Democratic Republic of Congo: Justine Masika Bihamba
For March 2009, we ask[ed] our members to write a letter for women’s rights defender Justine Masika Bihamba.
Justine Masika Bihamba coordinates Synergy of Women for Victims of Sexual Violence (Synergie des femmes contre les violence sexuelles), a women’s human rights organization working in the DRC. Synergy provides services to victims of sexual violence, and has drawn attention to the increasing incidence of rape in the North Kivu region. Synergy counselors have been threatened and attacked because of their work.
On September 18, 2007, six men, reportedly army soldiers, broke into Justine’s house in Goma when she wasn’t there, and tied up her six children at gunpoint. Justine’s 21-year-old daughter pleaded with the soldiers to take what they wanted but not to hurt anyone. A soldier replied that they had not come to steal anything, but rather were on a “well–defined mission.” The men searched the house. A solider kicked Justine’s 24–year–old daughter in the face, breaking her tooth, and sexually assaulted another daughter.
When Justine returned home during the attack, the men fled. Justine and her children identified to the military police the soldiers who were involved in their attack, but the military police refused to arrest the men, claiming there was no evidence against them.
Nine days after the attack, Justine lodged a legal complaint against the soldiers. In the following weeks and months, senior military and civilian authorities promised that justice would be done, but more than a year later, the suspects have still not been arrested or brought to trial. Justine and her children have reportedly been threatened repeatedly by the men, whom they see in the streets around their home. Justine’s five-year-old son now fears he will be killed whenever he sees a soldier. Her two daughters have fled abroad for their safety.
Click here and here for video of Justine Bihamba, winner of the 2008 Human Rights Defenders Tulip award
more details (.PDF) and Case background at AIUSA website
March 2009 action
Democratic Republic of Congo
Map
Recent History
DRC President Joseph Kabila
A Belgian colony since 1908, the Republic of the Congo became independent in 1960. Colonel Mobutu became president in a 1965 coup and stayed president until 1997, changing the name of the country to Zaire.
Civil war that was exacerbated by an influx of refugees in 1994 from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi ended in the overthrow of the Mobutu Sese Seko regime in 1997 by Laurent Kabila (backed by Rwanda and Uganda), who renamed the country to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The following year another insurrection, again backed by Rwanda and Uganda, challenged the Kabila presidency. Troops from Angola, Chad, Namivia, Sudan and Zimbabwe intervened in support of Laurent Kabila.
A cease-fire was signed in 1999. Laurent Kabila was assassianted in January 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila became head of state. The Pretoria Accord was signed in 2002 to establish a government of national unity.
A transitional government was set up in July 2003 with Joseph Kabila as president and four vice presidents representing various opposition groups. A constitutional referendum was held in December 2005 and elections for the presidency and the legislature in 2006.
A new government, formed in February 2008, ended the interim power-sharing administration in place since 2003. Tensions between the government and Jean-Pierre Bemba, the main opposition presidential candidate in 2006, degenerated in late March. Up to 600 people were killed when fighting broke out in Kinshasa between government forces and Jean-Pierre Bemba's armed guard after he refused a government order to disarm. Jean-Pierre Bemba then left the country, and an uneasy co-existence between the government and political opposition developed.
Human Rights Concerns in the DRC
- Large number of internally displaced people and refugees in neighbouring countries, due to civil war
- Unlawful killings during military operations
- Routine torture and ill-treatment by government security services and armed forces
- High levels of rape and other forms of sexual violence, with many involving extreme brutality
- Child soldiers in the ranks of Congolese and foreign armed groups
- Atacks and death threats against human rights defenders
- Civilian justice system absent or barely functioning in many areas
- Impunity for the perpetrators of human rights abuses; on the positive side, a growing number of investigations, including a handful for war crimes and crimes against humanity
Take Action
Write to President asking for an investigation
Call on President Joseph Kabila to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the attack on Justine Masika Bihamba's family, including the sexual assault of her daughter. Urge him to ensure that the perpetrators are promptly brought to justice. Ask him to provide immediate protection for Justine and her family and to ensure that human rights defender can carry out their work free from threats and harassment.
Write to:
President Joseph Kabila
Cabinet du Président
Palais de la Nation
Kinshasa/Gombe
République Démocratique du Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
Salutation: Your Excellency
Email: presipp@yahoo.fr
Airmail postage: 94 cents
Sample letter: (html webpage) (.PDF Adobe Acrobat Reader format) (.RTF Rich Text format) (.DOC Microsoft Word document format) (.OTD OpenOffice document format)
Send a Message of Solidarity!
You can let Justine know that she is not alone in her struggle. You can send solidarity cards to the Synergy Headquarters, letting Justine know she, her fellow human rights defenders, and the women of the DRC are not alone or forgotten. These cards, like the flame of the Amnesty candle, often provide renewed hope.
Please send cards of support to Synergie in care of their postal address in Rwanda, which is more reliable than sending mail directly to the DRC:
Synergie des Femmes pour les Victimes des Violences Sexuelles
B.P.227
Gisenyi
Rwanda
