.......................................................................... 6.287 Passports................................................................................... 6.288 Arrest, search and bail warrants ................................................ 6.290 Letters of support from opposition political parties................. 6.291 Bundu dia Kongo ......................................................................... 6.292 Arrests of July 2002 and subsequent events............................. 6.299 Armée de Victoire (Army of Victory church).............................. 6.308 Events of June 2003 and subsequently..................................... 6.312 Assassination of President Laurent Kabila ............................... 6.315 Commission of inquiry ............................................................... 6.316 Detention of suspects ................................................................ 6.318 Trial of the accused ................................................................... 6.320 Post-trial situation ...................................................................... 6.329 Coup attempts 2004 ..................................................................... 6.332 Attempted coup of 28 March 2004............................................