Eye on Africa

****Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — Boys at Kadutu Market in Bukavu, South Kivu

Assassinat de Serge Maheshe : à la douleur, la justice ne doit pas ajouter l’insulte d’un procès bâclé

Par  Pascal Kambale

Le Potentiel – Kinshasa

Edition 4114 du Samedi 01 Septembre 2007

Après le ridicule procès de l’assassinat de l’activiste des droits de l’homme Pascal Kabungulu en 2005, Bukavu vient de servir de cadre à un autre procès qui ne fera pas gagner aux magistrats une place enviable dans l’estime des Congolais.

Dans l’affaire de l’assassinat de Serge Maheshe, journaliste de la Radio Okapi, le tribunal militaire de garnison de Bukavu a condamné à mort le 28 août dernier, quatre personnes, Fredy Bisimwa et Mugisho Mastakila, d’une part, Alain Mulimbi et Serge Muhima, d’autre part. Deux couples que tout sépare et qu’absolument rien ne destinait à un sort commun. Alors que Serge Muhima et Alain Mulimbi, deux jeunes gens pourvus d’une solide éducation, étaient les meilleurs amis de Serge Maheshe, personne dans l’entourage de ce dernier ne connaissait Fredy Bisimwa et Mugisho Mastakila, « deux individus visiblement anormaux parce qu’intoxiqués ou drogués » d’après des parents de Serge et Alain. Les deux couples représentaient chacun l’une des deux pistes d’enquête possibles et les magistrats ont choisi la piste la plus invraisemblable, la plus ridicule et la moins crédible.

***Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele – Tribunal in Tchomia, Ituri

By  Fidel Ayu Lumeya

Introduction 

Any given society or community confronted by crimes and conflict has an obligation to face them directly, to eradicate them rather than ignoring them. There exists many ways of responding to crimes and any given society has to make a choice. These choices vary between what Zehr (1998) has called the three R’s of justice: Restorative, Retributive or Revenge. Many countries around the world have chosen revenge and retribution as the dominant form of legal justice in response to the crime they are facing. The outcome of such a choice is that, according to many recent studies on the modern justice system, the incarcerated population grows rapidly rather than decreasing.

This paper explores (1) the wisdom of African traditional society, before the colonial period and the way they dealt with the victims of injustice, offenders and the whole community. The values of Restorative Justice that led them choose between Restorative, Retributive and Revenge as model of justice (2), what they had in mind to achieve by choosing the RJ, its goals (3),

I. Restorative Justice: The Wisdom of African traditional society

****Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — Madilu System (in Black) and Papa Wemba, Kinshasa

In the last few weeks the Congolese have seen several of their eminent countrymen die. Kisombe Kia Kumwisi, Samba Kaputo and others. Last weekend, we were all shocked to learn about Madilu System’s passing. Born Jean de Dieu Bialu Madilu, he has left his mark on Congo’s rich musical scene. He is affectionately remembered as Ramses II or Le Grand Ninja – and rightfully so.

For the Congolese, music is a pillar of life. Madilu’s contributions are broad, considering that he performed with some of the great artists of his time, including both Rochereau Tabu Ley and Franco Luambo Makiadi. He collaborated on classics such as Mario, Ofela and Mamou.

****Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — Madilu System (in Black) at Papa Wemba’s Birthday Concert, Kinshasa

In recent few weeks I often saw Madilu strolling in the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Kinshasa. Always low key and content. I enjoyed his sense of humor when he showed up unannounced at Papa Wemba’s birthday concert this summer and stole the show, forcing Bana Malongi to change the program. He was a man of spontaneous joy. He will be missed. Okendeke malamu Madilu.

****Photo Jeca Taudte — Coltan Processing, Bukavu, South Kivu

Bukavu is perched high above Lake Kivu, gently encroaching on the placid body of water between Rwanda and Congo. Once known as the pearl of Congo because of its beautiful climate and mountains, the Bukavu I found last summer barely resembles the famed city I heard about as a child.

In the past ten years, South Kivu province and its capital city of Bukavu have been known for two things: insecurity and coltan. I came for both. In anticipation of the country’s first multiparty elections in four decades, I wanted to understand the potential effect of insecurity on the elections and learn first-hand the role minerals such as coltan play in fueling insecurity.

Four times the size of France, and as big as the United States east of the Mississippi river, Congo holds 80 percent of the world’s reserves of coltan, a heat-resistant mineral ore widely used in cellular phones, laptop computers and video games. The ore derives its name from a contraction of columbium-tantalite, the scientific nomenclature.

***Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — School is Out, Mbandaka, Equateur

Mon Dieu que j’aime
Sous leurs chapeaux étranges
Tous les visages d’anges
Les enfants congolais

I love Congolese children. They are fun, beautiful, and down right smart. What kills me is that their future has long been compromised. In spite of their efforts and dreams, they are dealt some lousy cards – and they can hardly win in life. Most of these kids have no future. Unless, of course, things change. God knows we need change.

**** Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele – Schoolboy Seeking his Way, Mbandaka, Equateur

**** Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele – Children Heading to School, Mbandaka, Equateur

**** Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele – Children Heading to School, Mbandaka, Equateur

When I was a child my father told me countless stories about the hardships he and his friends faced to get to school. “The school was far away,” he said. “ We walked so many miles every day, rain or shine. Life was tough.” He really meant to say that my life was easy and my load quite light. I dismissed his stories as grown-ups’ complaining. Yes, the older guys always thought they were better, worked harder, were more respectful and had a greater sense of purpose. I silently disagreed.

But my father’s words came back to me recently on the bank of the Congo River in Mbandaka. I was at the Rocher des Ages restaurant, enjoying a delicious dish of maboke and lituma, when I noticed several pupils and high school students rowing in their canoes on their way to school. Tucked in blue trousers and shorts, their white shirts shone under the bright equatorial sun as they struggled to cross the powerful current and reach the bank.

****Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — Tubimbi Market Place, South Kivu

Once the breadbasket of South Kivu, Tubimbi is now just another starving outpost.

****Photo Mvemba Phezo Dizolele — Outdoors Child IV Perfusion, Medical Center, Bunia

Copyright 2007 Economist Newspaper
July 28, 2007
Issue 950
Section: The Economist 28 Jul 2007

Congo: Only just staying in one piece

Congo threatens to slide back into chaos. Since last year’s historic elections, political and economic progress has stalled, while war drums are rumbling in the country’s east.

IF EVER there were an urgent case for change in Congo after years of neglect and war, it is Kinshasa’s general hospital. The emergency room reeks of stale urine. The sick lie outside, while relatives collect money for treatment. Life-threatening cases are accepted but nothing happens until someone stumps up the cash–even if the patients die.

Nine months after Congo’s elections (the first for more than 40 years), which were meant to mark a fresh start after a war that left some 4m dead, Dr Mbwebwe Kabamba, a surgeon in the hospital, is expecting no miracle overnight. But, like millions who walked miles, risked attacks by gunmen or simply stood in the rain to vote, he is looking for signs that those in power might improve the situation.