The Congo Tribunal

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

2.6

"The corporations have been successful in circumventing the existing laws."

Saskia Sassen (member of the jury, Berlin) sociologist, economist and one of the harshest critics of globalization. She examines the destruction of civil societies as an intrinsic necessity of globalisation.

member of the jury Berlin artisanal mining local population multinational companies mining contracts expulsion human rights

3.5

"From which right does the majority benefit and not just national or international elites?"

Wolfgang Kaleck (member of the jury, Berlin) is the General Secretary of the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin. The ECCHR is specialized in cases of human rights violation by multinational companies on foreign territories.

member of the jury Berlin World Bank Rwanda armed groups regulation FARDC Dodd-Frank Act OECD European Commission human rights

3.8

"A mobile phone would cost 2000 euros if we would make the value chain transparent."

Harald Welzer (member of the jury, Berlin) is a social psychologist, founder and director of the non-profit organization “Futurzwei”. He is an honorary professor at the University of Flensburg and an author (“Climate Wars").

member of the jury Berlin regulation impunity multinational companies human rights transparency

4.6

"The outdated system of aid organizations leads to dependency and ignores sustainability."

Saran Kaba Jones (member of the jury, Berlin) founder of FACE Africa in 2009, an aid agency, providing several regions in Liberia with drinking water. The Guardian listed her as one of the 25 most successful women in Africa. The World Economic Forum in Davos has chosen her to be the Young Global Leader.

member of the jury Berlin NGOs transparency United Nations US Government German Government local population

5.1

"The big companies will leave us a soil without resources."

Prince Kihangi (member of the jury, Bukavu) is a lawyer and one of the leading experts on the governance of natural resources in the Great Lakes region. He is the spokesman of the civil association of Walikale (province of North Kivu). Therefore he takes part in all negotiations between the villagers, the government and the big companies from this region. He is considered to be one of the harshest critics of the Dodd-Franck Act.

member of the jury Bukavu human rights multinational companies Banro MPC / Alphamin artisanal mining Protection of the civilian population local population industrial mining commodity certification mining contracts corruption

5.3

"In face of the atrocities that this state has suffered, its population is threatened by the same fate as the Indians of North America."

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 Rwanda M23-Rebels mining mandate multinational companies mining contracts human rights local population Kabila

5.4

"The dream of dignity and respect for human rights is omnipresent."

Marc-Antoine Vumilia Muhindo (member of the jury, Berlin) is an author and director living in exile in Sweden. He was a member of the government of Kabila and a notable politician. In 2003 he was arrested, held responsible for the death of Laurent-Désiré Kabila and sentenced to death. A few years later he managed to flee the country.

member of the jury Berlin DR Congo government Mobutu mining contracts multinational companies United Nations human rights

5.5

"There is no clear differentiation between perpetrators, spectators and those who are indirectly involved."

Harald Welzer (member of the jury, Berlin) is a social psychologist, founder and director of the non-profit organization “Futurzwei”. He is an honorary professor at the University of Flensburg and an author (“Climate Wars").

member of the jury Berlin impunity civil war local population expulsion armed groups multinational companies DR Congo government United Nations NGOs regulation human rights

6.2

"If the government is corrupt, the corporations will not be able to help us with industrialization either."

Prince Kihangi (member of the jury, Bukavu) is a lawyer and one of the leading experts on the governance of natural resources in the Great Lakes region. He is the spokesman of the civil association of Walikale (province of North Kivu). Therefore he takes part in all negotiations between the villagers, the government and the big companies from this region. He is considered to be one of the harshest critics of the Dodd-Franck Act.

member of the jury Bukavu artisanal mining local population industrial mining MPC / Alphamin multinational companies commodity certification mining contracts corruption

6.4

"International companies want a weak government and a powerless local population."

Vénatie Bismiwa Nabitu (member of the jury, Bukavu) is a human rights activist from Bukavu (Province of South Kivu) and one of the most committed critics of the NGOs, the UN and the big multinational corporations in Africa. She specialized in the field of mass rapes as a war strategy and the continued existence of colonial structures in the current Congolese society.

member of the jury Bukavu rape Rwanda Protection of the civilian population human rights multinational companies DR Congo government Banro MONUSCO United Nations

6.7

"My daily struggle takes place in the negotiations between the companies and the local population."

Gilbert Kalinda (member of the jury, Bukavu) is an attorney and deputy in Walikale. He was a member of a cooperative of regional miners until he decided to accept the mandate of the multinational company MagMinerals Potasses Congo (MPC). In his opinion, industrial extraction of raw materials is the only opportunity for the region.

member of the jury Bukavu artisanal mining local population industrial mining multinational companies MPC / Alphamin