Arbitrary arrest of Assani Murairi Josias a human rights defenders in Goma, DRCongo
On Friday morning July 26th, 2024 Assani was arrested by the National Intelligence Services commonly known as ANR and was detained at their headquarters in Goma, North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo in a case that oppose him with Premedus Company in Goma. After interventions from other human rights defenders, Assani was finally released in the evening.
COJESKI North Kivu made the alert and this mobilized other HRDs, we are so concerned by this arbitrary arrest and the involvement of ANR which are not supposed to be part of this harassment.
Emmanuel Kibirima, a human rights defenders abducted in Goma
On the same Friday July 26th, 2024 the Human Rights Defender Emmanuel Kibirima member of the association “Aidons-Nous Vivant” was abducted near Le Volcan Stadium in Goma at around 9 am, as he was in his way back home from his work. The Previous day Emmanuel worked at night, during his free time in that very evening he joined others in a conversation in a WhatsApp Group where they were sharing views on the situation of IDPs, Emmanuel argued that IDPs should be encouraged to go back to their homes even if their villages are still occupied by the M23 backed by Rwanda, so others people also supported this opinion. In the WhatsApp group there were some camps leaders who immediately mobilized the Intelligence Services claiming that all those who supported the return of IDPs were associated to M23, a list then was produced and was available to the security services in Nyiragongo where most of the people in group lived.
After pressure and other advocacy activities Emmanuel was finally released on Sunday around 1am as he was dumped in the Cemetery where security guards managed to get him and helped him to give him where to stay until morning. Emmanuel was tortured and he was in a very critical conditions according, he is now getting treatment in a health center in Goma.
ARBITRARY ARRESTS OF 4 PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS MEMBERS OF PRESSURE GROUPS AND CITIZEN MOVEMENTS AND A VICTIM OF SPOLIATION OF THE PLOTS OF LAND LOCATED ON NDURUMO AVENUE IN THE CITY OF GOMA THIS WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2024
Pro-Democracy and Pressure Groups during their demonstration in Goma this morning this July 17th, 2024
Members of Citizen Movements and Pro-Democracy Pressure Groups as well as victims of the spoliation of land, organized a demonstration in Munzenze Goma this Wednesday 07/17/2024 to say no to the dispossession of several plots of their land on NDURUMO Avenue in Munzenze in the Virunga area, Karisimbi District, town of Coma, North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the demonstration around 10 a.m time of Goma, security agents came, they dispersed the demonstration by violence, they fired tear gas and in the process they arrested 4 Activists of the Citizens’ Movements and a woman member of the association of victims of dispossession. Until now we do not yet know the place where these people are being detained from, however certain information indicates that they are detained at the Provincial Commissariat of the Congolese National Police in North Kivu.
The victims include:
- Tchikundula Pillar: LUCHA Citizen Movement
- Félicien Tumsifu: Voice of the Marginalized Pressure Group
- Lazare Muyango: New Vision Pressure Group
- Muhindo Kalusha: LUCHA Citizen Movement
- MWAMINI Mamy Kabunga: Female member of the Association of Victims of NDURUMO
Before the arrest
Military Governor Peter CHIRIMWAMI would have initiated a complaint against the peaceful population who live in these plots of land on Ndurumo Avenue, and these residents would have received summons from the High Court, of which the complainant is Provincial Governor and this would be the reason for their arrest.
Briefing on this plot conflict
Since the establishment of the State of Siege in North Kivu and Ituri by the President of the Republic who gives the management of these two Provinces to the military, we have observed several cases of spoliation either of State Land Concessions or lands of the population, of which in a simple way, these lands are sold by Soldiers who have power and the Buyers are well-known businessmen of the city who are richer, and when the population resists against these practices these same military Officers carry out illegal arrests and detentions of the population.
It is in this situation that Munzenze a concession of the Congolese State was sold to the rich men of Goma to put their investment there, Munzenze houses the Central Prison of the Province of North Kivu and a Police Camp, then the Camp of the Police have been relocated to Mugunga, but the Prison still remains in Munzenze. By selling this concession of Munzenze there arose a problem of boundaries, the Military in power claimed that the plot of lands of the population on Avenue Ndurumo were also part of Munzenze which citizens lived on illegally, a version that the population of Avenue Ndurumo contest, they claim that their Avenue is not on the concession of the Congolese State, and do not want to leave their plots.
So the Military then also sold part of Ndurumo Avenue and asked the population to leave the place, but they did not provide alternatives for this population in terms of compensation, as the businessmen want start the activities thus they put pressure on people to leave, in response the population together with the citizen movements organized a demonstration today to oppose this spoliation of their plot.
These arbitrary arrests come at a time when North Kivu seems hostile to the actions of Human Rights Defenders, while Civil Society Actors are assassinated, others are languishing in Prison, others are arbitrarily arrested and others face threats and intimidation.
Recommendations
We ask the Military Authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all these arrested Activists,
We ask organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) to urgently come to the aid of these HRDs in very difficult situations,
We ask the Congolese Government to favor Dialogue for a peaceful resolution,
We ask Human Rights Defense organizations to advocate to the Congolese Government to create a better environment for HRDs, especially in North Kivu, and to release HRDs in Prison and sanction those who attack HRDs,
Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos
Coordinator of COJESKI North Kivu
Collecting information on Human Rights Defenders in North Kivu/DRC
In our efforts to work towards the protection of Human Rights Defenders in North Kivu, we have started collecting information on the situation of HRDs, and this is done in partnership with REDHAC Cameroon.This will help to come up with interventions that are based on the reality. What is visible that HRD in North Kivu do not enjoy any form of protection and this has exposed them to severe risks, they need to be supported especially in this particular period when the province is at war that has caused the humanitarian crisis.
Partnership with REDHAC- Cameroon
We Collecting information in North Kivu/DRC on the situation of Human Rights Defenders who in difficult situations due to their work on human rights activism. This is after observing that a number of human rights defenders in North Kivu do not enjoy any form of protection when they are at risks. The purpose is to put in place responses towards the protection of HRDs in difficult situations.
The HRD release of Fredrich Ngabo Wangabo
Fredrich Ngambo went missing in Goma early December 2023, according to his post on social media, he was kidnapped. Yesterday June 4th, 2024 he announced on his Facebook account that he has returned to his home in Canada and that shortly he will hold a press conference on his situation in DRC which we are still waiting for, the information about his release was also confirmed by his family members in Goma.
Frederich Ngabo is a Canadian from the Democratic Republic of Congo origin of Birava in South Kivu, he moved to Canada in 2009 as a refugee. Fredirich is critical to the current governance in DRC which is perceived as being in the opposition.
Towards the end of November 2023 he came to Goma in order to offer relief aid to Internally Displaced Persons but after few weeks he went missing and no one had information about his whereabouts. We alerted various stakeholders about his missing and we are so pleased to hear that he is life and free now, after six months in captivity.
