AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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Bemba remained MLC president. The RCD/ML commanded fewer troops than either
the RCD/G or the MLC; Mbusa Nyamwisi remained RCD/ML president. Two smaller
rebel factions emerged this year: The RCD/National (RCD/N), led by Roger
Lumbala and backed by Uganda and the MLC; and the RCD/Originale (RCD/O), led
by Felix Mumbere and backed by Uganda. In the Ituri region of the northeast, two
tribally-based armed groups emerged during the year: The Lendu-dominated Patriotic
Army of the Congo (APC), supported by the RCD/ML; and the Hema-dominated
UPC, led by Tomas Lubanga and supported by the Governments of Uganda and
Rwanda. In the areas under the control of rebel factions, foreign troops, and armed
groups, there continued to be no effective rule of law or functional civil administration.
The rebel factions and foreign troops severely restricted political freedom and
did not tolerate political opposition or civil society activity critical of their rule. The
judiciary, though largely nonfunctional, continued to be controlled and manipulated
by the ruling authorities and subject to corruption.
In areas under the control of rebel factions and foreign troops, the security services
were dominated by the military of each group. Although the RCD/G, MLC, and
RCD/ML maintained police forces in name, there was little distinction between the
jurisdiction of the police and the military, and in practice the police were subordinate
to military command. Security services and soldiers of the rebel factions were
poorly trained and generally unpaid, and security services and soldiers routinely extorted
money, goods, and services from the local population. In areas controlled by
Hutu militias, Mai Mai, ethnically-based militias, or other armed groups, there were
no organized security services; those with weapons controlled the population and extorted
money, goods, and services. While the civilian authorities in the Governments
of Rwanda and Uganda generally maintained effective control over their respective
troops, civilian authorities of the rebel factions did not maintain effective control
over their troops and security services. Rebel soldiers and security services sometimes
obeyed orders from their civilian authorities, sometimes received orders directly
from foreign troops or governments, and sometimes acted independently. Foreign
troops, rebel troops and their security services, and members of other armed
groups committed numerous, serious human rights abuses.
In areas outside of government control, the economy was dominated by subsistence
agriculture, a large informal sector, widespread barter, and non-regulated mineral
exploitation. Areas controlled by foreign troops and rebel factions continued to
be integrated financially and economically with the economies of Rwanda and Uganda.
RCD/G soldiers frequently obstructed trade and impeded commercial travel on
the Congo River. The largely nonfunctional and insolvent public sector did not provide
even basic services, although the rebel factions continued to levy taxes on the
local population. Public sector employees and soldiers were generally unpaid, which
caused widespread hardship and contributed to extortion of the population by the
armed forces. Although most Rwandan and Ugandan troops had left the country by
October, the economy had not been integrated with government-controlled areas by
year’s end.
The human rights record in areas not under government control remained extremely
poor, and rebel authorities continued to commit numerous, serious abuses,
particularly in the eastern part of the country and in the Ituri area. Rebel forces,
foreign troops, Mai-Mai forces, Hutu militias, and other armed groups committed
numerous, serious abuses with impunity against civilians, including deliberate,
large-scale killings, cannibalism, burning of entire villages, disappearances, torture,
rape, dismemberment, mutilation, extortion, robbery, arbitrary arrests and detention,
harassment of human rights workers and journalists, and forcible recruitment
of child soldiers. Rebel security forces and foreign troops continued to use excessive
force, and Rwandan forces bombed civilian populations. Rebel groups and foreign
troops severely restricted freedom of speech, assembly, and association in areas
under their control, and respect for religious freedom remained poor. There were attacks
against local and international NGOs in rebel-held areas, and some NGO personnel
were killed. Forcible conscription of adults and children continued in rebelcontrolled
territories. Violence against women and rape were severe problems and
occurred with impunity. Discrimination against women and indigenous Pygmies
were problems. Combatants abducted women and children and forced them to perform
labor, military services, and sexual services. Ethnically-based mob violence resulted
in thousands of deaths. Trafficking, including child prostitution, was a problem.
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