Democratic Republic of the Congo
Press release issued: 19th August 2008
First Poll of Victims Shows High Demand for Justice
(click here for French version)
Nearly half the adult population of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has faced death threats, suffered beatings or has been enslaved by armed groups, according to a new survey undertaken in the region. One third of the 2,620 people interviewed reported having been abducted for a week or more. Yet a large majority (85%) of the population believe that those responsible for the violence must be held accountable.
Those are among the key findings of Living with Fear, a 60-page report based on the survey conducted by the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley; the Payson Center for International Development at Tulane University; and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ).
"Without sustained security, people cannot rebuild their lives," said Patrick Vinck, director of the Berkeley-Tulane Initiative for Vulnerable Populations, who led the study. "Reform of the police and army are needed immediately to protect civilians. The Congolese expect that war criminals will be punished, but most remain at large. More is needed to arrest and hold accountable those responsible for the continued violence."
While a fragile peace exists, the population continues to live in fear. Fewer than half the people surveyed felt safe sleeping, walking at night in their village, or meeting strangers.
"There are important lessons for everyone involved," said Suliman Baldo, director of ICTJ's Africa Program and one of four co-authors of the report. "For the UN, the Security Council's support to the UN Mission in the DRC is fundamental. It's no less important that the UN Mission carry out its duty to protect civilians."
Background
The fighting in eastern Congo has been described as the deadliest since World War II. The International Rescue Committee and the Burnet Institute estimated that 5.4 million "excess deaths" occurred there between August 1998 and April 2007. All sides to the conflict have committed flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, including targeting civilians for murder, rape, recruiting child soldiers, and abducting civilians. A state of near impunity exists for perpetrators with only a handful being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court or national Congolese courts.
The Report
Living with Fear is based on a survey completed in December 2007 in villages and municipalities of North and South Kivu and the Ituri district. Additional interviews were conducted in the state capital, Kinshasa, and the second largest city in the country, Kisangani.
Support
Support for the study was provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Humanity United, the European Commission, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the BBC World Service Trust.
Contact:
Robert Ruby
Communications Director, ICTJ
Office +1 917 637 3800
Mobile +1 646 919 6599
rruby@ictj.org