COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 27 OCTOBER 2006 RDS-IND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 27 OCTOBER 2006 Contents PREFACE Latest news EVENTS IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, FROM 1 OCTOBER 2006 TO 27 OCTOBER 2006 REPORTS ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 1 OCTOBER 2006 AND 27 OCTOBER 2006 Paragraphs Background information GEOGRAPHY .............................................................................................1.01 Map - DRC ..................................................................................... 1.05 Eastern DRC ................................................................................. 1.06 ECONOMY .................................................................................................2.01 HISTORY ...................................................................................................3.01 History to 1997..............................................................................3.01 The Laurent Kabila Regime 1997 ................................................3.02 The Joseph Kabila Regime 2001.................................................3.03 Events of 2005 ..............................................................................3.04 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ...........................................................................4.01 CONSTITUTION ..........................................................................................5.01 POLITICAL SYSTEM ...................................................................................6.01 Government ..................................................................................6.05 Elections .......................................................................................6.14 Human Rights INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................7.01 SECURITY SITUATION - GENERAL................................................................8.01 Eastern DRC............................................................................. 8.14 Ituri ............................................................................................ 8.17 North Kivu ................................................................................ 8.55 South Kivu................................................................................ 8.77 Bukavu June 2004 ................................................................... 8.95 Gatumba massacre August 2004 ........................................... 8.101 Katanga..................................................................................... 8.106 Possible secession attempt April 2005 ...................................... 8.124 Kilwa October 2004.................................................................. 8.128 CRIME.......................................................................................................9.01 SECURITY FORCES ....................................................................................10.01 Police.............................................................................................10.08 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 10.15 Torture ....................................................................................... 10.16 Armed forces ................................................................................10.20 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 10.21 Torture ....................................................................................... 10.22 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 10.25 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 27 October 2006. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 27 OCTOBER 2006 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Other government forces ............................................................10.27 MILITARY SERVICE.....................................................................................11.01 Treatment of deserters and consientious objectors.................11.22 ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT FORCES....................................................12.01 Disarmament of foreign armed groups ......................................12.09 Torture...........................................................................................12.21 Forced conscription.....................................................................12.22 JUDICIARY Organisation .................................................................................13.01 Independence ...............................................................................13.04 Fair trial .........................................................................................13.09 Penal code ....................................................................................13.13 ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS..................................................14.01 PRISON CONDITIONS..................................................................................15.01 DEATH PENALTY........................................................................................16.01 POLITICAL AFFILIATION .............................................................................17.01 Freedom of political expression .................................................17.07 Letters of support from political parties ....................................17.08 Freedom of association and assembly ......................................17.09 Opposition groups and political activists..................................17.16 FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ..............................................................18.01 Journalists ....................................................................................18.06 Newspapers ..................................................................................18.23 Newspaper Articles ......................................................................18.27 Radio, television and the internet...............................................18.32 HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS General ..........................................................................................19.01 Treatment of non-government organisations (NGOs) .............. 19.18 Human rights activists.................................................................19.20 CORRUPTION ............................................................................................20.01 FREEDOM OF RELIGION Legal framework...........................................................................21.01 Religious groups ..........................................................................21.04 Bundu Dia Kongo .........................................................................21.05 Arrests of July 2002 and subsequent events............................. 21.13 Armée De Victorie (Army of Victory Church).............................21.22 Events of June 2003 and subsequently..................................... 21.26 Religious freedom ........................................................................21.33 ETHNIC GROUPS........................................................................................22.01 Ethnic issues ................................................................................22.06 Banyarwanda/Banyamulenge/Tutsis in Eastern DRC............... 22.11 Tutsis in Kinshasa........................................................................22.26 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS........................... 23.01 DISABILITY ................................................................................................24.01 WOMEN Legal rights ...................................................................................25.01 Political rights...............................................................................25.05 Social and economic rights.........................................................25.06 Violence against women..............................................................25.16 CHILDREN Basic information .........................................................................26.01 Education ......................................................................................26.07 Child care ......................................................................................26.17 Street children ..............................................................................26.19 22/11/2006This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 27 October 2006. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 27 OCTOBER 2006 Sexual exploitation.......................................................................26.23 Health issues ................................................................................26.26 Child labour ..................................................................................26.28 Child soldiers................................................................................26.33 Imprisonment of children ............................................................26.52 Children