47. On 14 June 2007, during a routine visit to the PNC sub station in the neighborhood of Biancky, in the commune of Kananga, two UNHRO staff members were indirectly threatened by a police officer, in an adjoining office, who said “Les gens des Droits de l’Homme s’occupent des civils et non des policiers. Un jour, nous allons mourir avec eux” (insinuating in Lingala that “we are going to attack them”).
48. A man who was arrested and detained for drunkenness in public at the sub police station in Kawa, territory of Bagata – 150 km southwest of Bandundu Ville, on 26 May, died allegedly as a result of ill-treatment. According to police sources, the victim refused to obey an order given by the police on duty to enter the holding cell. The officer then violently pushed him into the cell, causing him to fall and injure his neck. He died on the way to the hospital. The policeman was arrested the same day and transferred to the Office of the Bandundu Military Tribunal.
49. On 4 June 2007, police officers based in Lubudi territory – 320 km north of Lubumbashi – reportedly carried out widespread looting in the village of Kisasa – while on a mission to investigate a case of suicide. The PNC elements allegedly ransacked the villagers’ huts and took away several heads of livestock.
50. The police have been responsible for several cases of arbitrary arrest and illegal detention during the reporting period. Civilians were arrested in place of family members suspected of having committed an offence, for failure to repay a debt on time; some persons were arrested for no valid reasons while others were detained because the complainant was a close friend of the investigating officer. In Kisangani, Orientale Province, two women from the Tshopo Commune who had been involved in a dispute over a three-dollar debt were arrested by the local police and placed in the holding cell with their babies aged four months and one year respectively. The Public Prosecutor released the victims of arbitrary arrest and illegal detention during joint visits with UNHRO.
51. According to a local NGO, PNC agents deployed to the territory of Idiofa, Bandundu Province, continued to extort, arrest and illegally detain as well as inflict ill-treatment upon the local population. The commander of the alleged perpetrators was arrested by the office of the Military Prosecutor in Kikwit.
52. On 13 June 2007, two residents of Lemera -85 km northwest of Uvira, South Kivu Province- were allegedly arrested, detained and subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by the deputy commander of the PNC accompanied by FARDC soldiers of the 81st Battalion of the 8th Integrated Brigade. The incident occurred after a FARDC soldier who was prevented from walking into a local cinema without a ticket, got angry and went to complain to the PNC deputy commander.
The latter accompanied by three FARDC soldiers allegedly went to the scene and seized all the projection equipment and extorted money from the victims who were allegedly subsequently arrested, undressed, detained and subjected to ill-treatment. The following day, they were allegedly ordered to sign a written document in which they agreed to give up their equipment and valuables to the PNC commander.
53. On 22 June 2007, in Bandundu, a minor was allegedly seriously beaten up by a PNC officer. The victim had gone to the PNC’s residence to recover her money. The victim was admitted to the local hospital whilst the alleged perpetrator was arrested and arraigned before the Office of the Military Prosecutor.
54. On 6 June 2007, in Atsina – 50 km north of Aru- , a minor was arrested and detained for 8 days by the PNC on the grounds that he had struck the PNC commander’s brother in law with his bicycle. The victim’s father was also arrested and detained for 7 days. He was allegedly forced to pay 100 USD, 5 goats and a bicycle, in exchange for his release.
55. On 10 June 2007, a couple was allegedly subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as well as extortion by two PNC officers in Mwema- 60 km north of Kasongo-. The man was wanted by the police for having killed a chimpanzee. The victim was allegedly beaten up, undressed and forced to practice painful exercises.
56. On 26 June 2007, in the Commune of Barumbu, Kinshasa, a young girl and a young boy were allegedly arbitrarily arrested by nine PNC officers. The policemen had gone into a private compound in search of a vendor who had allegedly insulted their colleague earlier. The owner of the compound, his nephew and his niece were allegedly beaten up by the PNC. The boy and the girl were allegedly taken to an unknown location.
57. On 9 June 2007, in Angaba- 34 km southeast of Mahagi-, a couple was allegedly arbitrarily arrested and subjected to ill-treatment by the local PIR commander. The victims were detained for 48 hours. They were ordered to pay the sum of 75,500 USH ($ 48.00) in exchange for their release. The victims were also threatened not to report on the case. The woman was admitted to the local hospital. On 20 June, the alleged perpetrator was arrested by the office of the Military Prosecutor and was later transferred to Mahagi.
Other security forces were implicated in cases of human rights violations
58. On 11 June 2007, in Bakwa Tshinene – 90 km east of Mbuji Mayi- a pastor of a local protestant church was allegedly arbitrarily arrested and illegally detained by four ANR agents for unknown reasons. The victim was transferred on foot to Katanga- 30 km from Bakwa Tshinene-, and subsequently detained. He was ordered to pay the sum of 5.000 CF for his release. The victim refused to pay the “release fees”. The provincial coordination of civil society organizations in Mbuji Mayi made representation to the ANR Director, who subsequently released him.
59. On 28 May 2007, a civilian was allegedly arbitrarily arrested, illegally detained and subjected to ill treatment by the Chef de Poste of the ANR in Kasongo- 240 km southeast of Kindu, Maniema Province - and charged with an offence that had no link to State security. The victim was detained for five days.
Members of armed groups have continued to commit human rights abuses on the populations of North and South Kivu
48. A man who was arrested and detained for drunkenness in public at the sub police station in Kawa, territory of Bagata – 150 km southwest of Bandundu Ville, on 26 May, died allegedly as a result of ill-treatment. According to police sources, the victim refused to obey an order given by the police on duty to enter the holding cell. The officer then violently pushed him into the cell, causing him to fall and injure his neck. He died on the way to the hospital. The policeman was arrested the same day and transferred to the Office of the Bandundu Military Tribunal.
49. On 4 June 2007, police officers based in Lubudi territory – 320 km north of Lubumbashi – reportedly carried out widespread looting in the village of Kisasa – while on a mission to investigate a case of suicide. The PNC elements allegedly ransacked the villagers’ huts and took away several heads of livestock.
50. The police have been responsible for several cases of arbitrary arrest and illegal detention during the reporting period. Civilians were arrested in place of family members suspected of having committed an offence, for failure to repay a debt on time; some persons were arrested for no valid reasons while others were detained because the complainant was a close friend of the investigating officer. In Kisangani, Orientale Province, two women from the Tshopo Commune who had been involved in a dispute over a three-dollar debt were arrested by the local police and placed in the holding cell with their babies aged four months and one year respectively. The Public Prosecutor released the victims of arbitrary arrest and illegal detention during joint visits with UNHRO.
52. On 13 June 2007, two residents of Lemera -85 km northwest of Uvira, South Kivu Province- were allegedly arrested, detained and subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by the deputy commander of the PNC accompanied by FARDC soldiers of the 81st Battalion of the 8th Integrated Brigade. The incident occurred after a FARDC soldier who was prevented from walking into a local cinema without a ticket, got angry and went to complain to the PNC deputy commander.
The latter accompanied by three FARDC soldiers allegedly went to the scene and seized all the projection equipment and extorted money from the victims who were allegedly subsequently arrested, undressed, detained and subjected to ill-treatment. The following day, they were allegedly ordered to sign a written document in which they agreed to give up their equipment and valuables to the PNC commander.
53. On 22 June 2007, in Bandundu, a minor was allegedly seriously beaten up by a PNC officer. The victim had gone to the PNC’s residence to recover her money. The victim was admitted to the local hospital whilst the alleged perpetrator was arrested and arraigned before the Office of the Military Prosecutor.
54. On 6 June 2007, in Atsina – 50 km north of Aru- , a minor was arrested and detained for 8 days by the PNC on the grounds that he had struck the PNC commander’s brother in law with his bicycle. The victim’s father was also arrested and detained for 7 days. He was allegedly forced to pay 100 USD, 5 goats and a bicycle, in exchange for his release.
55. On 10 June 2007, a couple was allegedly subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as well as extortion by two PNC officers in Mwema- 60 km north of Kasongo-. The man was wanted by the police for having killed a chimpanzee. The victim was allegedly beaten up, undressed and forced to practice painful exercises.
56. On 26 June 2007, in the Commune of Barumbu, Kinshasa, a young girl and a young boy were allegedly arbitrarily arrested by nine PNC officers. The policemen had gone into a private compound in search of a vendor who had allegedly insulted their colleague earlier. The owner of the compound, his nephew and his niece were allegedly beaten up by the PNC. The boy and the girl were allegedly taken to an unknown location.
57. On 9 June 2007, in Angaba- 34 km southeast of Mahagi-, a couple was allegedly arbitrarily arrested and subjected to ill-treatment by the local PIR commander. The victims were detained for 48 hours. They were ordered to pay the sum of 75,500 USH ($ 48.00) in exchange for their release. The victims were also threatened not to report on the case. The woman was admitted to the local hospital. On 20 June, the alleged perpetrator was arrested by the office of the Military Prosecutor and was later transferred to Mahagi.
Other security forces were implicated in cases of human rights violations
58. On 11 June 2007, in Bakwa Tshinene – 90 km east of Mbuji Mayi- a pastor of a local protestant church was allegedly arbitrarily arrested and illegally detained by four ANR agents for unknown reasons. The victim was transferred on foot to Katanga- 30 km from Bakwa Tshinene-, and subsequently detained. He was ordered to pay the sum of 5.000 CF for his release. The victim refused to pay the “release fees”. The provincial coordination of civil society organizations in Mbuji Mayi made representation to the ANR Director, who subsequently released him.
59. On 28 May 2007, a civilian was allegedly arbitrarily arrested, illegally detained and subjected to ill treatment by the Chef de Poste of the ANR in Kasongo- 240 km southeast of Kindu, Maniema Province - and charged with an offence that had no link to State security. The victim was detained for five days.
Members of armed groups have continued to commit human rights abuses on the populations of North and South Kivu
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