Painting by Cheri Samba

Lokuta eyaka na ascenseur, kasi vérité eyei na escalier mpe ekomi. Lies come up in the elevator; the truth takes the stairs but gets here eventually. - Koffi Olomide

Ésthetique eboma vélo. Aesthetics will kill a bicycle. - Felix Wazekwa

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The killings and kidnappings continue: South Kivu

Here's an example of what kinds of killings are going on in South Kivu at the moment. From an internal UN report of a few days ago:

"Military observers reported the killing of 7 women by FDLR at Kisembe village in the Mulombozi groupment of Mwenga territory. According to the report, 15 women were initially seized and taken to the forest after the assailants stormed and cordoned a market area on 12 February. Eight of the fifteen later managed to either escape or get released while the remaining seven were cold bloodedly killed by the criminals. The names of the victims have been given as Nyabulambo, Nyamunyatwa, Esperance, Mrs Muganza, Mere ‘Sadam’, Mrs Mbulu and Wabiwa. The Chef de Poste in Kamituga has revealed that the FDLR atrocity was apparently in reprisal against a recent Amani Leo Operations during which FDLR dependents were captured and handed to UNHCR for repatriation.

"On 12 February, UNMOs interacted with the Bunyakiri Intelligence Officer who informed that 2 weeks ago, FDLR also kidnapped 13 women from Mashere (27 NW of Bunyakiri) and took them into the forests. On 6 February, the miscreants kidnapped 4 more people at Kaumi (4 KM SE of Bunyakiri) but soon after released them with a message that FDLR should be given access to market produce in the area failing which the villages of Bulambika and Kambali nearby will be attacked.

"In another incident, armed men in Kamanyola village killed a Palm Oil dealer who was shot at close range in her house on the night of 13 and 14 February. According to Lt Col Salumu, 411 Bde Cdr, the victim, a 56 year old mother of 6 children named Monique Fatima, was killed a kilometer and a half away from the Team Site. Lt. Col Salumu narrating the incident said three men, one of whom was armed got Monique to open her door through a neighbour forced at gun point to knock on the victim’s door that night. The assailants demanded money from Mrs Fatima insisting they knew she had money as she was a cross border Palm Oil trader. She admitted that she had only 3000FC and asked to be allowed to contact her son for more money. Once inside her house, she began screaming for help and this angered the bandits one of whom shot her dead. The bandits fled the scene."

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