Dear All,

1.7 millions de morts en 22 mois dans l'est fu Congo (voir Site de Heritiers pour l'entierete du Rapport de International Rescue Committee) et ci-apres une action consequente de Heritiers de la Justice:

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To the Honorable Member of Parliament/ Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees,

Concerns: Crimes against humanity being committed in the Eastern part of the Congo and ethical concerns over aid provided to the countries involved in this conflict.

"Heritiers de la Justice" is writing relation to crimes against humanity being committed against civilian populations in eastern part of Congo. DR, and would like to raise ethical concerns over the international aid that is being provided to Congo DR, Uganda and Rwanda, the main three countries which are actively involved in gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity in eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The US-based humanitarian organization, "International Rescue Committee" has just published a shocking report stating that since 1998, 1.7 millions innocent civilians have died as a result of the ongoing armed conflict in the eastern part of Congo, which is under the control of Uganda and Rwanda.

This report estimates that about 2,600 people die daily and that the entire population of this part of the Congo might have been reduced to its half. (You can consult the whole Report on either the Heritiers de la Justice’s Internet Site http://www.heritiers.org or on the Site of the International Rescue Committee)

The International Rescue Committee’s report confirms indeed several previous and consistent accounts and reports of massacres, and deliberate target of civilians in eastern part of Congo by the belligerents. The May 2000 report of Human Rights Watch/US confirms thousands cases of unlawful killing of protected civilians. Amongst other cases underlined by the American human rights organization is the case of the burial alive of 15 women by the RCD-rebel movement backed by Rwanda. The June 2000 Amnesty International’s report on Congo corroborates almost all the figures contained into Human Rights Watch’s report and cites thousands of unlawful killings of civilians, persistent practices of tortures etc.

Long before all these recent reports, "Heritiers de la Justice" have been publishing a considerable number of reports of atrocities committed against non-combatants civilians populations by both sides to the Congo conflict. In Makobola, Kasika, Lemera, Sange, Burhinyi, Mwenga, etc, are all villages where hundreds of civilians have been massacred and subjected to act amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some of these releases can still be found on the Internet Site of "Heritiers de la Justice". (http://www.heritiers.org)

As recent as last week, about 150 civilians were killed and more than 1,050 injured following fighting between the Ugandan and Rwandese armies in the Congolese of Kisangani. Today this city of 280,000 people is left without electricity, medical supplies, and drinking water; whereas those responsible for these crimes continue to enjoy preferential treatment by the international community.

Honorable Member of Parliament, both these countries enjoy substantial aid packages from your country and international financial institutions. Although it is beyond doubt that aid is to be provided to countries in need, we strongly believe that aid provided to governments involved in causing human suffering and crimes against humanity, like those being committed in the eastern part of Congo, raises serious ethical concerns.

We also believe that without the comfortable financial cushion that both Uganda and Rwanda enjoy from your country and the international community as a whole, their armies would not be capable of such wide spread acts of tortures, unlawful killing of civilians, rape, and similar acts. Neither the figures of 1.7 millions of lives lost in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, nor the daily mortality rate of 2,6000 would be possible.

Fully aware of the implication of international aid on human rights ‘Heritiers de la Justice’:

1. Joint Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch’s calls for an international inquiry into the crimes against humanity which are being committed in the eastern part of Congo.
2. Call for a revision of the conditions of international aid to Uganda and Rwanda.
3. Call for a vigorous and active involvement of the United Nations and the International Community in the peace process in Congo so that other actors in this conflict could be efficiently dealt with.
4. Call for an international tribunal to be established with a view to bringing to justice those who are responsible for the crimes being perpetrated in the eastern part of the Congo.

Heritiers de la Justice

June 13, 2000