The Congo Tribunal

Keywords

FDLR

1.2

"Even though cruel crimes happen every day, the conscience of the world community remains untouched."

Sylvestre Bisimwa (investigator-in-charge, Bukavu / Berlin) was a lawyer in a mass rape trial committed by the Congolese army in the city of Minova. It is, at present, the only process of this kind. He acts regularly as lawyer for the International Court of Justice in Den Haag.

chairman Bukavu Berlin armed groups FDLR Mai-Mai Rebels Sheka MONUSCO United Nations DR Congo government impunity human rights mining mandate World Bank artisanal mining Dodd-Frank Act Banro MPC / Alphamin

1.3

"Why is it surprising that state structures are disintegrating when corruption has become a national institution?"

Colette Braeckman (member of the jury, Bukavu / Berlin) is a correspondent for the Belgian newspaper Le Soir in Africa. She is an expert on the Congolese war, its history and the involvement of the European governments. Her books about the Mobutu-Era and the Congolese war are considered as standard works.

member of the jury Bukavu Berlin Belgium World Bank Mobutu Rwanda civil war Kabila armed groups FDLR United Nations M23-Rebels mining contracts mining mandate China

3.1

"When the government stopped mining to fight the armed groups, we became unemployed."

Stéphane Ikandi (witness, Bukavu) represents artisanal miners from Bisie and fights for the rights for artisanal miners. He discovered the mine and is the co-founder of the cooperative COMIMPA. In 2011, he had to give up his pit.

witness Bukavu artisanal mining industrial mining expulsion armed groups FARDC MPC / Alphamin mining contracts FDLR local population

3.2

"People from Walikale do not profit from the wealth of raw materials."

Witness B (witness, Bukavu) is a former rebel soldier from the Sheka group that controlled the mine of Bisie.

witness Bukavu armed groups Mai-Mai Rebels Sheka massacres expulsion FARDC MPC / Alphamin mining contracts FDLR rape

4.5

"The UN is only as strong as its member states allow it to be."

Linda Polman (witness, Berlin) is one of the most dedicated critics of aid agencies and the peacekeeping missions of the UN (MONUSCO). She criticizes the negative impacts of the NGOs superficial help that prevent any political change in these countries.

witness Berlin Rwanda FDLR NGOs European Commission United Nations German Government US Government