Answers to those challenging US conflict mineral law, section 1502 of Dodd-Frank

Posted on May 21, 2013

Today, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade held a hearing on the “The Unintended Consequences of Dodd-Frank's Conflict Minerals Provision.” Africa Faith and Justice Network submitted a statement in support of this provision. 

Read more: Answers to those challenging US conflict mineral law, section 1502 of Dodd-Frank

US soon to appoint Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region.

Posted on April 23, 2013

On April 17, US Secretary of State John Kerry, during a hearing on the budget, told congress that President Obama has chosen and is vetting a person to appoint as US Special Envoy to Africa’s the Great Lakes Region to coordinate US efforts in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).   This announcement was made when Secretary of State Kerry was answering a question from Congresswoman Karen Bass, a Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.  

Read more: US soon to appoint Special Envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region.

US Senate: Examining Ongoing Conflict in Eastern Congo

Posted on April 17, 2013

On April 16, the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) entitled “Examining Ongoing Conflict in Eastern Congo”   Here are some highlights from the witnesses.

Mr. Federico Borello, Director, Investments Humanity United ,Washington, DC told Congress that “Offensive military operations by the new MONUSCO Intervention Brigade must be accompanied by a revamped Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration program and by a state-sponsored inter-community dialogue process. Ultimately, it is up to the Congolese government, civil society and people to identify the solutions to the violence that continues to plague their country, once external interference ceases. However, the international community and the USG in particular, can play an important role in facilitating this process.”

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ICC Justice is for Bosco Ntaganda not for the Victims

 Posted on April 9, 2013

This article was first published in AFJN's January-March Newsletter

By Jacques Bahati, Policy Analyst

On March 18, General Bosco Ntaganda, one of the notorious rebel leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) surrendered himself to the US Embassy in Kigali and specifically requested  his transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands.  The ICC had issued two arrest warrants one in 2006 and another in 2012 against Bosco.

Four Hundred and eighteen people surveyed the day after General Bosco Ntaganda surrendered strongly believe that his absence on the battle field will neither speed up the peace process ( 9%) nor prevent other militia from committing crime (13%).  Instead the majority believe that his surrender is not sufficient to restore peace in the region (78%). (Okapi Radio, March 19, 2013)

Now that Bosco is in custody of ICC on March 22, we believe that finally justice will be served.   This simply means that proper administration of  international law will be applied for Bosco and the victims.  It is important, however, to ask ourselves what will the victims, the dead, their families, the affected communities and the Congolese nation, get out of this process.  

Read more: ICC Justice is for Bosco Ntaganda not for the Victims