Democratic Republic of Congo HUMAN “You Will Be Punished” RIGHTS Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo WATCH “You Will Be Punished” Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo Copyright © 2009 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-582-2 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org December 2009 1-56432-582-2 “You Will Be Punished” Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo Maps ........................................................................................................................ 1 Summary ............................................................................................................... 10 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 18 Recommendations .................................................................................................20 I. Background ......................................................................................................... 27 Conflict in Eastern Congo .................................................................................. 27 Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) ...................................... 29 National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) ................................... 30 Support and recruitment in Rwanda ............................................................. 31 Clashes and the Failure of Mixage ..................................................................... 32 More Peace Talks Fail Again .............................................................................. 33 Applicable Legal Standards ............................................................................... 34 Individual responsibility .............................................................................. 35 II. Lead-Up to Military Operations .......................................................................... 39 Crisis Point ....................................................................................................... 39 Rwanda-Congo Deal .......................................................................................... 40 Joint Military Operations ................................................................................... 42 Umoja Wetu ................................................................................................. 42 Kimia II ........................................................................................................ 43 Outcome of Military Operations since January 2009 .......................................... 44 Rape as a weapon of war ............................................................................. 46 III. Human Rights Abuses by FDLR and Allies ......................................................... 48 FDLR Structure .................................................................................................. 48 Political structure ........................................................................................ 48 Military wing ................................................................................................ 48 FDLR diaspora ............................................................................................. 50 Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD)-Urunana: an FDLR Ally ............................... 50 A Strategy of Deliberately Targeting Civilians ..................................................... 51 Explicit Threats to “Punish” Civilians ................................................................. 53 Warning letters ............................................................................................ 53 Public meetings ........................................................................................... 55 Other oral threats ........................................................................................ 56 Massacres and Killings ..................................................................................... 58 Killings in Ufumandu area ............................................................................ 58 Killings in Waloaluanda area ....................................................................... 61 Killings in Ziralo area .................................................................................. 66 Killings in other areas ................................................................................. 68 Targeting local chiefs .................................................................................. 68 Killings by RUD-Urunana in Southern Lubero ..................................................... 71 Rape and Sexual Slavery ................................................................................... 72 Burning and Pillage ........................................................................................... 76 IV. FDLR Responsibility .......................................................................................... 78 Ignace Murwanashyaka..................................................................................... 78 Gen. Sylvester Mudacumura .............................................................................. 81 Other Commanders ........................................................................................... 83 V. Abuses by the Congolese Army and Other Forces ............................................... 85 Massacres and Killing of Civilians during Operation Umoja Wetu ....................... 87 Ndorumo massacre .................................................................................... 88 Byarenga massacre .................................................................................... 90 Other killings ............................................................................................... 91 Other Abuses during Operation Umoja Wetu ..................................................... 92 Sexual violence ........................................................................................... 92 Unlawful destruction of homes and other structures .................................... 93 Arbitrary arrests, torture and illegal transfers to Rwanda .............................. 94 Massacres and Killings during Kimia II ............................................................. 96 Massacres in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ........................................................... 96 Other killings in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ....................................................... 99 Killings along road between Nyabiondo and Lwibo .................................... 100 Motivation for attacks in Nyabiondo-Pinga area ......................................... 102 Killings in other areas during Kimia II ......................................................... 103 Other Abuses during Kimia II ........................................................................... 105 Sexual violence ......................................................................................... 105 Forced labor .............................................................................................. 108 Extortion and pillage .................................................................................. 110 Arbitrary arrests .......................................................................................... 111 Responsibility for the Crimes ........................................................................... 112 Crimes committed during Umoja Wetu ....................................................... 112 Crimes committed during Kimia II ............................................................... 113 VI. Congolese Army Attacks on Rwandan Hutu Refugees ...................................... 116 Shalio Area Massacre ...................................................................................... 118 Individual Responsibility for Killings in Shalio area.......................................... 121 Lt. Col. Innocent Zimurinda ........................................................................ 122 Other Killings and “Disappearances” of Rwandan Hutu Refugees .................... 124 VII. Congolese Government and Army’s Failure to Protect Civilians ...................... 126 Inadequate Civilian Protection Planning .......................................................... 126 Integration Problems Increase Risks ................................................................ 127 Entrenched Impunity ....................................................................................... 128 Some Good Intentions .................................................................................... 130 “Zero tolerance” ........................................................................................