AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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On October 11, security agents abducted seven UDPS members from a street corner
in Kinshasa (see Section 1.d.). They reportedly continued to be detained at
Camp Kokolo at year’s end and were subjected to daily beatings by security agents.
On October 18, national police arrested military court officials Ambroise Kusa and
Ndaba (see Section 1.d.). Kusa and Ndaba reportedly were detained at Makala prison
and were beaten and tortured. They were released on October 25.
On November 16, police reportedly beat 10 students who intervened on behalf of
two students arrested while carrying their lunches on the campus of the Institut
Pedagogique National (IPN) in Kinshasa, because the police wanted the food. Several
students were arrested (see Section 1.d.). On November 17, approximately 800
students demonstrated to protest the incident; allegedly FAC forces briefly detained
a journalist covering the protest and confiscated her recordings (see Sections 2.a.
and 2.b.). The commander of the police detachment reportedly was arrested following
the incident.
On November 26, a group of armed government soldiers assaulted and shot in the
leg Athanese Matenda Kyelu, the manager of the Chamber of Commerce, at his
house in the Ngaliema district of Kinshasa. The soldiers searched and robbed the
house (see Section 1.f.). Matenda received treatment at Ngaliema Hospital.
On at least two occasions, members of the security forces beat taxicab and minibus
passengers who were unable to pay bribes at roadblocks (see Section 2.d.).
Security forces harassed, beat, and tortured journalists, including foreign journalists,
during the year (see Section 2.a.). For example, on January 3, security forces
arrested Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, editor of the newspaper Le Libre Afrique (see Sections
1.d. and 2.a). Security agents allegedly subjected Loseke to torture; he reportedly
was in ill health at year’s end but was denied medical attention. In May a military
court sentenced Loseke to 3 years in prison (see Section 1.e).
On February 26, police arrested, detained, and severely beat Zuzi Phukuta
Dieudonne, a reporter for the newspaper Palme d’Or and president of the human
rights NGO Justice Sans Frontiere (see Sections 1.d. and 2.a.). Phukuta reportedly
was riding in a public van with a number of students who shouted anti-Kabila remarks;
Phukuta was accused of having insulted the President. Security force agents
reportedly tortured Phukuta, and the beatings left permanent scars. Police released
Phukuta shortly after his arrest but have continued to threaten his life.
There was no known action taken against members of the security forces responsible
for torturing, beating, or abusing the persons in the following 1999 cases: The
January case of human rights activists Christophe Bintu and Bienvenu Kasole; the
January case of newspaper publisher Thierry Kyalumba; the February case of Toussaint
Muhavu Shankulu; the February case of Luyinumu Lelo Koko and Jonas
Ndoko; the February case of Professor Tshibangu Kalala; the March case of two female
money changers; the March case of a journalist; the April case of Lambert
Edimba; the May case of eight members of the opposition Parti Lumumbist Unifie
(PALU) party; the May case of Christian Badibangi, president of the opposition
party Union Socialist Congolaise; the May case of Colonel Ndoma Moteke; the June
case of journalists for the daily newspaper Tempete des Tropiques; the June case
of the owner of a dugout canoe known as Motinga; the July case of Jean Marie
Kashils of the Agence Congolaise de Presse and Bienvenu Tshiela of Kasai Horizon
Radio Television; the July case of Professor Kambaj Wa Kambaji; the September
case of human rights NGO activist Wetemwani Katembo Merikas; the September
case of Francois Mpoyi Mukandu, the legal advisor of the governor of Eastern Kasai
Province, Marcel Mpuanga Mindu, who also was an attorney, and Ditutu bin
Bwebwe, a court clerk; and the October case of Pascal Kusehuka, secretary general
of the PALU opposition party for Bandundu Province.
Street children in Kinshasa were subject to severe harassment and exploitation,
particularly by soldiers and police (see Section 5). There were credible reports that
the FAC sexually exploited homeless girls.
There were numerous reports that nongovernmental armed groups fighting on the
side of the Government, and reportedly materially supported by the Government,
tortured, raped, and otherwise physically abused many persons during the year. Mai
Mai guerillas reportedly killed persons by torture, including by mutilation and crucifixion
(see Section 1.a.).
Unlike in the previous year, there were no reports that mobs beat persons.
There were reports that Interahamwe militia in South Kivu Province often raped
women.
There also were numerous reports of torture by antigovernment forces in the occupied
territories.
During the year, there were numerous credible reports that RCD forces, participating
with or supported by the RPA, beat, tortured, and then buried alive 15
women at Mwenga in December 1999 (see Section 1.a.). However, the Rwandan Gov-
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