The Congo Tribunal

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

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.

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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.

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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

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

5.6

"Too difficult, too complex, too complicated - 3 good reasons to turn a blind eye as a consumer."

Jean-Louis Gilissen (chairman of the Tribunal, Bukavu / Berlin) is an international criminal law expert. As a lawyer he took part in a trail against Congolese milita leaders at the International Court of Justice in Den Haag. Furthermore he was involved in the elaboration of an UN-report about Eastern Congo where the situation has been declared as “genocide”.

human rights International Court of Justice crimes against humanity United Nations

6.1

"The corporations that dominate this world have no interest in making human rights truly universal."

Jean Ziegler (expert) is a Swiss sociologist and one of the best-known globalization critics worldwide. He is a member of the advisory committee of the United Nations Human Rights Council and is a specialist in the role of the World Bank and the strategies of a consciously used "poverty policy".

transparency MONUSCO United Nations International Court of Justice human rights multinational companies DR Congo government Rwanda China corruption Mobutu crimes against humanity Belgium

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

6.6

"The competent authorities have not done anything against the extent of the problems, so they have to be replaced."

Jean-Louis Gilissen (chairman of the Tribunal, Bukavu / Berlin) is an international criminal law expert. As a lawyer he took part in a trail against Congolese milita leaders at the International Court of Justice in Den Haag. Furthermore he was involved in the elaboration of an UN-report about Eastern Congo where the situation has been declared as “genocide”.

chairman Bukavu Berlin OECD-Guidelines MONUSCO United Nations human rights Protection of the civilian population International Court of Justice