Sources: Allafrica, Le Soir, De Standaard, AfricaInfodoc.
March 19 2001
-During his journey in Europe president Joseph Kabila invited foreign investors to come to Congo. He held a speech in Stockholm (Sweden) where he stressed that a substantial economic development depends on the termination of the war.
-The president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has said that the EU is ready to a gradual resumption of aid to the Congo. The European aid was stopped in 1992 at the time of Mobutu's regime. The EU will release Euro 120 million from the European Development Fund on behalf of medical care and food supply in Congo. Prodi pressed Kabila to move forward to human rights protection, political freedom and free expression, elements that are necessary to become more aid.
March 20 2001
-Mediator Masire talked intensively with President Kabila. He is ready to make a plea at the EU for a financial support to the Congolese dialogue. On March 21 it is reported that the EU releases Euro 1,9 million for this dialogue.
March 22 2001
-The special UN rapporteur for the human rights in Congo, Roberto Garreton, went to Congo for a ten days visit. Grave violations of human rights take place under the government 's administration as well as in the areas occupied by the rebels. Garreton rejects the special authority of the Cour d'Ordre Militaire as set up by the Congolese government.
-The Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eriya Kategaya, says that the withdrawal of the Ugandan troops depends on the situation in Congo. As long as that situation is not stable Uganda will stay in Congo. Till now Uganda has redeployed 4000 men troops according to the last December agreement.
-The population of Kivu thinks that Rwanda has a hidden agenda. They do not believe the statement of Kigali to withdraw their troops over a distance of 200 km. The expectation is that Rwandan troops could attack Congolese villages every moment under the guise of fighting the Interahamwe.
March 21 2001
-The Congolese National Bank estimate the Gross National Product for the financial year 2000 at $ 99,1 pro inhabitant against $ 112,3 for 1999 and $ 167,6 in 1992. ($1=125,50 Congolese Frank) The Bank points out that the income shortage of the state has been the consequence of the missing of the Gecamines mines revenues.
-The Congolese government has asked MONUC to demilitarise Kisangani. This could advance the free movement and family contact in the region, according the Minister of Foreign Affairs She Okitundu.
March 28 2001
-The today published report of Human Rights Watch accuses Uganda to aggravate the situation in East Congo. 7000 people has been killed by clashes between Hema and Lendu since the two year occupation of the region by Ugandan troops and 200 000 people have fled.
March 29 2001
-The chief of MONUC, Morjane, is optimistic about the proceedings of the peace process. New fighting does not take place, except for the MLC and government troops. Till now 1100 Ugandans and 100 Rwandans have left the Congo.
March 30 2001
-The government's organisation 'Observatoire Gouvernance Transparence' denounces the plundering of diamonds to an amount of $ 300 to $ 400 million every year. The legal diamond exportation comes to $ 240 million.
April 2 2001
-The Zimbabwean businessman Bredenkamp has initiated a joint venture with Gecamines for the exploitation of cobalt and cupper in Katanga. He intends to invest $ 50 million in the project, named Kabakankola Mining. His own company Tremalt Limited has a stake of 80% in the enterprise.
-Uganda's attorney general, Bart Katureebe, has departed for The Hague to defend his country before the International Court against the charge of plundering Congolese minerals. The Congolese government brought to court this case in June 1999.
April 3 2001
-The Congolese Minister of Planning and Reconstruction has published a document containing estimations of the necessary international support for poverty relief: For 2001 till 2010 there is a need for $ 30 billion, specified among other things as $ 2 billion for infrastructure, $3,9 billion for production and $ 4 billion for the social sector. The document will be presented in May during the international conference in Brussels about the Least Developed Countries.
April 4 2001
-The first MONUC troops have arrived in Congo: 130 troops from Senegal to be stationed in Kananga. The second half of the Senegalese troops are shortly expected completing the number to 260 men. 200 Uruguay troops have already been placed in Kalemie, one of the four Headquarters of the UN observer mission. Next month another 280 Senegal troops will come to Mbandaka, and 200 Tunisian troops to Kinshasa, both observer headquarters. The last headquarter will be Kisangani. The task of the UN troops will be the protection of the observers.
-Kabila has dissolved the government. The Ministers will stay at their post till a new government is appointed.
-In Kinshasa has been a meeting between President Kabila and the Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kategaya.
-Zimbabwe has withdrawn its 51e battalion from Mbandaka. On April 14 the total number of withdrawn Zimbabwean troops is come to 2800 men.
The MLC of Bemba does not have pulled back his troops.
April 9 2001
-Masire has met with the rebels in East Congo. According to him all parties consent with the Lusaka peace accord.
-The UN deputy secretary general for Human Affairs, Kenzo Oshima, reports that the human needs in Congo much exceed the available means. The aid organisations do not have access to a great deal of the most vulnerable people as the result of lack of security and infrastructure.
-In East Congo 100 Moroccan UN soldiers have arrived. Eventually this contingent will consist of 380 men.
-In Lusaka the Ministers of Defence and of Foreign Affairs of the involved countries have completed a plan for total withdraw. The Joint Military Commission has accepted a concept of the demilitarisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of the militia's. A commission for humanitarian affairs has also instituted to support the free movement of aid organisations in the conflict area.
April 12 2001
-Kabila appointed some new officials: Katsuva wa Katsuvera, a former AFDL leader from Kivu, as head of the police, Leika Musa as director of the immigration service, Pierre Yambuya, author of a book about the hell under Mobutu's military regime, as adjunct of the immigration service and Celestin Kifwa, an ex-gendarme Katangais, as Kabila's military advisor.
April 13 2001
-Masire has started consultations with the political parties and the civil society to determine the number of participants for the dialogue. Previously he was talking with Tshisekedi of the UDPS, Mme Nzuzi wa Mbombo of the MPR, Boboliko of the PDSC and Gizenga of the PALU. These politicians like to continue the National Conference that was held at the time of Mobutu. Masire do not agree with this argument.
April 15 2001
-Kabila appointed a new government. He dismissed the most important members of the cabinet of his father: Kakudji, Yerodia Ndombasi, Mpoyo and Sakombi.
April 17 2001
-The Congolese government has asked UN intervention because the opposition by the rebels of stationing of Moroccan soldiers in Kisangani. Minister of Foreign Affairs Okitundu asks the UN to impose sanctions on Rwanda, which is supporting the rebels. He accuses Rwanda to continue his occupation with different tactics. The chief of MONUC, the Senegalese Moutango Diallo, has been hold up by the rebels when he was flying to Kisangani. Finally at 16 May the rebels agreed with the stationing of the Moroccans.
April 19 2001
-The UN Food Program announces horrible stories about the need of the Congolese people in East Congo: in Kasika all children has died. The UN estimate that more than 2 million people are displaced. 16 million of people are suffering from the war.
April 20 2001
-The Congolese government assured the Zimbabweans that their diamond investments in Kasai do not run any risks. Zimbabwe has a joint venture with the Congolese government for the exploitation of the Senga mines.
April 23 2001
-Last week the 16th of April the UN Expert Panel Report about the illegal plundering of Congolese wealth was published. The Panel reports the alarming robbery of gold, coltan, diamond, cassiterite, timber, coffee and ivory by Ugandan, Rwandan and Burundian military. Museveni and Kagame are responsible for this plundering, but the Ugandan authorities deny any involvement and Rwanda says to be only engaged in trade with Congolese businessmen.
The Report also describes the involvement of some Western powers and transnational companies, which benefit by the conflict and the illegal trade of Congolese minerals.
April 27 2001
-The Congolese human rights organisation ASADHO says that the security services of the Congolese government are carrying on oppression against journalists, political opponents and human rights activists. In the occupied regions massacres, rapes and lootings occur at great scale. The principal meaning of the presence of Ugandan and Rwandan military is the illegal exploitation of Congolese wealth. The rebels create fake-Interahamwe with the purpose to drive away the population from the villages and to replace the Congolese people by Tutsi Rwandans.
April 30 2001
-The Congolese representative in Tanzania, Mugallo, says that Uganda and Rwanda intend to invade Congo again. The removal of their troops merely means a re-alignment towards other places. There are new military camps now in Bukavu, Uvira and Runingo.
-After the murder of 6 Red Cross employees in an area occupied by Uganda, Museveni announces the withdrawal of all its troops. He also is angry with the UN Panel Report and says to disengage from the Lusaka peace accord. After intervention by the American UN Ambassador, James Cunningham, he climbs down. The US is not willing to put sanctions on Rwanda and Uganda, but ask both countries to resolve the problem of the illegal plundering at a constructive manner.
Ugandan troops will stay in Buta, Bunia and near the Rwenzori mountains.
-The International Rescue Committee has made a calculation of the Congolese war victims in the occupied zones. 3,5 million people have died, for the greatest deal by malnutrition and diseases, and 350 000 by direct war acts. The victims are mostly children.
May 1 2001
-The MLC rebel movement of Bemba is stopping the stationing of Moroccan UN soldiers in Mbandaka.
May 3 2001
-The UN Security Council discussed the Panel Report. The SC members think that the plundering must stop, but they do not make the choice for sanctions. The Panel mandate is prolonged for 3 months.
May 4 2001
-The EU has released Euro 120 million for humanitarian aid in Congo.
-The rebels and the unarmed opposition have formed a new coalition, named UFAD. Members are Bemba, Tshisekedi and Olenghankoy.
-The International Program for the Salvation of the Gorilla says that the survival of the gorillas is greatly menaced by the uncontrolled coltan exploitation in East Congo.
May 7 2001
-The Congolese government and the rebels agree with the principles of the internal dialogue. All parties signed a document entitled: Declaration of Fundamental Principles of the Intercongolese Political Negotiations.
May 8 2001
-The IMF is visiting Kinshasa to talk with leaders of the economic, financial and banking sectors. The Congolese government will not receive any loans of the international institutions because of Congo's debt arrears.
May 9 2001
-The international diamond conference held last month in Brussels about "blood diamonds" did make much progress. Only Belgium made a good step with the establishment of a certification system for diamonds from Angola and Sierra Leone. But this system is not yet accepted worldwide by the Conference. The Congolese government has talked with Belgium about an arrangement for Congolese diamonds, but the illegal exportation of Congolese diamonds from East Congo has not been discussed. The US is unwilling to resolve the problem of "blood diamonds", although they have a stake in 60% of the diamond trade.
May 10 2001
-A contingent of 100 Moroccans has arrived in Goma. Later on another 100 will be stationed.
South Africa formerly sent 69 specialists of the SA National Defence Force to Congo on behalf of medical MONUC tasks.
At this moment 1500 UN soldiers are stationed now in Congo in different towns from Uruguay, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal to protect the MONUC observes.
May 15 2001
-The European non-governmental aid organisations "Reseau Europeen Congo" and "Concertation chretienne pour l'Afrique Centrale" have called the EU to work for the termination of the war. According to them the policy of Europe has till now only reinforced military adventures in the Great Lakes Region.
May 16 2001
-12 UN Security Members are visiting ten African countries to talk about the peace progress in Congo.
-The UN Development Program and the Congolese government have made a scheme for some new projects of administration and economic, financial and juridical government policy for which an amount of $4 million will be necessary.
-The German company Siemens is ready to support the reconstruction of the hydroelectric power plant of the Inga-dam.
-The JMC says that the MLC of Bemba do not withdraw his troops according to the agreement.
-The Danish government suspends Uganda's debt relief. Danish aid support for agriculture, water, medical care and sanitation will continue. The European donors, who are gathering during 4 days on the ranch of Museveni in Kisozi, promise Museveni continuing budgetary support, although they plead for the withdrawal from Congo, good financial management and decrease of defence spending. The amount of promised aid is $ 900 million, more than asked by the Museveni government (!).
May 17 2001
-Kabila announces to liberalize the political activities.
May 18 2001
-20 foreign workers, mostly from Thailand, have been kidnapped in the North East of Congo. They were looting timber on behalf of Uganda. The kidnappers are probably members of the Mayi-Mayi.
chronicle 9, september 29 -october 12 1997
chronicle 10, october 13 - october 26 1997
chronicle 11, october 27 - november 9, 1997
chronicle 12, november 10 -november 23 1997
chronicle 13, november 24 -december 7 1997
chronicle 14, december 8 1997 - january 4 1998
chronicle 15, january 5 - january 18 1998
chronicle 16, january 19 - february 1 1998
chronicle 17, february 2 - february 15 1998
chronicle 18, february 16 - march 1 1998
chronicle 19, march 2 - march 15 1998
chronicle 20, march 16 - march 29 1998
chronicle 21, march 30 - april 26 1998
chronicle 22, april 27 - mei 10 1998
chronicle 23, mei 11 - mei 31 1998
chronicle 24, juni 1 - august 26 1998
chronicle 25, august 27 - september 28 1998
chronicle 26,september 29- october 31 1998
chronicle 27, november 1- december 5 1998
chronicle 28, december 6 - january 24 1999
chronicle 29, january 25 - march 14 1999
chronicle 30, march 15 - may 9 1999
chronicle 31, may 10 - october 24 1999
chronicle 32, october 25 - january 9 2000
chronicle 33, january 10 - april 2 2000
chronicle 34, april 3 - june 25 2000
chronicle 35, june 26 - august 27 2000
chronicle 36, august 28 - october 29 2000
chronicle 37, october 30 - january 14 2001
chronicle 38, january 15 - march 18 2001