UNHCR and CNR in Goma are putting pressure on Court to arrest Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos and detain him for nothing

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) an the Congolese National Commission for Refugees known as (CNR) manipulating and are exercercing influence on Court of Law in Goma to arrest and detain Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos the Coordinator of COJESKI North Kivu because of his activism on refugee issues in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos engaging with a Journalist working with International Media on the situation of refugees in North Kivu during this time of war. This was at our office recently.

Introduction

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Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos, is the Coordinator of the Collective of Youth Organizations for Solidarity in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as COJESKI, Coordination of North Kivu, he is also the Executive Director of the Global Refugee Leaders Forum, based in Goma.

Pecos ran away from Uganda in 2020 where he was hunted by the Government of Uganda because of his advocacy on refugee rights especially his denunciation and challenging the recruitment of Congolese refugees into armed groups that are fighting in North Kivu currently especially the M23 backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

In 2021 Pecos started his advocacy on the effective protection of Refugees in Goma, North Kivu the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNHCR and CNR quickly opposed his advocacy which aimed at giving the right information about the situation of refugees which UNHCR in Goma described in letter addressed to him as crossing the red carpet. Few months later in 2022 UNHCR/CNR exercised influence on the Congolese National Intelligence Service to arrest and detain Pecos for two weeks. In the process Pecos was rescued by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Goma.  Pecos raised issues connected to wrong statistics about refugees, the forced refugee repatriation, the lack of refugee documents, the lack of assistance to refugees and advocated strongly to stop the Radio Talk-show focusing on Rwandan refugees which was broadcasted by Radio Okapi, the United Nations Radio in Goma.

In 2023 as the UNHCR organized the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva Pecos advocated for the participation of refugees, the members of the civil society and communities which host refugees among other actors. But UNHCR/CNR were not happy with such advocacy and quickly manipulated the current Mayor of Goma in order to arrest Pecos, a meeting was then sponsored by UNHCR bringing together various actors in which Pecos was invited by the Mayor to attend so that he can be arrested after the meeting but he did not attend. After the meeting various security operatives were deployed in order to track Pecos but managed to survive.

Pecos is an active Human Rights Defender highly involved in various issues. Currently he leads a coalition of other organizations and youth groups which are making pressure for the exit of MONUSCO, the United Nations Forces, this campaign has caused him many enemies especially among UN Institutions and among actors of the Civil Society who partner with MONUSCO in North Kivu.

Pecos is also involved in peace activities especially putting pressure on DRC Government to ensure the protection of local population and restore peace and security in their villages so that people can go back home. Pecos has actively criticized the diplomatic approach of DRC Government aiming at pushing for sanctions against Rwanda which will not end the war, Pecos has proposed either negotiations or war once for all, this has made him being considered as enemy to the state, and on top of that Pecos is at the center of the protection of human rights defenders at risk especially those who are marginalized because of the nature of their activism.

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos activism to end the deportation, the killing and forced repatriation of refugees back to Rwanda.

For the last three years, Pecos has been on frontline engaging the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Congolese National Commission for Refugees (CNR) to end sending refugees to Rwanda and to discourage deportation of asylum seekers, and the killing of Rwandan refugees. In December 20th, 2024 Pecos published an article in various social media and interviews with local Radios about the UNHCR/CNR Refugee Transit Center located at CCLK/Kyeshero where refugees are stored, and then briefed before they are taken to Rwanda. This center is managed in total discretion and highly guarded by armed people, and this alone raised questions, if the process is voluntary why should UNHCR fear about the free movement of refugees once in the center and why should the center be in secret and guarded by armed people?

On December 21th, 2024 Pecos got two phone calls from the Intelligence Services known as ANR Goma, the first who indicated he is CD30 and the second who indicated he was CD10, Pecos was told to appear to their offices in order to clarify about the complaint from UNHCR/CNR on the allegations about the Refugee Transit Center. However Pecos refused to report to them and asked them to carry out investigations before they summon him. On December 22nd, 2024 Pecos received three different phone calls from various security services, the first was from the Intelligence Services who claimed he is based in Kinshasa, the second was another who claimed he was based in Goma but working for the Presidential Secret Services and that he is not supposed to be known, the last one was from the Intelligence services but he did not specify which one. They all wanted Pecos to come to them but Pecos refused and asked to continue investigations from what he has published as there was no need to meet physically, all these were deployed by UNHCR/CNR in order to track Pecos. The same day, we observed a movement of suspected people who came to the office as wanting to know more about our work and our services, for the first time on that one day eight different people visited our offices and some among them wanted to know if they could meet Pecos. Because of the phone calls from intelligence services Pecos had opted not to work from the office.

On December 24th, 2024 Pecos received 11 phone calls from Kize Medard one among the officers of CNR Goma, and all calls aimed at finding out where Pecos was, Kize claimed he had an invitation letter and wanted to hand it over to Pecos physically but Pecos advised him to deliver it to the office of COJESKI and it reach, which he did. The invitation was about information session on December 26th, 2024 about the very Refugee Transit Center and the Repatriation Process, all security services were invited, all local authorities were invited and various actors of the Civil were invited, the CNR wanted Pecos to come physically but Pecos had suspected that they want to arrest him so, he sent a delegate who was also a target, they wanted to arrest him but he managed to sneak out.

During the meeting on December 26th, 2024 which took place at Refugee Transit Center and facilitated by UNHCR Representative Abdoulaye Barry and CNR Head Office Felix Musanganya they all focused on Pecos and called for serious actions including a legal process to Court. They wanted Pecos to apologize public and withdraw what he has written about the center and if not Pecos would face severe consequences. From this day, detective and spies were deployed in places where Pecos was seen, to the point that some among the spies called Pecos and asked him why he was no longer visible in the main roads of Goma. Some also visited Pecos home and wanted to see him, some claimed they wanted to share with him their problems.

Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos taken to Courts of Law in Goma

Felix Musanganya the Head of CNR and Abdoulaye Barry the Representative of UNHCR finally decided to take Pecos to Court where the case number RMP 9006/PR011/2024/KAB was opened and on Monday January 13th, 2025 a person from the Courts of Law in Goma came to the office with a summon letter which he wanted to deliver to Pecos physically but because he was not at the office, he took it back, on the same day someone from the Court called Pecos at 8:25 pm and asked him to report to the Court on Tuesday January 14th, 2024 at 9am, but Pecos told him to bring an official letter to the Office, then on Tuesday January 14th, 2025 at 11:20 am someone from the Courts of Law brought the summon letter which did not have neither to the complainant nor the reason for appearing. It only indicated “you are invited to appear to the Magistrate to answer charges against you”.

Seeking for the legal representation: Six charges against Pecos 

Pecos then had already alerted the United Nations Human Rights Offices in Goma, and the Synergy of Human Rights Defenders who deployed a lawyer who is now following up the case. Six charges are brought forward against Pecos including digital and Cyber Criminality and misuse of social media but also making false noise these where brought forward by the Judge himself and then other charges brought forward by Jean Pascal Mugaruka who used to work with us but later crossed to UNHCR after embezzling refugee project funds.

On top of that we requested the UN Human Rights Offices in Goma to engage CNR and UNHCR on ending threats and intimidation against Pecos which they have promised us to do, and at the same time we have also written to the UNHCR Inspector General Offices to take actions against Abdoulaye Barry and Felix Musanganya for their culture of threats. We hope that positive outcome will be observed in the future.

Urgent needs

Pecos needs more financial support which can help him to manage the security risks he is facing and also survive during this time when he is not active. However we have not yet gotten a partner in this way, Pecos needs to disappear from the public, from the office and from home for a while in order to reduce risks. At the same advocacy should be done at national level especially in Kinshasa in order to change UNHCR/CNR actors and change their approaches towards refugees in North Kivu. Pecos should also be supported to engage on this advocacy at national level.

Reminder

In 2022 again Pecos was arrested and detained from two weeks in ANR Intelligence Offices on orders from UNHCR/CNR Goma because he opposed the Okapi Radio Talkshow called “Ogutahuka” which means “going back home” which gave wrong information to refugees about Rwanda, and which was a mere propaganda to push refugees to go. And then in the process many other threats and intimidations followed in 2023 to the point that even plans to kidnap Pecos were already developed and even refugees were involved in order to trace him.

This is why we humbly request for your support now.

Thanks

 

 

 

 

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