sources: allAfrica.com, monuc.org, MISNA, DigitalCongo
December 18 2005
-Congo and the CIAT (International Committee in Support of the Transition) has reached an agreement under which the EU would be responsible for managing the DRC' s military logistics.
-The constitutional referendum took place today. According to the CEI (Independent Electoral Commission) about 60% of the voters turned up at polling stations. The vote boycott call, launched by Tshisekedi's UPDS party, was largely heeded in Mbuji-Mayi in East Kasai. But in the capital voter turnout was important. Despite incidents -such as names missing on some lists and polling stations opening hours late - the vote happened in a peaceful climate. The results show more than 80% of voters in favour of the new constitution.
December 19 2005
-The International Court of Justice condems Uganda for violations of international humanatarian laws during the war of 1998 - 2003. In the judgement, ICJ President Shi Jiuyong said:" By the conduct of its armed forces, which committed acts of killing, torture and other forms of inhumane treatment of the Congolese civilian population, Uganda violated its obligations under international human rights law." Congo demands reparations amounting to $ 8 -10 billion. The court can step in if state parties have not agreed on the reparations.
December 29 2005
-The integration of the army ("brassage") proceeds slowly. Till now 6 brigades have finished their training. 3 new brigades will now be formed in the centres of Kitona near Matadi, Rumangaba and Nyaleke in the Kivu's.
December 31 2005
-The General Assembly has approved the state budget for 2006. This contains $ 2,2 billion, from which the half is financed by the international community.
January 6 2006
-A report published by the lancet medical journal says 38,000 people are dying each month in Congo due to continuing conflict. According to the report the majority of these death are through disease and hunger with the fighting causing collaps of health services and widespread malnutrition.
January 9 2006
-MONUC plans more operations against rebels in eastern Congo as the country prepares for elections but the government must also increase discipline in its fledgling army, according to a senior UN commander.
January 11 2006
-The integrated Congolese army, FARDC, has chased Rwandan rebels of the FDLR from the place of Kilungutwe, a village a 100km southernwest of Bukavu (South Kivu).
January 12 2006
-In Rutshuru (North Kivu) a helicopter of Rwandan origine has landed with arms and munition, according to She Kasikila, the commander of the 5the brigade of the FARDC. Rutshuru is the hiding place of dissident gen. Laurent Nkunda.
January 18 2006
-Offensive by troops against militia in the east has driven 122, 000 people from their homes, a MONUC representative said. A new wave of 46, 000 people has been displaced since November last year in districts of Nord-Katanga which are still the theatre of military operations against armed groups. Further north an armed gang loyal to dissident gen. Nkunda attacked an army position in Rutshuru, according to the local commander Kasikila, who accused Rwanda of backing the Congolese rebels.
January 23 2006
-MONUC repelled an attack by the dissident fighters of gen. Nkunda near the village of Rwindi in Rutshuru. MONUC were also reinforcing the town of Kanyabayonga. According to the MONUC commander the fighters used mortars and automatic weapons.
January 26 2006
-The EU is ready to send a military mission to Congo to protect the election process. The UN has asked earlier this year the EU to reinforce the MONUC forces.
-The magistrate's union called for a indefinite strike action. The magistrates call on the members of Parliament to pass a law on the Statute of Magistrates and the Organisation of the Judiciary. The President of the magistrate's union says "From 2003 till now we have been struggling for the passage of the law acknowledging the judicial independence of the magistrates, protecting them in their career, and ensuring that justice is well administered.
January 30 2006
-In a resolution, the UN Security Council called on the organizers of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to make final preparations for holding the summit, which was postponed in December 2005. According to the UN, the summit would be an opportunity to encourage the countries of the region to continue the process of good neighborliness and sustainable peace and to capitalize on positive developments in the region.
January 31 2006
-The UN Security Council asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan to appoint a successor experts panel to monitor illicit arms imports to Congo, as well as travel bans and assets freezes on all violators.
February 1 2006
-World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is facing accusations that his office is suppressing a report on a Bank-backed mining project in Congo that allegedly contributed to the deaths of dozens of people. Watchdog groups say that violence has marred the Dikulushi Copper-Silver Mining Project where the Bank provided a guarantee of $ 13.3 million to the Australian company Anvil Mining.
February 2 2006
-At least 5 candidates have registered to contest the presidency of the DRC, while about 300 political parties are expected to participate in the polls.
-According to the non-governmental organisation OCPAGL (Observatoire des Conflits et de la Paix en Afrique des Grands Lacs) there are members of the Rwandan army infiltrated in the eastern border region of North Kivu. The Rwandan military is supporting dissident gen. Nkunda.
February 3 2006
-The International Court of Justice has rules that it lacks jurisdiction to consider an application filed in May 2002 by Congo against Rwanda. In its complaint the DRC accused Rwanda of massive, serious and flagrant violation of human rights during the war of 1998 -2003.
February 9 2006
-The Congolese Parliament was due to adopt the new electoral law today. There will be 3 different modes of election applicable depending on size of electoral districts. Subject of controversy has to do with the high level of filing feees required of candidates in the coming elections.
February 10 2006
-The EU is ready to set up military force which could stay on standby during elections. EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said that the EU force might also stay on alert outside the country, rather than in Congo itself. The german chancellor Angela Merkel is personally pushing for German engagement in a bid to show solidarity with France which is likely to have a leading role in the EU force. One scenario is the deployment of 300 to 500 German troops along with a similar number of French troops, with France providing the battle troops and Germany focusing on logistics and other auxiliary tasks.
February 16 2006
Representatives of the autochthonous inhabitants of Uvira (South Kivu) has published a letter of protest against the separation of the Minembwe-district on behalf of the Congolese Tutsi.
February 20 2006
-Human Rights Watch says that Congolese government must act promptly on the recommandations of a the Congolese parliamentary Commission that uncovered illegal natural resource exploitation and profiteering from armed conflict. The commission, led by parliamentarian Christophe Lutundula, found that dozens of contracts are either illegal or of limited value for the development of Congo and it recommends their termination or renegotiation.
February 21 2006
-Following the Constitution promulgation on 18 December by President Joseph Kabila, The Parliament is now expected tot adopt in the coming hours the electoral law that will pave the way to the polls set for June 2006.
February 22 2006
-The Parliament has adopted the bill giving the CEI (Independent Electoral Commission) 110 days to organise national elections as soon as the President signs the document into law. At least 25 million voters have registered to vote nationwide. The CEI has appointed June 18 as date for the first round of the election of a president, on the condition that the electoral law will be promulgated February 27.
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
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chronicle 18, february 16 - march 1 1998
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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
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