Sources: AllAfrica.com, Le Soir, De Standaard, BBC News
May 29, 2003
-In Bunia Radio Candip is broadcasting hate messages that threaten civilians. An ethnic Hema militia group is warning that it would use force to dislodge civilians who had sought refuge at the base of the UN mission in Bunia.
May 30, 2003
-The UN Security Council authorized the deployment of an Interim Emergency Multinational Force (IEMF) in Bunia until 1 september, and empowers it to take all necessary measures to fulfil its mandate. After that date a reinforced UN (MONUC) presence will be deployed. IEMF will work under a mandate of Chapter VII, which means that military force may be used to protect civilians and humanitarian aid workers.
- Banro Corporation announces it has commenced the reorganisation of its gold concessions in the Kivu and Maniema provinces. By a decree of Kabila, Banro will own 100% of 4 newly created companies: Namoya, Lugushwa, Kamituga and Twangiza (Mining SARL).
June 2, 2003
- The Porter Commission, appointed by the Uganda government to investigate illegal exploitation of DRC resources, has highlighted Uganda's pivotal role in promoting international arms traffickers. It showed how one Victor Bout,, described by the report as transnational criminal, is supported by Ugandan institutions, such as the Civil Aviation Authority, where Bout has registered 7 airlines. Also noted was the increase in business activity by East Europeans in the region through Uganda. A web of firms, mostly joint ventures, facilitated arms imports.
- In Tshomia, a village in Ituri, 300 people are killed. The local PUSIC-militia leader, chief Kawa Mandro, alleges that the Congolese Army, together with Lendu fighters, is involved in the killings. June 4, 2003
- The UN Under-Secretary-general for UN Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, has visited Bunia. He recommends that the mandate of MONUC be extended for another year and that its military strenght be boosted to 1,800 troops.
- The last batch of UPDF troops has left the DRC. The 53rd battalion crossed River Semliki on Monday and arrived in Budiba in the Bundibugyo district.
- The 15 EU-foreign ministers have approved to send a French-led force of 1,400 to Bunia.
June 6, 2003
- Kofi Annan has appointed two special envoys to help with the formation of a unified national Congolese army: Moustapha Niasse, who served as Annan's special envoy for the DRC peace process, and Gen Maurice Baril of Canada, who had served as a military advisor to the UN.
June 12, 2003
- Bishop Melchisedech Sikuli and the civil society of Beni/Butembo mention a "devasting attack by the RCD-Goma and its allies" against cities in North-Kivu controlled by RCD-ML. They seized Kanyabayonga which lies near the Ugandan border. The Rwandan army is reinforcing militia of governor Serufuli of North-Kivu who is linked with Kigali.
- A 15-member delegation of the UN Security Council has visited Kinshasa ans Bunia. Ambassador Jean-Marc De La Sabliere, head of the delegation, said that the Congolese parties would form a transitional government by 30 June.
- The EU Council agreed to deploy troops in the RDC to form a 1,500 strong multinational force. The military operation will be codenamed "Artemis". Belgium, Britain, Portugal and Sweden have indicated that they would contribute to the EU component of the force.
June 13, 2003
- Fighting between RCD-Goma, supported by Rwanda, and the RCD-ML of Mbusa Nyamwisi continues around the town of Lubero, 70 km south of Beni.UN-representative Amos Ngongi has invited the leaders of the rebel movements together with representatives of the Congolese government to meet in Bujumbura, Burundi, to try to end the fighting.
June 16, 2003
- MONUC confirmed that Lendu militia men had killed 70 people in the village Nkora, near Mahagi, in Ituri. Meanwhile, Bunia was reported to be calm after an armed Lendu gang attacked French troops.
- In a report, titled "Congo Crisis: Military Intervention in Ituri", the International Crisis Group (ICG) says that IEMF is "totally insufficient" to bring peace in the region.
June 17, 2003
- Azarias Ruberwa was appointed leader of the RCD-Goma, replacing Adolphe Onosumba. Ruberwa is also one of the four vice president-designates of a national transitional government. Other appointments are: Raphael Katebe Katoto as first and Eugene Serufuli, current govenor of North Kivu, as second vice president of the RCD-Goma.
June 18, 2003
- World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for 46,000 tonnes of food to be distributed over a six month period to about 500,000 people affected by the war, especially in South Kivu.
June 19, 2003
- The RCD-Goma and the RCD-ML have reached a ceasefire in Bujumbura. Just hours before it was signed on 19 June, RCD-Goma took the town of Lubero. Humanitarian sources reported that Lubero has been deserted of its 180,000 residents. Currently 110,000 displaced persons form Ituri are seeking refuge in the Beni region, 100 km north of Lubero. The ONG Memisa says that they are now moving north or going in the direction of the Ugandan border.
- In Kinhasa negotiations about the new national army have got stuck. RCD-Goma, that gets the ministry of Defence, also claims the post of chief of the land forces. This is considered 'not negotiable' by president Kabila.
June 23, 2003
- South African troops may soon be assisting the French-led EU mission in Bunia. The support group will consist of 22 SANDF personnel and two helicopters. It is in addition to the more than 1,200 S.A. troops joining MONUC.
- MONUC announced that it had sent a mission to the scene of recent fighting in North Kivu to control the implementation of the Bujumbura Act of Engagement. Military observers patrols will be organized along the Beni-Butembo-Lubero axes. Up to 200,000 people are believed to have fled from the towns in North Kivu following the latest offensive by the RCD-Goma.
June 30 2003
-After two days of negotiations in Beni, brokered by the UN Security Council, the Rwandan-backed RCD-Goma and RCD-K-ML have ceased fire in Kivu. In the last weeks, the RCD captured different places like Lubero, Bingi, Kalimbongo, Lukanda, Kanyabayonga and Rwetse. Now they will return to their former military base Rwindi in Virunga National Park.
-Rebels and government agreed to share posts in a new unified army. President Joseph Kabila will chose the armed forces chief of staff and the head of the navy. The RCD-Goma will nominate the head of the ground forces and the MLC will head the air force.
July 7 2003
-A 3,800-strong force will soon be deployed in Ituri, as well as in other locations, according to the new head of MONUC, UN representative William Lacy Swing.Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia would be among the countries contributing to it. The "task force" for Ituri would be MONUC's second, following the recent deployment of a 1,500-strong South African force in Kindu.
July 8 2003
-Canadian miners, heartened by new mining rules, are taking another look at exploring projects in Congo. Under the aegis of the mining code, Toronto-listed American Mineral Fields started negotiations with Gecamines over the ownership of the Kolwezi copper-cobalt project. Over on the north-east, Canadian junior Banro obtained presidential blessing securing its access to four gold properties. Kinross is considering making a foray into Congo's copperbelt. First Quantum Minerals operates the Lonshi copper mine in the southeast pedicle of the Congo.
July 14 2003
-The inauguration of a transitional government could face delay in light of a controversy surrounding the RCD's creation of 3 military zones.
July 15 2003
-EU representative Javier Solana called for a stronger mandate for the MONUC, alluding to a mandate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter which authorises the UN to use force in response to "any threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression"
July 17 2003
-The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has selected Ituri District as "the most urgent situation"under its jurisdiction to be addressed.
-The swearing in of the 4 vice-president of the new transitional government has taken place today.
July 21 2003
-The UN has condemned recent fighting in the areas of Tchomia and Kasenyi in Ituri district. MONUC said that fighting in Tchomia on 15 July has resulted in major destruction of property, including the pillaging of the local hospital and the torching of about 250 homes. It reported that the attack had been carried out by Lendu militia. 80 civilians had been killed and another 80 had been abducted by the militias.
July 22 2003
-The mutilated bodies of 22 civilians were discovered in Nizi, a village 22km north of Bunia by the EU-led multinational peace enforcement mission.
July 24 2003
-Rival ethnic militias in Ituri agreed to disarm, withdraw to their rear bases and to participate in joint verification exercises.
July 25 2003
-The IMF has completed the second review of the DRC's economic performance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility arrangement. As a result Congo will be able to draw up to $ 37 million under the arrangement inmediately.
July 28 2003
-The UN Security Council has accepted a resolution to prolong and to reinforce the MONUC mandate. The number of troops will be 10 800 man and the use of violence to protect civilians will be permitted.
-During its first meeting, the newly-inaugurated ministers of the transitional government resolved to make resolution of the Ituri conflict a major priority.
July 30 2003
-The RCD-Goma has called for the intervention of the UN Secretary General in resolving disagreement over the partition of responsabilities for the military regions. The current proposal accepted by all parties but RCD-Goma, allocates control of three military regions to the former Kinshasa government, two regions to RCD-Goma and the MLC, and one region each to RCD-K-ML and RCD-N. However, the RCD is opposing this plan.
-Congo's total external debt is due to be reduced by about 80% under the IMF and Worldbank's HIPC-initiative. Debt relief will amount to approximately $ 10 billion. .
-The RCD began its second round of withdrawals from Lubero in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed on 19 June in Bujumbura, Burundi.
July 31 2003
-The Worldbank has approved a $ 120 million credit for the DRC to boost the countrie's investment climate and support the reform of public enterprises in key economic sectors.
August 4 2003
-The RCD is willing to make concessions regarding to the partition of responsabilities for the military regions. It will accept two regions to control. However, in return for its concession, RCD demanded that its military officers be posted as deputies in other regions.
-The Belgian and French defence ministers, André flahaut and Michele Alliot-Marie, inspected the EU-force in Bunia and held talks with president Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa
August 8 2003
-Nearly half a million refugees face severe hunger amid continued fighting in eastern Congo because a huge shortfall in donations, the World Food Programme said in a plea to the global community for a more generous response.
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
chronicle 39, march 19 - may 20 2001
chronicle 40, may 21 - july 15 2001
chronicle 41, july 16 - october 8 2001
chronicle 42, october 9 - december 15 2001
chronicle 43, december 16 2001 - march 3 2002
chronicle 44, march 4 2002 - may 26 2002
chronicle 45, may 27 2002 - september 8 2002
chronicle 46, september 9 2002 - december 9 2002
chronicle 47, december 10 2002 - march 2 2003
chronicle 48, march 3 2003 - may 25 2003