ugnet_: Press Release NMDF

[Mulindwa Edward]

National Movement for Democracy and Federalism Democratic Republic of Congo Press Release (La version fran�aise suivra dans quelques jours) January 06, 2004 After six months in power, the transitional institutions in Congo are willingly excelling at accomplishing nothing. There is no thought for the future of the country. These institutions are supposed to prepare the country for general elections. People�s time is being slyly robbed here. We hoped that those in power during the transitional period, together with their cronies, would think of promoting a glimmer of hope for the Congolese people, who have suffered endlessly for no reason. The administrative and political authorities for the provinces and the new managers of the public institutions are as yet unknown. The national army has not been constituted. Rag-tag soldiers from rebel groups and the Kabila government are still at loose, unpaid and continuing to demean the innocent and helpless Congolese people, despite their already precarious existence. The majority of public servants still live in a pitiful situation, while those lucky enough to serve in the transitional institutions are showing an inconceivable disregard for the continued misery of the people of Congo. This awful indifference on the part of those who share the transitional power is highly unpatriotic. All members of the government, the senate, and the parliament are supposed to be aware of the precarious situation in the city of Isiro and the imminent danger of war because of the new armed elements invading the Congo through the districts of Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele in the Oriental province. The Congo should no longer be an easy country to invade after six months of the transitional period. The report that reached our office from The Voice of The Oppressed, a group led by The Sister of Saint Catherine of Sienna, based in Isiro, has been confirmed by the open letter sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives by the members of parliament and the senate native to the Oriental province. A matter of such concern should not receive the attention of just those native to the Oriental province. Everyone in a position of leadership in Congo should be highly concerned. The lack of concern is an indication of the extremely poor leadership during the transitional period.     The following excerpts signal how disturbing and lacking in meaning life has become in Congo: �The lives of civilians in Isiro, the main town of Haut-Uele district in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), are being held together by only a "desperate thread", and the town bears the traces of one of the most "ferocious rebellions" of the civil war, a recent humanitarian mission to the area reported.� �The mission said the local population complained of continued harassments by the army and police, the levying of irregular taxes by the administration (the former rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-National, RCD-N, which is now part of the national transitional government), and continued military recruitment, especially of children.� �The joint mission, which visited Isiro from 26-28 November, included the UN Deputy Special Representative to the DRC, Lena Sundh, the German ambassador Loretta Loschelder, and representatives from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).� �The report recommended that the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration section of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) pay particular attention to the collection of statistical data on RCD-N fighters to be demobilized, and that the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), together with the International Rescue Committee, focus on child soldiers in the framework of a programme financed by the World Bank.� http://allafrica.com/stories/200312230112.html This is the translated letter of the members of the parliament and the senate native to the Oriental province that was sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on December 23, 2003. Bas-Uele has been invaded by cattle-breeders from Chad, Cameroon, Uganda, and Sudan! http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=32613 This letter is to request a parliamentary investigation of what is called the Mbororo-Fulata phenomenon. Members of parliament have voiced their concerns over the invasions by this foreign populace. They have been even more concerned about the Ministry for Home Affairs, decentralization, and security. However, the Ministry of Defense ignored their apprehensions.  This diverse populace unlawfully entered the Congo in 2002 through the district of Bas-Uele in the Oriental province. The information in our possession indicates the following: There are estimated to be thousands of Mbororo Fulata. They are well armed and consider themselves ethnically superior to the local population, making it very hard to live in peace and harmony. 2.      They are clothed in animal skins; women walk around almost naked. 3.      They are bringing back some diseases that had been eradicated in the Congo, such as sleeping disease. 4.      On their way, their cattle destroy planting fields, the unique source of income for villagers. 5.      They are going deeper inside the Oriental province. Their presence was noticed in the Ango, Buta, Bambesa, and Poko territories in the district of Bas-Uele. Now their presence is widespread in these two districts and heavily concentrated in Niangara, Dungu, Faradje, and Isiro in the district of Haut-Uele, where they enjoy selling their cattle.  6.      They would have obtained authorization to immigrate into the Democratic Republic of Congo from chief rebels as some sort of payback. They consider themselves Congolese and are ready to participate fully in the upcoming elections. It is also important to mention the presence of rebels (SPLA) loyal to John Garang in the Dungu and Faradje territories, where they exchange arms and munitions for palm oil and other goods. They openly poach and extract gold as well. In return for leaving the DRC, they are claiming from the RCD/National (one of the rebel groups led by Roger Lumbala, who is the creation of President Museveni of Uganda) USD 15,000.00 for breach of a contract signed by RCD/National to protect national parks. (By the way, Roger Lumbala is enjoying power in Kinshasa as one of the ministers of the transitional government). At about 18 km (11miles) from the town of Aba, a SPLA military formation center which is operated by �the Americans� is located there. SPLA soldiers take pleasure in fleecing any person or vehicle that happens to be there.  The connection between the Mbororo populace and the John Garang group can be seen as a serious threat to the Congo from Sudan. This situation is highly disquieting and could compromise relations with Sudan. What can we expect from the coalition of Mbororo of Uganda and a group of another warmongers called Jerome of Aru? In our view, the Mbororo fulata phenomenon has added to the number of warmongers in the Oriental province, foreshadowing the conflagration of this side of the democratic Republic of Congo, our province, one more time. We energetically condemn any bold indifference from the government concerning the above matters. In order to clarify national opinion on these issues, we urge the government to allow a parliamentary investigation in the Oriental province immediately. Sincerely, National Movement for Democracy and Federalism, Matthieu Wakalewae Yangambi, Chairman.