By George Murumba

4^th Oct 2010

The UN has released its controversial mapping report into atrocities allegedly committed by the UPDF and Rwanda’s RPA in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC].

The report, compiled over a period of two years and released on 1^st Oct 2010, details what it called “indescribable” atrocities committed in the DRC between 1993 and 2003 when tens of thousands of people were killed, raped, and mutilated by suspected UPDF and RPA soldiers as well as armed Congolese groups.

“The period covered by this report is probably one of the most tragic chapters in the recent history of the DRC…violence in the DRC was, in fact, accompanied by the apparent systematic use of rape and sexual assault allegedly by all combatant forces”, says the report issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In particular, the report accuses the UPDF of confining and raping a group of women “for pleasure” at Premier Bassin Hotel between 7^th and 10^th August 1998.

The report also alleges that on 9^th November 2000, the UPDF indiscriminately killed 36 people in Kikere village north of Butembo.  “The soldiers fired blindly on civilians using rifles and rocket-launchers. Some civilians died as a result of being burned alive in their homes”, the report reads in part.

It also says the UPDF instituted a “reign of terror for several years with complete impunity”. Some of the crimes that the UPDF allegedly committed included “torturing or detaining others in three-metre deep holes without access to latrine”.

Other than the allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly genocide, the report also accused the UPDF of recruiting and training children as soldiers.  “Children in the DRC have suffered far too much”, says the report.

It estimates that at least 30,000 children were recruited or used by the armed forces or groups during the conflict, adding that children have been subjected to “indescribable violence” which included murder, rape, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, forced displacement, and destruction of their villages.  The authors said they interviewed a total of 1,280 witnesses and went through 1,500 documents during the probe.

The report then concludes that “…the majority of the incidents of sexual violence reported could, if judicially proven, constitute offences and violations under domestic law, international human rights law, and international humanitarian law”.

Both Uganda and Rwanda tried unsuccessfully to dissuade the UN from publishing the report, warning that they would withdraw from all UN peacekeeping missions if the report is published.  Uganda’s Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa dismissed the report as “deeply flawed”. END.  If it’s Monday, it’s Uganda Correspondent.  Never miss out again!