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Democratic Republic of Congo: A land of killers or a democracy?

While a human rights activist is sentenced to death, the rebels are offered to join the

government.

Kinshasa DRC , the military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced to deaththis Wednesday March 3, 2010 a human rights activist in the person of Firmin Yangambi

Libote who is a lawyer and the president of Peace on earth (Paix sur Terre), a NGO in the

eastern province of Province Orientale ( Kisangani ). He is also registered with the

International criminal court as counselor. With him, 3 more individuals were sentenced:

Colonel Elia gets life in prison; While Benjamin Olangi a law student and his friend Eric

Kikunda get 20 years.

Arrested on September 26 and 27, 2009, barrister Firmin Yangambi and his co-accused were

presented to the public by the Congolese minister of information as very dangerous

individuals and were in possession of 100 tons of weapons. They were accused of conspiracy

to commit insurrections.

In an opened letter wrote in French and dated November 12, 2009 sent to presidents Kabila

(DR Congo); Barrack Obama (USA) and Nicolas Sarkozy (France), barrister Yangambi wrote

this in regard to tortures and human rights violations: Physical and mental tortures of

unimaginable cruelty have been inflicted on my co-accused and myself since our detention.

-Numerous violent knock on sensitive parts of human body; cynic and barbarian practices

close to Gestapos behavior such as torsion of genital parts with a metallic clamp; -

Benjamin Olangi and Eric Kikunda were buried alive following human teeth bites inflicted

to them by police officers of the Intelligence and Investigation Special Police sadly renown

for its lack of human rights consideration.Real shotguns firingabove our heads by way

of serious threat.

At first, one can easily think that this is just a way of defending himself. But, if we take a look

at the entire case, the process, the trial, the evidence, the sentence and jubilation of the

prosecutor, the judge, the politicians of the governing party, all this suggest that something

fishy is going on. It smells more like an act of arbitrary than a serious case of conspiracy to

commit insurrection. - 2 days after the arrest of barrister Firmin Yangambi and his co-

accused, the governor of Province Orientale, where the accused are from, with the militants of

their party marched to support the power. -Right after their arrest, before any establishment of

their culpability by a judge and any accusation was laid, the Deputy 1er Minister and the

minister of Medias and communication referred to them as criminals and requested that theyshould be sentenced to death. Furthermore, the presiding judge, a Colonel of the Congolese

army forces at the November 4th

audition declared that the decisions of his court will comply

with the directives of their hierarchic superiors more than the constitution of the Land and the

international proceedings (ref. Opened letter to presidents Obama, Sarkozy and Kabila); The

prosecutor, A general of the Congolese army forces and advisor to President Kabila. The

evidence: the only evidence presented in court and in television was 3 handguns with no

bullet which was vehemently denied by the defense.

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This is a clear message of intimidation and dictatorship, said Cesar Olangi brother of

Ben Olangi and the European representative of Peace on Earth. According to him, the

message is sent to all potential candidates out there, who are thinking of challenging thepower in the upcoming general elections. Also you must know that Kisangani is where

barrister Yangambi was established and people were in love with him. As such, he was a

real threat to those defending the governing party. Understand that they had to take

him out. This is not new, it is how they operate. They did the same before and after the

2006 elections they will do the same every time they are challenged. Understand that

barrister Firmin Yangambi was pushed to run. He added.

A quick background check of the political situation in the democratic republic of Congo

reveals that during the past election of 2006, at least 3 former candidates were accused of

similar charges: Barrister Marie Therese Nlandu; Doctor Oscar Kashala; and Pastor Theodore

Ngoyi. All 3 were running for president. All 3 got in trouble. All 3 are now living outside thecountry fearing for their lives.

What is troubling in the situation of Congo, is the fact that, while civilians, journalists,

political figures and human rights activists are constantly persecuted, those involved in the

killings of population or insurgent groups as we may call them such as the CNDP of Laurent

Nkunda, a well known rebellion movement and killing machine are courted and are offered to

join the government.

One may think that, to be considered or to be heard, you have to be a killer or you have to

belong to a certain ethnic group. Then the question would be: Is Congo a land of killers or a

democracy?

L. Paul

Pinzoli.com

Best regards,

L. ISSAMENE