Latest News
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Rwandan Army Allies’ Crimes in Congo: Who is Not Named in the UN Report?
(First published in AFJN’s September-October Newsletter) By Bahati Jacques, Policy Analyst On October 1, 2010, the UN finally released its report (read it here) about the war crimes, crimes against humanity, major violations of international laws and possibly a genocide committed by Rwandan troops (APR) and its allies, the Rwandan sponsored Congolese rebel group Alliance…
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Democratic Republic of Congo: A Season of Hope
Wrinkled and hard, the woman looked 70; I did not know her age, only that she was a native of Bunia, the beleaguered city in the eastern Congo terrorized by rebels and its own nation’s army in recent years. I met her in Mbandaka, the provincial capital of Equateur Province a thousand miles from her…
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Using Art as a Tool to End the Rape Pandemic in the Congo
By Evan Fowler, American University, AFJN InternProtecting women is a priority in the Congolese environment of insecurity where women are raped not only by those with guns, but unarmed civilians. Caritas Goma, a charitable ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Goma, in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations, is using art as a tool to fight against…
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D.R. Congo: Women’s Listening Ministry
Rev. Madeline Bomboko was Director of the Disciples’ (Communaute des Disciples du Christ au Congo) Losanganya Guest House in Mbandaka when she began to receive some unexpected guests. It all began one day in 2003 on a street in downtown Mbandaka. A disheveled, emaciated woman with fine features intrigued Madeline. What was the cause of…
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300 raped in Congo, promise to protect them broken again
Between July 30 and August 2nd, armed militants identified as Mai Mai Cheka Cheka and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda ( FDLR) occupied the town of Luvungi in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and raped many women, said Mr Khare, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping. A “preliminary report describes how the team confirmed…
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Coalition says UN report is last straw, Activists Vow to Keep Pressure on Obama to Drop Kagame
For Immediate Release Contact: Kitty Kurth, Phone: 312/617/7288 WASHINGTON DC; THURSDAY, September 30, 2010: A spreading coalition of American based grassroots and human rights organizations who focus on the Great Lakes Region of Africa has congratulated the UN on its recently leaked bombshell study of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The coalition is frequently…
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The UN Reports: Major Atrocities in Congo 1993-2003
Today is a day unlike others for the Congolese victims of the 1996 invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. It is also a new day for all citizens of neighboring nations, particularly the Rwandan citizens of Hutu ethnic background who, at the time, were refugees in eastern Congo…
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Voice of America: Solutions to the DRC Crisis
Voice of America: In Focus Jacques Bahati, AFJN’s policy Analyst take on Solutions to the D.R.Congo Crisis.
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On the Occasion of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Make a Pledge to Save our Environment Today
The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) has partnered with the Catholic Coalition for Climate Change for the past two years. As part of that partnership, we would like to alert all our members to the St. Francis Pledge. In his ministry, among other things, St. Francis committed his life to nature. Today more than…
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Final Declaration Regional Conference of Religious Leaders on the Impackt of the LRA Yambio, 8-10th of September 2010
Statement in French here We, the religious leaders from regions affected by the LRA crisis in Uganda, in Sudan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in Central African Republic (CAR), reunited in Yambio from 8th-10th of September 2010, under the initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in collaboration with the Inter Church Committee,…
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The State of UN Millennium Development Goals and Implications for Africa
Delegates from the 140 member states of the UN convened at a summit in New York City from September 20 to 22 to discuss the progression of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) just 5 years prior their conclusion. These goals, which were established in 1990 to stretch until 2015, include but are not limited to:…
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Now You know: Paul Kagame could be charged with genocide
The evidence of a criminal case against President Paul Kagame and associates is overwhelming. A UN report that leaked to the French newspaper Le Monde on August 26 and scheduled to be officially released on October 1st confirms evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly a genocide committed in the Democratic Republic of…
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Update: H.R. 4594/ S. 2982 International Violence Against Women Act of 2010
This article was first published in our July -August Newsletter Updated and posted on Sep 15, 2010 Approximately one third of all women worldwide have been or will become victims of physical or sexual abuse in their lifetimes. In some countries, the rate is as high as 70 percent. Violence against women poses a global…
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The Ogaden Crisis: The Horn of Africa’s invisible humanitarian disaster
A low intensity conflict is simmering in the Horn of Africa. Hundreds of thousands are displaced following the burning of their homes and the destruction of villages. Livestock and other possessions are being confiscated. Brutal sexual and gender-based abuses are a prevalent tool of warfare. Even worse, cold-blooded murder is widespread with horrific public executions….
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Burundi: Pierre Nkurunzia second term without the opposition, a concern
Since August 29, President Nkurunziza has formed a new government to serve with him during his second term. Nkurunziza, the only presidential candidate, won his second term in office on June 28 with an overwhelming majority of votes of 92.62 percent. His party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy- Forces for the Defense…
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Activists Tell Obama: Push Kagame Harder
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Kitty Kurth, Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation 312-617-7288 Friends of the Congo 202-584-6512 Africa Faith and Justice Network 202-884-9780 Email: rwandaelections@gmail.com WASHINGTON DC (Wednesday, August 25, 2010): A nation-wide coalition of US activists is calling on President Barack Obama to go beyond recent White House criticism and intensify pressure on…
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Implications in the U.S of the U.S. law against conflicts of minerals in the DRC
Translated from French to English by AFJN Source: Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo ( Congolese National Bishops’ Conference) – Most Reverend Auxiliary Bishop of Kinshasa – Excellencies, Representatives of Heads of religious denominations – Your Excellency the Representative Office of the President of the Republic – Honorable representatives and Senators – Your Excellency the Representative of the…
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Al Jazeera’s Inside Story, Bahati Jacques, AFJN’s Policy Analyst take on the recent sexual violence in South Kivu
August 24th, 2010 on Al Jazeera TV, Watch the video here Between July 30 and August 2nd, armed militants identified as Mai Mai Cheka Cheka and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda ( FDLR) occupied the town of Luvungi in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and raped many women, said Mr Khare, UN Assistant…
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Dungu Congress Comminque
A Diocesan Congress on Peace was hosted July 12th -14th in Dungu, DRC by the Diocesan Commision on Justice and Peace from the Catholic Diocese of Dungu-Doruma and by Conciliation Resources. The Congressed aimed to “find sustainable solutions to the problems of insecurity in the region and its direct consequences, stemming mainly from LRA activities…
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After Rwandan Elections, Washington says: We remain concerned
On August 3rd, a coalition of advocacy groups including Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) held a press conference in Washington DC calling on President Barack Obama to not recognize the sham elections in Rwanda. This was one of their many whistle blowing efforts to shine some light on the Rwandan government’s human rights violations,…
