Oskaloosa 038Joint Declaration from 134 Civil Society and Human Rights Organizations Regarding the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s Visit to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

The Signatories of this declaration-134 Congolese and international civil society and human rights organisms with a presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo-welcome the arrival this week of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, in Kinshasa.

They congratulate the Prosecutor’s office for her contribution to the fight against Impunity in Congo.The convictions of Thomas Lubanga, form president of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) And Germain Katanga, president of forming an armed group Opposed, the Front for Patriotic Resistance in Ituri (FRPI) for serious crimes-committed in Ituri in 2002 and 2003 are significant step Toward justice for the victims of serious crimes in Ituri year.

The organisms aussi welcome the confirmation hearing of expenses against Bosco Ntaganda, Held in The Hague from 10 to 14 February, 2014. Ntaganda-who managed to move from one armed group to Reviews another without Being Arrested and Who Was Rewarded with the odd position of General in the Congolese armed force-had Become a symbol of Impunity in Congo. To see him in the dock at the ICC WAS A Powerful signal That shoulds serve as a warning to other commanders of armed groups in eastern Congo and strengths.

At the same time, the organisms regret That horrific crimes continue to be-committed against Congolese Civilians, PARTICULARLY in the country’s eastern provinces. They therefore believe That further actions by the ICC is still Necessary and urgent.

SPECIFICALLY, the organisms urge the ICC Prosecutor:

1) To continue investigations in Congo and Quickly load Those Who bear the greatest responsibility for crimes against the civilian population-committed;

2) More SPECIFICALLY, to Investigate senior military and political Officials Who Have Many supported the armed groups in Congo responsible for serious human rights violations by Providing thesis groups with weapons, funding, and training recruits, Including Officials from Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda;

3) To Improve the quality of investigations Conducted by her office as Suggested by the judges in the judgment acquitting Ngudjolo, leader of the fundamentalist National Front (NIF);

4) To continue efforts to Investigate and prosecute crimes of rape, sexual slavery and other sexual violence plagued That HAS conflicts ravaging the Congo;

5) To Clarify the relationship Between the Office of the Prosecutor and local Intermediaries, notably in matters of selection, training, compensation and protection;

6) To continue efforts, together with the ICC registry team, to inform victims and Communities MOST affected by the crimes Addressed by ICC cases. To That effect, Consider opening an office in Goma, North Kivu province, and Undertaking visits to Ituri and the Kivu provinces in the future.

7) To national support efforts to fight Impunity for the MOST serious crimes through fair, credible and impartial trials, notably by expressing the support to the government’s proposal to Establish Specialized mixed chambers Within the Congolese judicial system, Provided They are independent and effective, and by pressing urgency for the adoption of the draft legislation Implementing the ICC treaty into Congolese law.

Kinshasa, March 13, 2014

 

Signatories:

  1. Christian Action Aid to Displaced and Development (ACCADE), North Kivu
  2. Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) Province-Orientale/Nord-Kivu
  3. Global Action for Social and Peace (AGPSP) Promotion, North Kivu
  4. Humanitarian Action for Integrated Development (AHDI), North Kivu
  5. Action for the Development of Disadvantaged Populations (DPA), North Kivu
  6. Action for Development and Fight against Hunger (ADECO), North Kivu
  7. Action for the Integral Development of Women (ADIFE), Kinshasa
  8.  Action Womens Health (CFO), North Kivu
  9. Humanitarian Actions Justice for Victims (AHJV), Eastern Province
  10. Alliance for Development and Health – Mount Olive (ADSMO), North Kivu
  11. Moderator Field-Association Female (ATF), Eastern Province
  12.  Association for Peasant Development Initiatives (ASSODIP), North Kivu
  13. African Association of Human Rights (ASADHO) Kinshasa / Province-Orientale/Nord-Kivu
  14. Congolese Association of Human Rights (CDHA), Kasai Occidental
  15. Congolese Association for Access to Justice (CALA), Kinshasa
  16.  Association for the Defence of Women’s Rights (ADDF), North Kivu
  17.  Alarm Association for Endogenous Development (ARDE), North Kivu
  18. Congolese Association of Women Lawyers (AFEJUCO), South Kivu
  19. Youth Association for the Defence of Children’s Rights and the Fight against Racism and Hate (AJERH), North Kivu
  20. Mwanga Association (AM), Maniema
  21. Association for the Improvement Vault (ABRIFAM), North Kivu
  22. Association for Coaching Youth in Ituri and the Defense of Human Rights (AEJI / HDD), Eastern Province
  23. Association for Disadvantaged Masisi (ADEMAS), North Kivu
  24. Blessed Aid, North Kivu
  25. Good Samaritan Great Lakes for the Defense of Human Rights (BOSAMGDDH), North Kivu
  26. Office Support and Support for Humanitarian Action for Reclassification of Displaced in Ituri (Basadi), Eastern Province
  27. Campaign for Peace (CCP), North Kivu
  28. Framing of Women’s Center of Ituri (CEFI), Eastern Province
  29. Study, Documentation and Action Centre for Women (CEDAW), Eastern Province
  30. Observation Center for Human Rights and Social Assistance (CODHAS), North Kivu
  31. Centre for Research on Environment, Democracy and Human Rights (CREDDHO), North Kivu
  32. Olame Centre, South Kivu
  33. Congolese Coalition for Transitional Justice (CCJT), South Kivu
  34. Volunteer Coalition for Peace and Development (CVPD), North Kivu
  35. National Coalition for the International Criminal Court of the Congo (CN-CPI) – RDC
  36. Coalition for the International Criminal Court, The Hague / Netherlands
  37. Collective Auxiliary Liberals Justice (CALIJ), Eastern Province
  38.  Collective of Women Journalists (CFJ), North Kivu
  39. Collective of NGOs for the Advancement of Justice (COPJ), Eastern Province
  40. Collective Organizations Youth Solidarity of Congo-Kinshasa/SK (COJESKI / DRC), South Kivu
  41. Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission (JPEC), Kasai Occidental
  42. Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission of Dungu-Doruma (JPEC), Eastern Province
  43.  For communicators Promotion, Protection and Defense of Human Rights (COPPRODDHO), Kasai Oriental
  44.  Congo Action for Development (CAD), Eastern Province
  45. Congo Image (CIM), Eastern Province
  46. Council of Religious Confessions in Ituri (CCRI), Eastern Province
  47.  Territorial Youth Council (CTJ), North Kivu
  48. Respect Human Rights Convention (HRDC), North Kivu
  49. Dolphins Munzirwa-Kataliko (DOLPHINS), South Kivu
  50. Detectives Experts for Human Daily (DEDQ), North Kivu
  51. Together Fight Against AIDS (ELCOS), North Kivu
  52. Federation of Protestant Women of the Ituri (IPPF), East Province
  53. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Paris, France
  54.  Women Committed to Health Promotion Full (FEPSI), North Kivu
  55. Women Lawyers for the Defence of Women’s Rights (FJDF), North Kivu
  56. United Women for Social Progress (FUPROS), North Kivu
  57. River water flowing to Vive Other (FLEVICA), Eastern Province
  58. Congolese Foundation for the Promotion of Human Rights and Peace (FOCDP), Eastern Province
  59. Congolese Foundation for the Promotion of Human Rights and Peace (FOCDP), Eastern Province
  60. Foundation point of view of African Youth for Development (FPJAD), North Kivu
  61. Rama Levina Foundation (Foral), South Kivu
  62. Fund For Congolese Women (FFC), Eastern Province
  63. Fireplace Development for Indigenous Self-promotion of the Pygmies and Disadvantaged (FDAPID / HOPE), North Kivu
  64.  Great Lakes Human Rights Program (GLHRP), North Kivu
  65. Group of Associations for the Defence of Human Rights and Peace (GADHOP), North Kivu
  66.  Group of men for the Fight against Violence (GHOLVI), North Kivu
  67. Jeremiah Group, South Kivu
  68. Justice and Liberation (GJL) group, Orientale Province.
  69. LOTUS Group, Eastern Province
  70. Lufalanga Group for Justice and Peace (GLJP), Eastern Province
  71. Human Rights Watch
  72. Ignatus Congo, South Kivu
  73. Congolese Initiative for Justice and Peace (ICJP), South Kivu.
  74. International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), Kinshasa
  75.  Committed lawyers for the Defense of Human Rights (JEDHO), North Kivu
  76. Lawyers States for the Promotion of Human Rights in the fight against the Arbitrary (JUPDA), North Kivu
  77. Justice Plus (JP), Eastern Province
  78. JUSTICIA, Katanga
  79. Voice of the Voiceless Neither Liberty (VOVOLIB), South Kivu
  80.  Relief voiceless, Orientale Province
  81. Friends of Nelson Mandela for the Defense of Human Rights (ANMDH), Kinshasa
  82. League Voters (LE), Kinshasa
  83. League of Women Defenders of Human Rights (LIFEDDH), Kasai Oriental
  84.  League Sacrifices Volunteers for the Defense of Human Rights and the Environment (LISVDHE), North Kivu
  85. League for Peace, Human Rights and Justice (LIPADHOJ) Kinshasa / Orientale Province
  86. League for the Promotion and Integral Development of Women and Children (LIPRODIFE), Eastern Province
  87. Maniema Development (MANIDEV), Maniema
  88. Maniema Freedoms (MALI), Maniema
  89. MISERY SORS (Oïcha), North Kivu
  90. New Congolese Civil Society (NSCC), Kinshasa
  91. New Dynamics Integral Rural Development (NODRI), Ecuador
  92. Congolese Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), Kinshasa
  93. Congolese Observatory of Prisons (OCP), North Kivu
  94. Centre for Civil Society for Peace ores (OSCMP)
  95. Governance and Peace Observatory (OGP), South Kivu
  96. Eye for the Development of Congo (ODC), South Kivu
  97. Advocacy organization Litigants Vulnerable (ODEJUVU), North Kivu
  98. Organization for Recovery and Rehabilitation of Street Children (ORRER), North Kivu
  99. Workers of the World (MDGs), South Kivu
  100. Parliamentarians For Global Action (PGA), Kinshasa
  101. Pax Christ Butembo, North Kivu
  102. PAX DEI, Orientale Province
  103. Peace and Human Dignity for Development (HPSD), North Kivu
  104. Kivu / Maniema – Support Program for Sustainable Development (PAD), South
  105. Women and Environment Programme (EFP), North Kivu
  106. Democracy Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (PDH), North Kivu
  107. Promotion and Restorative Justice Initiatives Integral Development (PJRIDI), North Kivu
  108. Network ARDA, North Kivu
  109. Network of Associations of Human Rights in Ituri (RADHIT), Eastern Province
  110. Wake Women for Integrated Development (RFEDI), North Kivu
  111. Save Communities in Conflict (CSC DRC) North Kivu
  112. Save the World by Action (SWA), North Kivu
  113. Social Solidarity Action (SAS), South Kivu
  114. Solidarity Volunteers for Humanity (SVH), South Kivu
  115. Women’s Solidarity for Peace and Integral Development (SOFEPADI), Eastern Province
  116. Women’s Solidarity for Development (SFD), Eastern Province
  117. Solidarity for Sustainable Peace in Congo (SOPADC), Eastern Province
  118. Solidarity for the Promotion of Social Peace and Peace (SOPROP), North Kivu
  119. Solidarity for development in rural areas and local governance (SDMGL), Kasai Occidental
  120. Solidarity, Integral Assistance to the needy (SAIPED), Eastern Province
  121. Initiatives Support Development and Protection (SIDEP), North Kivu
  122. Initiatives Support for Human Rights (ISHR), North Kivu
  123. Union Defence of the Interests of Peasants (SYDIP), North Kivu
  124. Union of Women Workers (SYFET), North Kivu
  125. Syndicat d’Initiative of Kasha (SIKASH), South Kivu
  126. Synergy of Women for Peace and Reconciliation of Peoples of the Great Lakes of Africa (SPR), South Kivu
  127. Synergy of Congolese NGOs for Victims (SYCOVI), Kinshasa
  128. Land Of Children (TDE), Eastern Province
  129. All in Action for Progress (TAP), North Kivu
  130. Union of Women for Peace and Social Advancement (UFPS), Eastern Province
  131. Union for the Development of Humanity, North Kivu
  132. Union for the Protection of the Defense of Human Rights and Environment (UPDDH), North Kivu
  133. Vision Humanitarian Medical (VHMed), North Kivu
  134. Voice of the Voiceless (VSV)