Monthly Protection Monitoring – North Kivu August 2015 Executive Summary 3037 incidents have been recorded in August 2015. The number has increased by 6,4% compared to July 2015, when 2854 incidents were reported. The territory Incidents per territory of Rutshuru has had the BENI 332 highest LUBERO 451 MASISI 583 number of NYIRAGONGO 152 incidents in RUTSHURU 875 August 2015. WALIKALE 644 TOTAL 3037 Incidents per Incidents per alleged perpetrator category of victim Number of cases per type of incidents The majority of incidents in August 2015 were violations to the right of property and liberty PROTECTION MONITORING PMS Province du Nord Kivu 2 | UNHCR Protection Monitoring N o r t h K i v u – August Monthly Report PROTECTION MONITORING PMS Province du Nord Kivu I. Summary of main protection concerns During the fighting between Mayi-Mayi Cheka and FDLR on 24 August in the groupement of Wassa (Walikale) three villages (Minova, Munzanga and Basse) were burned, 140 homes destroyed and around 300 households fled towards Mpeti, Pinga, Bukumbirwa and Kateku. Military operations by FARDC against FDLR in Ihula, Kalembe (Walikale) caused massive displacement for the population in many different places of the groupement of Bashali Mokoto (Masisi). Attack against FARDC in the village of Kalembe on 31 August 2015 by FDLR members and attempt to burn the CCCM site Kalembe-Kalonge. Following these clashes a number of displaced persons were arrested by FARDC, accused of cooperating with FDLR, but later released following advocacy by protection actors. II. Protection context by territory MASISI The situation in Masisi territory was characterised by clashes between FARDC and FDLR that led to population movement from the villages around the areas where the military operations were carried out and of massive displacement of the civilian population from many villages. The military operations against FDLR launched by FARDC on 2 August 2015 at the same time in different places of Masisi territory (Kalembe, Luhanga, Bweru), in Walikale (Nsuka, Ihula) as well as Rutshuru (Kitunda), in the neighboring areas to Masisi, have led to the suspension of commercial and agricultural activities and to the mass displacement of around 2500 households towards Kalembe centre, Kashuga centre, Mweso, Kitshanga, as well as to the displacement sites of Ibuga, Mpati, Bweru, Kivuye and Nyange. Six cases of children who were separated from their families were reported. The population fears retaliatory activities by FDLR. Additionally to the population movement, cases of rapes, looting, killings, torture and forced labour were perpetrated against the civilian population by the conflict parties. A large number of women were raped, among which at least one has died following her attack. WALIKALE The fighting between the two factions in coalition (Ngoa-Cheka and Shebi-Delphin) in the villages of Ntoto, Mera, Mwiki, Kilungu, Ikoyi, and Ntabuni in the localités of Bana Rukisa and Shempunu have led to the burning of houses, the suspension of social and economic activities as well as the displacement of a number of households towards supposedly safer villages. The displacement of 924 households originally from the Ntoto area towards Luberike, Ihana, Utunda, Bana Bangi, Bafuna and Waloa Loanda was reported. However, the presence of the temporary MONUSCO base in Ntoto village was an important factor for the return of certain households to that area. The population has expressed the fear that this conflict could take an interethnic dimension in the groupements of Uroba, Waloa Yungu, Walowa Loanda as well as in the groupement of Ihana. The situation was also marked by the attack to motorbikes followed by kidnappings, forced labour and torture perpetrated by the Raia Mutomboki. In the groupement of Bakano, a number of attacks to motorbikes and incursions into villages and mining sites by Raia Mutomboki from Isangi and Mpango were reported. RUTSHURU Throughout the whole of August, fighting between FDLR and FARDC in the territory of Rutshuru has led to deaths, injuries, robberies and other violations. The conflicts between FARDC and FDLR in the groupement of Gisimba in the territory of Walikale caused massive displacement of people from this area towards Kikuku in the neighboring groupement of Mutanda. Around 63 households constituted of 304 3 | UNHCR Protection Monitoring N o r t h K i v u – August Monthly Report PROTECTION MONITORING PMS Province du Nord Kivu individuals were received by the displacement site of Kikuku and by a secondary school. Another estimated 60 households are staying with host families in Kikuku. The clashes that took place at the Kinyamuyaa village in the localité of Bulindi, in the groupement of Kanyabayonga, led to massive population displacement. An estimated number of 300 households were displaced towards the areas considered safer in the localité of Bitongi and others, and around 150 households were displaced towards Kanyabayonga-centre where they are staying with host families. A number of cases of arbitrary arrests of civilians by FARDC that accuses them of cooperating with FDLR were reported in this area. Additionally, a security vacuum was reported in the area of Kinyamuyaa following the withdrawal of FARDC after the operations against FDLR, posing a serious threat to the population due to the risk of retaliatory activities by this rebel group. NYIRAGONGO A tension between agriculturalists and pastoralists was reported in the localités of Kabagana and Chegera, in the groupement of Buhumba. On 26 August certain agriculturalists went to the village of Kabanaga to protest against the practice of the pastoralists of allowing their cattle to graze in their fields, what ruins the produces. During this protest, 5 civilians were seriously injured by bladed weapons and 5 others disappeared. FARDC and local authorities intervened and arrested certain people. Additionally, a number of human rights violations perpetrated against the population by agents from the security forces were reported in many localités of this territory. BENI During the reporting period, the situation remained relatively calm in a large part of Beni territory. This partially explains the lower number of protection incidents reported in August. However, this cannot be interpreted as a return of durable peace in the territory. In Beni city, many cases of incursions by armed individuals have been reported, and killings, robbery and extortions were perpetrated by unidentified armed individuals. With support from MONUSCO, FARDC carried out attacks since 16 July 2015 against alleged ADF (there are contradictions around the true identity of these armed individuals) in the framework of the re-launching of Sukola operations, and a number of clashes have taken place throughout August. As a consequence, around 13,000 people were displaced since 23 July 2015. Certain people have started returning, but this return movement is still quite small. Taking into consideration the deterioration of the security situation, the Oicha-Eringeti area remains extremely dangerous and a number of humanitarian actors consider that it would be better to reduce the circulation in this area. LUBERO Throughout the whole of August the situation has remained unstable, especially in the South-Eastern and South-Western areas of Lubero terrirtory. Since the announcement of the military operations against FDLR, this group has increased the number of attacks against the population in the Southern areas of the territory. Consequently, the number of incidents in this territory has increased comparatively with the previous month. Following the military operations carried out against FDLR in the neighbouring territory of Rutshuru, a massive population displacement can be observed. For example, 387 displaced households from Lusogha, Birundule et Mirangi have arrived to Kanyabayonga. In total 800 displaced households arrived from Rutshuru and 850 from Walikale, and the announcement of operations in the Lubero territory has led to population movements in some areas, for example Birua and Bunyakigheri in the groupement of Lughenge. All these displaced persons are living without assistance. Additionally, the population of Lubero is not comfortable with the attitude of the PNC of quickly freeing the criminals they arrest. On 26 August 2015, 19 homes were destroyed in Kitebia, a village in the groupement of Manzia. During this destruction, a number of families were victims of looting. 4 | UNHCR Protection Monitoring N o r t h K i v u – August Monthly Report PROTECTION MONITORING PMS Province du Nord Kivu III. Analysis of the context III. 1 Table of incidents per territory VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO PROPERTY SEXUAL VIOLENCE OTHER PHYSICAL INTEGRITY Arbitrary Forced Forced Illegal Tax Theft/ Injuries / Other sexual Other Kidnapping Extortion Fire Homicides Torture Rapes Total arrest Recruitment Labour Collection Looting Maiming violence incidents BENI 51 3 - 18 141 - 9 41 27 10 6 19 - 7 332 GOMA - - - - 1 4 14 2 16 - - 1 - 7 45 LUBERO 121 6 - 12 104 7 34 78 62 12 1 9 1 4 451 MASISI 91 2 - 62 103 48 7 92 86 6 26 30 20 10 583 NYIRAGONGO 21 - - 5 33 21 1 9 2 3 4 - 4 4 107 RUTSHURU 66 4 - 165 334 101 6 98 49 9 7 14 6 16 875 WALIKALE 99 2 - 113 149 111 - 112 27 6 14 3 6 2 644 TOTAL 449 17 0 375 865 292 71 432 269 46 58 76 37 50 3037 Comments The number of protection incidents has increased by 6,4% compared to July 2015 when 2,854 incidents were reported. The number of incidents reported in Beni has decreased by 10,5% compared to July 2015, when 371 incidents were reported. In Walikale, the number of incidents has increased by 29%, in Lubero the number is 25% higher and in Rutshuru 9% higher than the previous month. However, in Masisi territory the number of violations has decreased by 9,6% compared to July, when 645 incidents were reported.