Democratic Republic of the Congo
Current Operations
EUSEC RD Congo
EU Mission to Provide Advice and Assistance for Security Sector Reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (EU)
Since: 05/05
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EUPOL RD Congo
European Union Police Mission in the DRC (EU)
Since: 07/07
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MONUSCO
UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (UN-led)
Since: 07/10
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Armee schießt auf Demonstranten (12.04.2006)
(Quelle: taz) In Bukavu, der größten Stadt im Osten der Demokratischen Republik Kongo, haben Sicherheitskräfte bei der Niederschlagung von Demonstrationen bis zu elf Menschen getötet. Diese Bilanz bestätigten lokale Quellen gestern der taz nach einer Woche schwerer Unruhen. Gestern patrouillierte Elitepolizei in den Straßen der 500.000 Einwohner zählenden Provinzhauptstadt, die am Vortag durch einen Generalstreik aus Protest gegen die anhaltende staatliche Gewalt lahm gelegt war.
EU unveils quick reaction force for DR Congo (05.04.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) The European Union's special envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Aldo Ajello, along with a German military expert, have unveiled the concept of a quick reaction force to be deployed in the DR Congo in order to secure the June elections. Ajello said Tuesday in Brussels that it would be a European multinational force comprising several member states, including Germany, France, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Ireland and Sweden. The first batch of the force made up of 450 soldiers will be based in Kinshasa and placed under French command, while the headquarters will be based in Postdam, Germany.
Boycott hits key poll (04.04.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) One of the biggest parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo will boycott the first multi-party elections in 40 years, it says. The announcement by the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) comes a day after registration to contest the polls ended. The electoral commission is to announce the new date for the polls. They had been set for June but were put back.
Human rights group: Congo rebels re-arming children (31.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) Rebel fighters who continue to reject Congo's peace process are recruiting and re-arming children in the lawless east, human rights watchdog Amnesty International said Friday. … Amnesty warned that Mai Mai militias who were armed by the government to fight against the Rwandan-backed rebels have also begun recruiting children in an apparent escalation of tension.
Civilians seek refuge near UN military camp to escape fighting (30.03.2006)
(Quelle: Irinnews) At least 1,000 residents of two villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeastern district of Ituri sought refuge on Wednesday around a camp of Bangladeshi UN troops following fighting between militiamen and the national army, an official of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) said. ... The militiamen are the remnants of various militias that have regrouped into a new faction called the Mouvement revolutionnaire du Congo. Some 16,500 fighters from various Ituri militias have voluntarily disarmed to MONUC since 2005.
Wahlen wegen Kandidatenmangels verschoben (30.03.2006)
(Quelle: Die Welt) Die Wahl im Kongo, die von einer EU-Truppe unter Führung der Bundeswehr abgesichert werden soll, wird um mindestens eine Woche verschoben. Dies teilte eine Sprecherin der Wahlkommission in Kinshasa mit. Der Termin wurde wegen Problemen bei der Kandidatenregistrierung schon mehrfach verlegt, zuletzt auf den 18. Juni. Das neue Datum werde nun zwischen dem 25. Juni und dem 2. Juli liegen. Bislang haben nur 400 Personen die Anmeldegebühr von 250 Dollar gezahlt, um für einen der 500 Sitze im Parlament zu kandidieren.
Former rebels to end boycott of peace process (24.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) Congo's biggest former rebel group said on Friday it would end its boycott of the huge country's peace process and contest elections in June. Azarias Ruberwa's RCD-Goma, backed by neighbouring Rwanda during Congo's devastating 1998-2003 war, said he would stand for president on June 18 in the country's first free national parliamentary and presidential polls in more than four decades.
EU military mission gets the go ahead (24.03.2006)
(Quelle: allAfrica) The Council of the European Union announced on Thursday that it had approved 'the concept' of EU troops supporting MONUC, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the presidential and legislative elections process this year. ... It said the concept included deployment of an advanced team to Kinshasa of 400-450 military personnel. The EU would also make a battalion-size force (around 800 troops) available as an 'on-call' unit. The battalion would be 'over the horizon outside the country, but quickly deployable,' the EU said. Planning for police support will also be pursued, it added. The council said the EU's German Armed Forces Operations Command in Potsdam, Germany, would be available for planning and command of the military operation.
Raising police awareness of humanitarian law and human rights (24.03.2006)
(Quelle: Alertnet) The ICRC and the Congolese national police force are jointly organizing a series of events to teach the principles of international humanitarian and human rights law applicable to law-and-order operations. The first will be held on Saturday, 25 March at the joint national police headquarters in Kinshasa. This is the first time that the ICRC has worked with the national police on a country-wide campaign to prevent abuses. Previous ICRC awareness-raising work was confined to the provincial level.
Doubt over poll deadline (23.03.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Democratic Republic of Congo election officials are meeting later to discuss extending the deadline for candidates to register for June's polls. By Wednesday morning, only 100 people had paid the required $250 to run for the 500-seat parliament.
Bundeswehr-Mandat kommt Anfang Mai (23.03.2006)
(Quelle: Die Welt) Die Bundesregierung will Anfang Mai über den Einsatz der Bundeswehr zur Absicherung der Wahlen im Kongo entscheiden. Unmittelbar danach soll der Bundestag das Mandat beschließen. Dies wurde gestern in Berlin bekannt. Etwa 500 Bundeswehrsoldaten sollen Anfang Juni in die Region entsandt werden. Die EU-Staaten einigten sich gestern grundsätzlich auf den Militäreinsatz unter deutscher Führung.
MONUC gets tough on foreign armed groups (22.03.2006)
(Quelle: allAfrica) United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has taken a more aggressive stance in its fourth year of helping the country disarm, demobilise and repatriate foreign armed groups operating mainly from the east of the vast nation. 'We have launched several MONUC-FARDC [Congolese army] military operations since mid-December 2005 to flush out these groups,' Alpha Sow, the head of MONUC in South Kivu Province, said. 'So far, we are maintaining the carrot-and-stick approach. Those who want to repatriate voluntarily, we encourage, and we take stern measures against those who don't.'
UN observer mission captures LRA rebel commander (22.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) The UN Observer Mission in Congo (MONUC) and the Congolese army captured a senior commander of the Lord's Resistance Army rebel in Garamba, according to report reaching here Wednesday. Bosco Atubo's capture in the northeastern Congolese town of Aba Monday is the first tangible confirmation of the rebel group's presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Atubo was the second rebel commander in custody in DRC after Richard Odong, who was captured early this month on the Yei-Juba road.
Poll may pose nightmare (21.03.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) UN head Kofi Annan has said the Democratic Republic of Congo elections in June will pose 'major logistical challenges, if not nightmares'. He is visiting DR Congo, where the UN has its largest peacekeeping mission, ahead of the country's first free elections in 45 years. He also welcomed a planned deployment of European Union troops to act as a rapid reaction force during the polls.
Bedenken gegen Kongo-Einsatz (20.03.2006)
(Quelle: FAZ) Der Einsatz der Europäischen Union in Kongo soll vom Bundeswehr-Standort Potsdam aus geleitet werden. „Wir haben gemeinsam abgesprochen, daß das Führungshauptquartier in Potsdam die Gesamtverantwortung für den Einsatz übernimmt”, sagte Verteidigungsminister Franz Josef Jung (CDU) nach Gesprächen mit Militärs aus anderen EU-Staaten am Montag im Hessischen Rundfunk. „Das Hauptquartier in Kinshasa stellen die Franzosen.” Der Einsatz der Bundeswehr zur Sicherung der ersten freien Wahlen in dem zentralafrikanischen Land seit mehr als vier Jahrzehnten muß vom Bundestag beschlossen werden. Vor allem in der Union, aber auch in Teilen der SPD gibt es zum Teil erhebliche Bedenken gegen den Einsatz von rund 500 deutschen Soldaten im ehemaligen Zaire.
Congo rebel faces Hague trial (17.03.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) The leader of a Democratic Republic of Congo militia has been handed over to the International Criminal Court to face trial on war crimes charges. Thomas Lubanga becomes the first person arrested on an ICC warrant. The court, based in the Dutch city of The Hague, said he would face three charges related to the use of children in armed groups. Mr Lubanga was arrested a year ago after nine Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers were killed in the volatile Ituri area.
Some Congo players scared of elections, U.N. says (14.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) Some Congolese political parties appear reluctant to head towards historic elections, the U.N.'s top peacekeeper Jean-Marie Guehenno said on Tuesday, warning they will gain nothing from a boycott. But Guehenno said if major players pulled out of Congo's first free polls for 40 years it would lead to further violence, uncertainty and trouble in a country devastated by years of war. … The former rebel group RCD-Goma, which was backed by Rwanda in the war and is now a political party, is threatening to pull out of the elections in a row over the exclusion of one of its strongholds from the list of parliamentary constituencies.
Merkel und Chirac plädieren für Militärmission in Kongo (14.03.2006)
(Quelle: FAZ) Deutschland und Frankreich haben ihre Bereitschaft zur Teilnahme an einer EU-Militärmission in Kongo bekräftigt. Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel und der französische Präsident Jacques Chirac nannten am Dienstag nach einem Gipfeltreffen in Berlin jedoch abermals mehrere Bedingungen, die zunächst erfüllt werden müßten. Dazu zählten die Akzeptanz der kongolesischen Regierung, ein UN-Mandat sowie eine „klare zeitliche Perspektive”, sagte Merkel.
UN backs June vote for DR Congo (11.03.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) The head of UN peacekeeping operations says security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is stable enough to allow elections in June. … Jean-Marie Guehenno said while there were numerous armed groups still operating in the area, progress was being made to disarm them. … Mr Guehenno said the UN force in the country was committed to staying after the June elections until such time that the security situation in the DRC has improved.
Registration of presidential, legislative candidates begins (10.03.2006)
(Quelle: Irinnews) Registration offices for candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential and legislative elections opened on Friday in the capital, Kinshasa. … Candidates have until 23 March to complete this formality; presidential hopefuls can only register in the commission's subcommittee bureau in Kinshasa. … 'The Ministry of Interior registered 270 political parties today,' (chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Apollinaire)Malumalu said.
Congo opposition protesters clash with riot police (10.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) It was the first protest police have broken up since the adoption of a post-war constitution enshrining free speech and the right to demonstrate after an overwhelming endorsement in a December referendum, the first free nationwide vote in 40 years. The protest by supporters of veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi's UDPS party coincided with the first day of registration for candidates in a June 18 presidential election.
UN-backed military operation succeeds in driving rebels from South Kivu (08.03.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) Troops from the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), backed by hundreds of United Nations peacekeepers with armoured vehicle and helicopter support, have regained control of parts of the South Kivu region in the east of the strife-torn country that were occupied by rebels from neighbouring Rwanda. … Elsewhere, MONUC said that another operation aimed at removing militia members was ongoing southeast of the town of Bunia, in the Ituri district.
Jung fordert mehr EU-Solidarität für Kongo-Einsatz (07.03.2006)
(Quelle: FAZ) Die Bundesregierung knüpft eine Teilnahme am Kongo-Einsatz an vier Bedingungen: Kongo müsse den Einsatz der Truppen bei der EU anfordern. Die Vereinten Nationen müßten der Truppe ein Mandat geben. Der Einsatz soll auf die Hauptstadt Kinshasa begrenzt bleiben und höchstens vier Monate dauern. Laut Jung könnten im Rahmen der Mission die bereits in Kongo stationierten 16.800 UN-Blauhelme von zunächst 1500 Soldaten aus der EU unterstützt werden. Auf die Frage, ob das UN-Mandat auch Kampfhandlungen umfassen sollte, sagte Jung: „Ich würde das im Zweifel mit einschließen.”
Rebel rows, political disputes threaten Congo poll (07.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Foreign diplomats are battling to keep Congo's elections on track as former rebels threaten to pull out and boycott parliament, and participation by the leading political opposition hangs in the balance. … But fears are growing that President Joseph Kabila's dominance of the political apparatus could hand him a simple victory - upsetting his opponents, including those with guns. … The former Rwandan-backed RCD-Goma rebel group, which ran large swathes of the east in the war and still has hardline loyalists fighting in the bush, is embroiled in a growing row with Kabila's faction over the interpretation of the peace deals on the distribution of seats in the future parliament.
EU defence chiefs meet to study Congo force (06.03.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) A number of EU nations, including France, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Belgium, have said they would be willing to support the mission. But it remains unclear how many troops the bloc would be able to raise for the potentially risky operation. … Another unresolved issue is who would lead the force. Germany is under pressure from other EU nations to step forward but has proved reluctant so far, diplomats said.
UN peacekeepers in DR of Congo help army in second operation against rebel militia (01.03.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) In the second military operation this week of its kind, some 300 United Nations peacekeepers, backed by helicopter gunships, are helping the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dislodge militia said to have been looting and enslaving locals in the eastern region of the vast country. … The blue helmets involved come from MONUC’s Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Moroccan contingents.
UN mission to Central Africa visits war-torn eastern region (28.02.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) The joint mission to Central Africa by the heads of three United Nations humanitarian agencies is now in the eastern region of the war-shattered Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where they plan to meet refugees returning home by boat from neighbouring Tanzania. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres, World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director James Morris and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Ann M. Veneman are on an unprecedented joint visit to the Great Lakes region to see how best their agencies and the international community can help the peoples of the troubled area make the transition to a stable peace and full democracy.
Ausland setzt auf Kabilas Sieg (28.02.2006)
(Quelle: taz) Tatsächlich hat sich ein internationaler Sinneswandel gegenüber Kongos Wahlen eingestellt, seit die UNO in New York Ende Dezember ihre Truppenanfrage an die EU richtete. Damals, kurz nach dem Verfassungsreferendum im Kongo, herrschte große Unsicherheit über den Wahlausgang. Mehrere wichtige Herausforderer brachten sich gegen den als blass geltenden Staatschef Joseph Kabila in Stellung … Es sah so aus, dass mangels eines klaren Wahlsiegers militärische Machtkämpfe ausbrechen könnten. Heute hat sich das Bild gewandelt. Präsident Kabila rechnet inzwischen mit einem Sieg im ersten Durchgang der Wahlen.
Congo plans landmark elections on June 18 (22.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Congo plans to hold legislative and presidential elections on June 18, the electoral commission said on Wednesday, a move welcomed by international observers as a step towards cementing a long-delayed peace process. Democratic Republic of Congo's parliament approved an electoral law late on Tuesday which will allow the vast, war-scarred central African country to hold its first independent elections in four decades. … President Joseph Kabila was now expected to sign the electoral law, whose absence had been blocking the poll process.
Insecurity remains a major threat to April elections (21.02.2006)
(Quelle: AllAfrica) The eagerly awaited Congo elections may not materialise if the international community does not help institute quick and comprehensive security reforms. Current efforts to rebuild the military and police in a country ravaged by war for more than a decade - costing four million lives - have largely failed to meet targets, even as the international community focuses on funding the April elections.
EU snagged on U.N. request for Congo force (21.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) The EU had said it would come up with a final decision by the end of this month but may not be able to commit by then because of a shortfall in troop commitments, and because no nation has come forward to lead the operation, they said. … Britain has said it will not contribute forces because it is over-stretched with commitments in Iraq and elsewhere, while envoys said France was unwilling to lead the EU mission because it is already engaged in peacekeeping in Ivory Coast. … Germany is the only other EU nation with sufficient planning capacity to lead such an operation, but has also shown unwilling to be put in the lead role.
Rwanda, Uganda must help end Congo plundering -UN (15.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) U.N. Security Council members pressed Uganda and Rwanda on Wednesday to cooperate with U.N. experts seeking to end the illegal trade in minerals plundered from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. … Uganda is suspected of facilitating the illegal export of Congolese gold while Rwanda is believed to be helping smuggle out tin ore, the experts said. When asked about their activities, both countries provided erroneous and unreliable information, they said.
EU eyes 1,250-strong force for DRC polls (14.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) European Union military planners have recommended that the bloc mobilise up to 1,250 soldiers to help with elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an EU diplomat said on Tuesday. The team of experts, which travelled to the DRC last week, have identified seven tasks that an EU force could undertake, including providing security in the capital Kinshasa and at airports, and assisting Congolese troops, he said. … While EU member states generally appear to support the idea, it is unclear which of them would be willing to commit troops to any such mission and how it would be funded.
Security sector reform in the Congo (13.02.2006)
(Quelle: AllAfrica) “Security Sector Reform in the Congo”, the latest report from the International Crisis Group, details the struggle to rebuild the military and police in the country. … 'If the Congo is to have any hope of peace and development, security sector reform is the vital issue', says Caty Clement, Director of Crisis Group's Central Africa Project. 'Everything else - from elections to humanitarian assistance to economic activity - depends on establishing and maintaining a secure environment'.
DRC: Fighting in the Kivus displaces 55,000 (09.02.2006)
(Quelle: Irinnews) At least 55,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a result of fighting between the army and armed groups, according to humanitarian agencies. 'Since fighting started on the 20th of January in the territory of Rutshuru [North Kivu], tens of thousands of people have fled,' Medecines Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
UN says won't support Congo army if abuses continue (08.02.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) United Nations peacekeepers will stop fighting alongside Congolese government forces if they continue to commit human rights violations during operations, the world body said on Wednesday. The U.N. mission has gathered a list of complaints against the army -- detailing dozens of cases of executions, pillaging and rape that took place during and after operations -- and handed it to the head of the army, demanding action be taken.
LRA's Joseph Kony now in DRC, says military (07.02.2006)
(Quelle: Irinnews) The leader of the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony, has crossed over to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from his hideout in southern Sudan, the Ugandan military has said. 'He crossed over from Sudan to the DRC, but he has moved further from Garamba National Park, where (LRA deputy commander-in-chief) Vincent Otti is. He is now moving towards the Central African Republic,' said Lt Chris Magezi, army spokesman in northern Uganda.
Kabila to contest DR Congo poll (07.02.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has secured the governing party's candidacy in presidential elections expected later this year. He was nominated unanimously at the end of the People for Reconstruction and Democracy Party congress in Kinshasa. Mr Kabila has been president since the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila, in 2001. The first round of the presidential poll are due to take place on 29 April, with a possible run-off on 2 June.
ICJ refuses DR Congo complaint (04.02.2006)
(Quelle: AllAfrica) The International Court of Justice ruled yesterday that it does not have jurisdiction to try Rwanda over human rights abuses, alleged plunder and illegal invasion of the DR Congo. Congo brought the charges against Rwanda in 2002. It accused Rwanda of armed aggression, mass slaughter, rape, arbitrary detentions, systematic looting and assassinations.
UN steps up peace efforts in Congo ahead of April vote (30.01.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) Recent moves to secure the country's lawless eastern region have led to the deaths of eight UN peacekeepers. Once criticized by the Congolese people and Western governments for its passivity, the world's largest United Nations peacekeeping operation has redefined itself as an aggressive and determined force. The UN mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, known by its French acronym MONUC, has in recent months stepped up efforts to tame the country's lawless eastern region ahead of the first free presidential and parliamentary elections in more than 40 years, scheduled for April 29.
Jung verwirft französischen Vorschlag (29.01.2006)
(Quelle: tagesschau.de) Deutschland lehnt ein größeres Engagement der Bundeswehr zur Unterstützung der UN-Truppen im Kongo ab und stellt sich damit gegen Frankreich. 'Es ist ganz klar, dass die Battle-Group (Eingreiftruppe) der Europäischen Union, an der Deutschland mit 1500 Soldaten beteiligt sein wird, nicht im Kongo zum Einsatz kommt', sagte Verteidigungsminister Franz Josef Jung (CDU) der 'Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung'.
EU-Kundschafter in den Kongo (26.01.2006)
(Quelle: taz) Eine Erkundungsmission der EU nimmt nächste Woche in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo Sondierungen über eine mögliche EU-Militärintervention auf. Dies beschloss der sicherheitspolitische Ausschuss des EU-Ministerrats am Dienstagabend in Brüssel. … Erst danach, also im Februar, soll in Brüssel eine formelle Entscheidung fallen. Eine Stationierung könnte dann ab März erfolgen.
Germany says EU troops not to be sent to DR Congo (25.01.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) The consideration of sending a European Union ready reaction force to the Democratic Republic of Congo was dropped, said German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung on Wednesday. … But a German liaison team will be dispatched to the war-torn African country on Jan. 30 to gather information for a late February decision, the minister said, adding the team would see if European soldiers or police were better suited to the task. In response to the United Nations, the EU had been mulling to send a 'battle group' that consists 1,500 German Army soldiers and two French personnel to DR Congo to guard its April elections.
Mayi-Mayi attack new area of Katanga (23.01.2006)
(Quelle: Irinnews) Relief workers say that fighting between the Congolese army and Mayi-Mayi militias in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga Province has spread to a new area south of the town of Mitwaba in recent days, with militiamen there becoming increasingly dangerous and destructive. 'We never saw them this aggressive before,' said Phillip Havet, a Medècines Sans Frontiéres (MSF) logistics expert who was in the area last week. He said the Mayi-Mayi had 'completely wiped out' the town of Kyubo, 160 km south of Mitwaba, on 16 January.
Annan condemns killing of eight UN peacekeepers in DR of Congo (23.01.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the killing today of eight Guatemalan peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the wounding of five others as they sought Ugandan rebels who had displaced thousands of local civilians. … The peacekeeping troops had been engaged in reconnaissance operations for the past 10 days against suspected elements of the Ugandan rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), reported to be present in the Garamba National Park in the Haut Uélé district in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
DR Congo troops fight each other (20.01.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Two battalions of the Democratic Republic of Congo army are fighting each other close to the border with Uganda, reports from the area say. The governor of North Kivu province, Eugene Serufuri, told the BBC that one group comprises soldiers drawn from former Mai Mai rebels. The other battalion comprises soldiers integrated into the army from the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD).
To resume voter registration, or not to resume (16.01.2006)
(Quelle: AllAfrica) Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi and his Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) have expressed anger at the Independent Electoral Commission's refusal to re-open voter registration for the benefit of UDPS supporters. … The UDPS had initially called for a boycott of the 2006 elections, and of the voter registration exercise conducted last year which it claimed was fraught with irregularities. … Responding to the appeal, the electoral commission said time constraints did not allow for national registration to be resumed, but that persons who wished to stand in the elections would be allowed to enter their names on the roll.
EU prüft Bundeswehr-Einsatz im Kongo (15.01.2006)
(Quelle: Spiegel Online) Ein Sprecher des Bundesverteidigungsministeriums bestätigte gestern einen SPIEGEL-Bericht, demzufolge die Vereinten Nationen die EU um Entsendung einer rund 1500 Soldaten starken EU-Eingreiftruppe ('Battle Group') gebeten habe. Wie viele deutsche Soldaten daran beteiligt werden könnten, sei noch unklar. … Laut SPIEGEL-Informationen sollen die EU-Soldaten auch zur Sicherung der bevorstehenden Wahlen beitragen.
Dates released for DR Congo polls (13.01.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) Parliamentary elections and the first round of the presidential contest will be on 29 April, with a possible presidential run-off on 2 June. … The dates were set after the approval of a new constitution in a referendum. … Many Congolese said they backed the new constitution, without knowing its contents, because they wanted to end the period of transitional rule and feared that further delays could lead to renewed conflict.
DRC peace prospects brighten as Tshisekedi joins electoral race (11.01.2006)
(Quelle: AllAfrica) Prospects for the first democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo in over 40 years and a return to sustainable peace have brightened following the decision by key opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi to participate in the March polls. A leading figure in Congolese politics over the past four decades, Tshisekedi announced on 2 January that he would be taking part in the elections, ending a two-year boycott that saw him and his Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDSP) miss out on a historical peace deal signed in 2003.