The DRC and development - CongoForum MONUC Bulletin 201.pdfMONUC Bulletin N 201 3 The DRC and...

MONUC BULLETIN

Photo MONUC

The DRC and development partners committed to

rehabilitating the country’s energy sector

Alan Doss expresses his sympathy for the families

of crash victims (P.6)

Congolese police set up a new technical and scientific unit

(P.8)

Belgium, DR Congo sign a new military partnership arrangement

(P.7)

News Bulletin of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo N° 201 of 18 April 2008

MONUC BULLETIN

The DRC and development partners committed to rehabilitating the country’s energy sector ................... 3

The security situation in the DR Congo remains a concern, said the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country ................................................................ 5

Alan Doss expresses his sympathy for the families of crash victims ......................................................................... 6

Belgium, DR Congo sign a new military partnership arrangement ........................................................ 7

Congolese police set up a new technical and scientific unit ....................................................................... 8

MONUC Police chief visits Western Kasai ................. 10

In south Kivu, non-state actors and women leaders prepare for future local elections ................................... 11

In Kinshasa, a day organised to support the victims of sexual violence ............................................................ 13

MONUC initiates Congolese youths to the virtues of debate ............................................................................ 14

MONUC BULLETIN N°201

Front page

Publishing DirectorMario Zamorano

Chief EditorNana Rosine Ngangoué

TranslatorTom Tshibangu

Graphic designerJésus Nzambi Sublime

Coordination/Contact:MONUC NEWS BULLETIN

Sy Koumbo GaliTel: +243 81 171 1304

(extension 6836)E-mail: [email protected]

Summay

The UN News Bulletin in the RDCongo is published by Monuc Public Information Division both in english and French.

Contact:MONUC/Public Information Division

Tel: 00 243 818906836 - 001 212 963 0103(extension 6836)

Kinshasa/République Démocratique du Congo

3MONUC Bulletin N° 201

The DRC and development partners committed to rehabilitating the country’s energy sector The African Development Bank (ADB) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed, on 11th April in Tunis, a US$ 58 million grant agreement to rehabilitate the hydro-power stations at Inga and the distribution network in Kinshasa and its surrounding areas. The project – demanding a total of US$ 300 million- will be co-financed with other donors, notably the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and China.

The DRC has substantial hydro-power potential, estimated at 13 percent of the world’s

hydropower potential. This gives the DRC first-place ranking among African nations. Despite that potential, however, the country’s Energy Sub-Sector (ESS) is weakly developed. Its electrification rate, which is of only 6 % (compared to the 20% African average), is one of the lowest across

By Sy Koumbo S. Gali the continent. Little advantage is being taken of electricity export

potential. This situation stems from a combination of factors. These include weak hydropower development (barely 3%), weak development of the transport and distribution system and the dilapidated state of the electrical infrastructure, due to lack of maintenance and war destruction.

With its new-found peace – though still fragile- , the DRC has undertaken efforts to rehabilitate the power sector. The Inga hydro-power complex rehabilitation project, known as the Regional and Domestic Power Markets Project, is part of the

DRC government’s priority actions towards attaining that goal. The

project aims to increase the availability and reliability of electricity supply through the rehabilitation of power generation and transmission facilities in order to meet an ever-growing power demand.

The project, which is planned to be completed over a period of 6 years (horizon 2014), include several components: Production, Transport, Distribution, and Enhancement of governance capacities.

The Production component aims to rehabilitate 10 out of 14 turbines at the Inga complex (Inga 1 and 2).

A view of the Inga hydroelectric facilities (photo MONUC)

Development


This rehabilitation, when completed, will help expand production capacity from 917 Giga Watt hours (GWh) in 2009 to 3,668 GWh in 2012. This increase will help provide the Kinshasa region with an additional 1,779 Gh annually, but also to export more than 1,000GWh. Currently SNEL, the national power utility, provides electricity to the Republic of Congo, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The DRC’s participation in several power pools is already facilitating international consultation on effective development which will generate the additional financial revenue the country needs to improve operational capacities and development of the ESS.

The Transport component is geared toward building a 260 km high voltage line from Inga to Kinshasa. This will increase the reliability and quantity of power supply to Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

The Distribution component will focus on expanding and strengthening the distribution network in Kinshasa, including extending the grid into currently un-electrified areas of the capital (Kimbaseke, Mpase, Kisenso and Malweka) where 50,000 new consumers will be connected.

The Capacity and Governance Reinforcement component will involve supporting the project implementation, as well as strengthening the capacity of the national power utility (SNEL) in billing and collection activities, in planning and maintenance, and in building capacities within the Ministry of Energy to regulate and oversee the smooth functioning of the sector. Various other actions will be undertaken by SNEL and the DRC Government to ensure transparent governance in the electricity sector and consolidate the partnership between the public and private sectors.

According to Resident Representative of the ADB in the DRC, Mr Coulibaly Medjomo, this project, which supports the Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper (PRSP)

and the government’s priorities in the energy sector, is an absolute necessity, given the socio-economic challenges facing the country in general and Kinshasa in particular. He said the project would help to improve the living conditions of the population and to stimulate productive sectors such as trade and industry. The availability of electricity, he pointed out, will support the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises which are critical for creating stable and equitable economic growth.

For Mr Coulibaly, electricity production “is a vital sector for the DRC which can position itself economically and politically on the continent thanks to its power production potential. We [the ADB] have the mandate to seek funds for redynamising the sector and so

we are going to help the country in managing that potential in its best interests. We are going to help it in clarifying the strategic axes, its investment and actions plans,” he said.

Indeed, the DRC government’s development strategy for the sector is based on increasing power production, extending the national transmission and distribution network, promoting rural electrification, as well as constructing regional interconnection lines called “Energy Highways from the Inga complex” for power exports to different regions across the continent. The electrification of rural communities, an important priority for the government, aims to increase power access at the national level from 6 percent currently to 15 percent in 2012.


“Through eastern DRC, we have given that priority as directed by the Security Council, so now 92

per cent of our MONUC (United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) forces are deployed in eastern DRC,” said Mr. Doss, who earlier briefed the Security Council for the first time since taking office three months ago.

He said an important part of MONUC’s effort in eastern DRC, particularly in the provinces of North and South Kivu, is to ensure that follow-up actions are taken on the November 2007 Nairobi Peace Agreement between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, and the Goma Peace Agreements which was signed in January 2008 between the Congolese armed groups. One the successes Mr Doss stressed in particular was in the Ituri district, an area racked by conflict three years ago which was now relatively stable despite the continued presence of some armed groups.

The presence of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) from neighbouring Uganda is particularly worrisome since no one knows their intentions, he said. Among other important groups operating in the Kivu provinces, he mentioned the Rwandan Interahamwe and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) which he said continue to be a source of insecurity in the region. Mr Doss said MONUC was consulting with the governments of Rwanda and DRC on getting those armed groups to disarm, demobilize and repatriate voluntarily, and his recent meeting with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was part of that effort.

He said another major focus of MONUC’s effort is to help in curbing the “epidemic of sexual violence” which he said is particularly severe in South Kivu, due to a collapse in social structure and in the justice system, and also the presence of armed groups. Unfortunately, he noted, the Congolese National Armed Forces are also responsible for some of those crimes that are documented in detail in a MONUC monthly report on human rights. “This is a problem of immense dimensions,” Mr Doss. “It’s not a problem that’s going to be resolved easily or quickly.”

The security situation in the DR Congo remains a concern, said the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the countryProgress has been made in stabilising the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the region remains the focus of United Nations security efforts, Mr Alan Doss, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the country, told a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York on 15 April 2008.

He however said some progress has been made and MONUC was now actively working on the problem as part of its mandate to protect civilians. The UN Mission is also engaged in efforts on support for democracy and governance, where it is providing significant support to preparations for local elections which are now envisaged for May 2009. These elections, he said, will require the registration of millions of returnees and young people who did not participate in previous national elections.

Finally, he said that MONUC is looking at a future gradual drawdown of its forces and a focus shift from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. A large proportion of the country remains at peace, he said, although there are massive humanitarian challenges, such as disease and high infant and maternal mortality, and a lack of basic infrastructure, all of which will be the focus of the next phase of MONUC’s work.

Asked what was being done in the area of transportation infrastructure, Mr. Doss acknowledged that this was a huge challenge and a key element in the country’s stabilization plan. MONUC is not a development organization, he said, although the mission is helping to develop some projects, such as road improvement projects that could use large numbers of unskilled labourers, including ex-combatants. China had also offered assistance for road and railroad rehabilitation.

Asked whether Chinese investment in the country’s mineral sector was problematic, he said it depended on whether or not such investment was in the national interest. Clearly, he said, the country needs private-sector investment for development, but all activities must be judged on a case-by-case basis.

On whether the popular MONUC-operated radio network, Radio Okapi, would be silenced when the United Nations left, the Special Representative said the Mission envisaged staying in the country for some time, but was consulting with its partners in the non-governmental organization community on the possibility of allowing the radio to continue operating after MONUC’s departure. The station is valuable for the country as it is the most independent and

operated nationally, Mr Doss said. On efforts being made to disarm FDLR,

he said that economic, political and military pressure was being put on the group, in coordination with the Congolese National Army, as part of the voluntary repatriation programme, though the Army was not always adequate to the task and posed humanitarian concerns. MONUC had a primarily protective mandate from the Security Council and could not take military actions. It was more an effort to encourage armed groups to move out while avoiding the collateral damage that would result from armed operations.

Asked if MONUC had enough personnel to carry out its protection task, Mr. Doss noted that, while it was true that the Mission had the largest current peacekeeping force, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was vast. The Kivus alone were the size of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands put together. Bas Congo, the smallest province, which had security problems that had recently drawn forces away from the east, was the size of Belgium. “Clearly, there are limits to what we can do.”

Mr Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC (photo Marie Frechon/MONUC)

MONUC


From New York where he was on official business at United Nations Headquarters, Alan Doss, Special

Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DR Congo and Head of MONUC, declared himself shocked and dismayed by the plane accident and extended his deepest sadness and sympathy to the families of the crash victims, to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to the privately-operated

Alan Doss expresses his sympathy for the families of victims On 17th April the Congolese authorities proceeded to bury the bodies of those killed in the Hewa Bora Airways DC-9 passenger plane crash that took place on 15th April in Goma, North Kivu province. Those attending the burial ceremony included the president of the National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe, and several other Kinshasa-based personalities.

Congolese airline Hewa Bora Airways. To all of them, he expressed his support and that of MONUC which immediately dispatched teams of peacekeepers, fire-fighters and medical personnel to the scene of the accident to rescue those injured and assist the local authorities in ensuring the security of the crash site.

The MONUC fire-fighting vehicle helped in putting out the fire, thus allowing evacuation of the wounded. Out

of the 18 wounded who were admitted to MONUC hospital in Goma, 8 were released from hospital, 9 were retained for further treatment and one died.

The crash took place on 15th April when the DC-9 passenger aircraft, belonging to the privately-operated airlines called Hewa Bora Airways, failed to take off from Goma’s airport and ploughed into a crowded neighbourhood, killing several people.

The aircraft caught fire after crashing ...(left) and the population rushing to the crash scene, aghast at the tragedy.

…while police and rescue teams were organising themselves (photo Gisèle Kaj)

Goma plane crash


A new technical arrangement between the Belgian and Congolese Ministries of Defence was signed

in Kinshasa on 17th April 2008, aimed at defining the perspectives, activity areas and conditions for implementing bilateral military partnership during 2008.

Several activities are envisaged to take place, first in the DRC and then in Belgium. In the context of reinforcing capacities within the DRC armed forces, it is envisaged that a series of training sessions for trainers in various disciplines will be held in several locations across the DRC, the first one in Kananga, Western Kasai province.

A limited contingent of Congolese trainers will follow courses on training methodology. In Kananga, Belgian instructors will also train one of the rapid reaction battalions of the FARDC (Armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo).

Before the training can begin, the DRC is to provide qualified personnel for that battalion, along with supplying them with arms, munitions, transport vehicles, fuel, food, etc. The DRC government will also provide the drill grounds needed for training. In addition, the government pledges to ensure that this battalion, once trained, will have adequate support to maintain its operational level.

The training programme will emphasise training in various engineering skills so that engineer troop units can be deployed quickly in the various provinces to assist the local population.

The bilateral agreement stresses that civic education and HIV/AIDS awareness education will be integrated into each Belgian military training project in the DRC.

In carrying out projects under the overall plan for reform of the FARDC, the two sides agree that particular attention

Belgium, DR Congo sign a new military partnership arrangement The governments of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) seek to continue to work on security sector reform in the DRC and implement a new phase of bilateral military partnership, recognising the need to intensify the progress made thus far in the sector.

will be paid to communication and relations with the civilian population. Also, the parties commit to support the welfare of ex-combatants in the DRC.

Other points of the agreementBelgium will put special emphasis on any training programme aspect relating to the administrative, budgetary and logistical organisation of the Ministry of National Defense and War Veterans. The wellbeing of soldiers and their families will be the focus of Belgian social actions under the agreement. These actions will aim at improving the lodging conditions of soldiers, ensuring their food sufficiency, as well as their children’s health and education.

To this end, Belgium will, if requested by the DRC, be ready to deploy, for specified time periods, officers and other experts, as deemed necessary by both parties, to work within the DRC’s Defence Ministry structures and military general headquarters.

In Belgium, a maximum of 10 Congolese military officers will receive basic training at the Royal Military Academy (Ecole Royale Militaire).

Positive evolution Already there exist several agreements on military partnership between Kinshasa and Brussels, which reflect the progress made in the field security sector reform. As part of efforts to train the new integrated Congolese army, a convention on Belgian logistical and technical support was signed in Brussels on 8 February 2004. A technical arrangement between the two countries on bilateral actions was reached in Kamina on 1st June 2005.

Since 2003, the two countries have been engaged in a military partnership programme (PPM).

With the end the DRC’s political transition which culminated with the establishment in the country of elected

institutions, a technical arrangement on bilateral cooperation was signed in Brussels on 24th April 2007. This was followed by a partnership agreement signed on 18th October at the level of the Ministries of Defence and aimed at promoting respect for human rights by and within the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Representatives from the Ministries of Defence of both countries met once again as they participated in the two-day security sector reform roundtable

which was held in Kinshasa on 25th-26th February 2008 resulting in a proposed overall plan for DRC army reform.

In this context, Security Sector Reform (SSR) refers to the transformation of the security apparatus (the Executive; armed forces; police; intelligence services; judiciary, criminal investigation and prosecution services, etc) into one that effectively addresses external and internal threats to the political, economic, social and cultural rights of the citizens.

By Joseph Tshimanga

The Minister of Defence, Tchikez Diemu (photo Serge A. Kasanga/MONUC)

Security Sector Reform


The PNC national director of general intelligence and special services, General Unyon Vakpa,

thanked the French government for the support, both material and technical, it has provided for building a modern police force in the DRC. His thanks were also extended to the PNC for undertaking efforts to allow the scientific police to take its rightful place within the PNC.

General Vakpa said that it was in recognition of the need to restore

Congolese police set up a new technical and scientific unit The Congolese National Police (PNC) has recently set up a new technical and scientific unit to be manned by judicial police officers tasked with management of crime scenes and criminal identification investigations. About 30 of these officers have completed this month a two-week training programme conducted by French experts and trainers. On 15th April in Kinshasa, the officers were awarded their completion certificates during a special ceremony featuring a crime scene investigation demonstration and attended by senior PNC and magistracy officials.

By Adèle Lukoki the rule of law that the Congolese government undertook to reinforce the capacity of PNC personnel, particularly the judicial police. The trained officers will man a crime

laboratory due to be established with financial support from the French government.

This training, General Vakpa said, will enable the beneficiary officers “to work effectively on crime scenes, conduct all technical and scientific operations necessary to find and collect physical evidence, conduct evidence testing, with the purpose of establishing what happened [at the crime scene] and confound the perpetrator[s].”

The crime identification training aims at establishing a judicial

identification file and consists in imparting technical skills in collection and codification of fingerprints, photography of suspects and maintaining an identification records

system. C r i m i n a l

i d e n t i f i c a t i o n files are due to be established in the different provinces of the country – which explains why 5 police officers of the Provincial Inspection of Bas-Congo were among those trained.

The technical and scientific police unit “is of real interest to magistrates, judges, judicial police officers, i n v e s t i g a t o r s and others working the

crime repression field. Indeed they are all driven by the legitimate need to establish the truth on the basis of irrefutable evidentiary elements,” General Vakpa stressed. He noted that personnel of this unit would be able to provide the justice system with material evidence of infractions using appropriate methods. General Vakpa called on the trained officers to demonstrate professionalism and abnegation in implementing their newly-acquired knowledge and helping the nation in establishing a

Crime scene investigation demonstration with officers looking for evidence (photo Myriam

Asmani/MONUC)


functioning rule of law. The French embassy security

attaché, General Bernard Tomalak, welcoming his country’s participation in reinforcing the PNC’s investigation capacity, stressed that “the 37 officers who have been trained so far constitute the spearhead of the PNC’s technical and scientific police.” The trained officers, he said, are expected to demonstrate the two most prominent qualities of any investigator: rigour and method. Crime scene technicians “are specialists and professionals, not amateurs,” he said. “They condition the success of judicial investigations.”

For his part, the Inspector General of the PNC, General John Numbi, said he attached “great importance to the search for evidence as this helps the justice system to do its work properly. The sense of

professionalism that we now have as we seek to modernise our police demands rigour and training. We cannot afford to fumble around in this profession. We have much to do, and if we fumble, we will wrong the victim by mistaking him/her for the culprit, or mistaking the culprit for the victim.”

He promised that the new police unit would be provided with two vehicles to afford personnel the means to carry all of the necessary equipment when intervening on the

ground. He also stressed the need for a well-defined legal basis on which the unit would operate, as well its professional independence, structure and work environment.

Finally, General Numbi reiterated his gratitude to France for its continued assistance to the PNC. France’s previous support for the PNC included assistance to the Rapid Intervention Police (PIR), support for police reform, and other actions aimed at boosting the capacity of the Congolese police.

General Numbi handing over the completion certificate to one of the recipients (photo Myriam Asmani/MONUC)

At the end of the ceremony, some of the laureates posing with their certificates

(photo Myriam Asmani/MONUC)


Mr Kumar’s meeting with the various sections of MONUC was dominated by the security

situation in the province. It emerged from those discussions that beneath its calm exterior, Western Kasai is rather edgy. With its diamond wealth, the province attracts people from all other places around the country. Sexual violence is rife and there are frequent attacks by armed men. In the regional capital Kananga, such attacks have now reached alarming proportions.

However, Tshikapa remains the hottest spot. With its 3 million inhabitants, this mining town is a magnet for diamond traders from all parts of the country. Most of them come her in the hope of making a fortune and leading an easy life, but soon discover how difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get hold of any diamond. And those whose get-rich dreams are dashed slip into committing criminal acts, such as drug abuse, rape and looting.

Additionally, land issues are a source of conflicts in the province – not conflicts over the use of land for agriculture but because of the diamond wealth lying buried beneath. These conflicts regularly pit rural landowners who invoke customary law against formal legislation within which land exploitation licences are issued. With angry landowners denouncing injustice and the local communities considering themselves robbed of the resources on their land, these conflicts sometimes escalate into violence.

The widespread phenomenon of street children in Tshikapa and other mining areas is yet another source of insecurity. These unschooled children work in the mines and grow up

MONUC Police chief visits Western KasaiThe problem of insecurity and the quest for Congolese National Police (PNC) professionalisation were the focus of MONUC Police Commissioner’s working visit to Kananga, Western Kasai province, on 9th -10th April. Mr Sudhesh Kumar took up these issues as he met with the province’s governor, local PNC officials and MONUC representatives in Western Kasai.

By Saidou Abdou

without any access to any education, which often leads to their involvement in reprehensible acts.

MONUC assistance highly appreciated by local partners

During his first meeting with the MONUC Police Inspector General, the province’s vice governor Hubert Mbingho called on “MONUC to support the PNC in strengthening its strategy for fighting insecurity in the region.”

Already, MONUC has put a lot of effort in strengthening of the capacity of police officers in Western Kasai. Several training workshops have been organised on various themes including judicial procedures for minors and the fight against sexual violence.

In welcoming MONUC’s efforts in this field, the PNC Inspector General for Western Kasai, General José Bakemo, highlighted the positive contribution of the MONUC contingent of Senegalese gendarmes to training of Congolese police officers, especially in the areas

of public order maintenance and road security. The 125-member Senegalese contingent has been also conducting regular patrols to help curb the insecurity phenomenon in the region. General Bakemo also expressed his wish to see a police training centre set up in Kananga. In response, MONUC Police Chief Sudesh Kumar promised that MONUC “will continue its support programme for the Congolese National Police”

Inspector General Kumar’s visit was undertaken in the context of Security Sector Reform (SSR) efforts in the DRC. He used the opportunity to announce a contribution of 40 million euros from British partners to support PNC reform. The total amount to support Security Sector Reform (SSR) in the DRC is estimated at 70 million euros.

The MONUC Police General Inspector met with Congolese National Police officials

(photo Saidou Abdou/MONUC)

Echoes from the provinces


The workshop, which was organised in two phases, was held in the presence of the governor of South

Kivu, Mr Léonce Muderhwa. He was introduced by Mr Aliou Sene, head of MONUC Bukavu office, for whom “the [future] local elections will be the most complex and most difficult to accomplish.”

Stressing the need for greater participation of Congolese women in their country’s political life, Mr Sene noted: “Congolese women are victims of marginalisation – a phenomenon which, in fact, is experienced in most African societies. So women’s showing in the 2006 general elections was poor…Despite their numerical superiority, the results achieved by women in those elections remained modest, both a the provincial and national levels…This capacity-building workshop offers an opportunity to remedy the shortcomings noted during the 2006 general elections.”

In south Kivu, non-state actors and women leaders prepare for future local electionsAt the initiative of MONUC Bukavu and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), a training workshop for Non-State Actors and Women Leaders in North Kivu province was held in Bukavu on 7th -11th April to train the participants ahead of the future local elections.

By Samantha Buonvino

The workshop’s first phase involved non-state actors who were briefed by the IEC and by MONUC’s Electoral and Public Information Divisions on the various phases of the current electoral process. The sessions focused on the future local elections, including analysis of control mechanisms as well as the responsibilities of the different actors involved in election preparations: civil society, political parties and administrative authorities. In-depth discussions in working groups help highlight current potential difficulties and those experienced during the 2006 elections. The MONUC team then asked the participants to reflect on designing and putting in place strategies to increase civic education among the population of South Kivu.

Concluding the first-phase sessions of the workshop, the head of MONUC-Bukavu Electoral Section, Cheikh Bangoura, noted: “organising local elections in South Kivu will be difficult,

especially because the geography of the province makes it difficult to have access to some areas. However, pending the establishment of a legal framework so we can move forward, we must continue pre-election awareness-raising efforts among the entire population. Today, we are only midway through the electoral cycle and we cannot stop there. We have the responsibility to carry our action through to the end.”

The workshop’s second phase targeted South Kivu women leaders. In his presentation, the MONUC Electoral Section representative discussed the national and internationals politico-legal context in which women have to fight for their rights. He then took a comparative look at women’s efforts

Cheikh Bangoura, head of the electoral section, addressing workshop participants during the

concluding session (photo Samantha Buonvino/MONUC)



toward emancipation and self-assertion in the French and Congolese political spheres, showing that there was still a long way to go towards that goal. The presentation was followed by an exchange among participants, including exploration of resistance factors which keep Congolese women away from political participation and decision-making positions. The IEC coordinator for South Kivu, Guadens Maheshe, encouraged women leaders to overcome a lack of confidence that puts them at a disadvantage, and to engage in political mobilisation.

Other presentations included discussions on electoral campaign management, and communication techniques and strategies, with an emphasis on the choice of the campaign’s location and target electorate.

Regarding electoral communication, the MONUC Public Information Section discussed how knowing the electorate can determine the success of a campaign. He noted that: “In-depth examination of the target electorate helps a candidate to come

up with a programme that responds to voters’ demands and priorities. And it helps him/her to implement a communication strategy that takes into account the electorate’s psychology. For example, what candidate image is considered credible by the electorate in question? What is the image of woman that the electorate regards a reliable and respectable?”

This presentation included a discussion of the image and communication strategies developed by certain women leaders around the world, such as Margaret Thatcher and Indira Ghandi. There can be many strategies for success, it was noted, but a good strategy depends on a careful study of the context to which it applies. “You must not forget that as women

candidates you represent a minority in the DRC political arena. This makes you comparatively more exposed to public scrutiny and criticism. That is the reason why, without neglecting your programme content, you need to know exactly what image you want to project and how you are going to communicate,” Mr Bangoura said. In this connection, several techniques were presented and adapted to the Congolese context.

Discussions in working groups gave the participants the opportunity to reflect on three focal themes: identifying strategies for the future elections; analysing difficulties facing women in joining political parties; and elaborating an electoral campaign plan. During the exchanges, Mr Bangoura stressed the importance of strengthening youth and women participation in political parties in order to facilitate these target population segments’ access to and participation in politics.

The workshop culminated with the participants putting forward a number of recommendations. Most noteworthy among these was their unanimous request that MONUC should meet with the various groups of women leaders more regularly so as to help them in identifying future candidates for local elections and then assisting them in preparing for the electoral campaign.

In response, the representative of the head of MONUC-Bukavu office reaffirmed MONUC’s commitment and availability to assist the different partners in organising and ensuring the success of the future local polls.

With Non-State Actors, a working session on local elections (photo Samantha Buonvino/

MONUC)

IEC regional coordinator Gaudens Maheshe, during his presentation (photo Samantha

Buonvino/MONUC)


The day was organised around the theme of “Men and boys, get yourselves involved in fighting

rape and violence against women; your dignity depends on that.”

RAF coordinator Josephine Ngalula explained that the event was intended to raise public awareness of the fight against gender-based violence.

Featured cultural activities included the performance of a piece of theatre and songs denouncing violence against women; and the presentation of local cuisine specialties from the DRC’s 11 provinces. There was also a special fundraising drive to assist sexual violence victims in meeting legal costs.

Driven by concern about the continuous violations of Women’s human rights, RAF’s agenda has been focusing on combating that phenomenon. And the present event was the latest in a series of RAF’s efforts toward achieving that goal.

A RAF-run legal clinic has been in operation since 2002 to provide assistance services to women victims of sexual violence and encourage action to curb impunity for perpetrators of such acts.

The clinic is headed by Mr Cicéron Mpaka Kinkela, a lawyer. The clinic personnel, he explained, have been providing judicial accompaniment to sexual violence victims as they deal with the police, the prosecutor’s office and the courts. The clinic also provides psychological support to victims and conducts advocacy efforts vis-à-vis decision-makers to encourage action against impunity.

Starting in 1996, the clinic has each year organised 16 Days of Activism

In Kinshasa, a day organised to support the victims of sexual violence On 17th April, the Réseau Action Femme (RAF, Women’s Action Network), a coalition of associations working to promote the cause of women, young girls and children, organised a day of cultural events aimed at promoting women’s rights and supporting victims of sexual violence.

By Adèle Lukoki Against Gender-Based Violence. RAF, in partnership with Global Rights and the US embassy in the DRC, has issued a memorandum on reforming the Family Code in order

to change the legal status of women. In collaboration with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), RAF has produced the first draft of the Joint Initiative on Fighting Gender-Based Violence aimed at providing support services to victims.

In conjunction with the National Multi-Sector Programme to Fight Against AIDS, the RAF legal clinic has put forward recommendations for the elaboration of legal texts protecting those living with HIV/AIDS.

Since last January, there have been at least 23 court cases where the RAF clinic has been trying to help the victims. These cases involve a range of issues including family violence (ill-treatment, refusal to cohabit), voluntary assault and battery, succession rights and rape.

But RAF’s best efforts to move

things forward have been hampered by a lack of financial resources to meet court fees, lawyers’ bills and other administrative expenses. As result, several victim dossiers are

sitting in court drawers gathering dust, Mr Mpaka said, appealing for financial support to help redynamise the legal clinic’s judicial and socio-psychological assistance activities.

The MONUC Gender Section, which was represented at the 17th April event, expressed its support for the initiative. The fight against sexual violence is an important element of MONUC’s current mandate, as demonstrated by an increase in personnel working on this issue. Also, it reflects the international community’s commitment to help combat impunity in the DRC.

Some Congolese women participants during the seminar on violence against women, organised with

the support of the MONUC Gender Section (photo Alain Likota/MONUC)



“In a region like Ituri which has suffered years of war with its attendant violence and its

consequences, it is important to teach the youth the virtues of the strength of argument in preference to the argument of strength,” said Mounoubai Madnodje, head of MONUC Public Information in Ituri, as he introduced the debate.

“Through this exercise, you will learn to respect the other person, to recognise him/her the right not to think like you, to tolerate different viewpoints. To admit to being wrong is neither a weakness nor a defeat. It is an act of greatness which springs from humility which itself is one the rarest character strengths,” he added, addressing participants in the oratory competition.

Because one of the two invited universities failed to show up, both debating teams, each with five members, were drawn from the Bunia Extension of the University of Kisangani. One team was wholly female and led by Gisele Kavira Muyisa. The other was wholly male and captained by M. Kwasa Mbuti.

In a room jam-packed with an audience of supporters, each of the teams expressed their position on the debate topic and presented pro/con arguments while opposing the arguments offered by their opponents. They also had the

MONUC initiates Congolese youths to the virtues of debate On 16th April, MONUC-Ituri organised in Bunia a debate contest for students in the district.

By Hem Okaré

opportunity to answer questions from members of the jury panel. After a rather jerky start, the participants overcame their mutual nervousness and engaged in a verbal sparring match, much to the audience’s delight.

Then it was time for the three-member jury panel of two women and one man to hand down their verdict, based on the teams’ eloquence and persuasiveness in argument, and research of the topic.

The girls took first place with 141.37 points against the boys who scored 139 points out a total of 225 points

Each member of the winning team was rewarded with a financial contribution from MONUC covering 50 percent of university tuition fees. The loosing team received a 25 percent contribution. In

addition, every participant received a T-shirt and a ball pen from MONUC, as well as a ream of paper and a piece of clothing material provided by UNHCR.

“By organising this kind of activities, MONUC wants to show the importance it attaches to its mission of restoring peace to the DRC and to Ituri. Because the youths represent the future of this country, it is important to train them and to teach them to accept different points of view, to cultivate the virtue of tolerance and to think and interact constructively,” the MONUC Ituri office director, Ms Olamide Adedeji, said in her remarks at the certificate-awarding ceremony.

Those attending the ceremony included the MONUC Ituri Brigade Commander, General Thapa, an Ituri district administration representative and local academic officials.

Thanking MONUC for the contest initiative, the academic officials expressed their wish to see more such events be organised in the future.

The head of MONUC Ituri Public Information introducing the debate competition for students in

Bunia (photo Gervais Ndruujo/MONUC)

After the competition, some students posing with their prizes (photo Gervais Ndruujo/MONUC)


The DRC and development - CongoForum MONUC Bulletin 201.pdfMONUC Bulletin N 201 3 The DRC and...

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