 
Letter to Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
11 August 2005
The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON KiA 0G2
Dear Minister Pettigrew,
RE: Leading human rights defender killed in the Democratic Republic
of Congo
On July 31st, leading human rights defender Pascal Kabungulu Kibembi
was assassinated in his home in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo. Mr. Kabungulu was the Executive Director of the organization
Héritiers de la Justice, a partner of KAIROS and several
Canadian churches. His organization has been critical of the government
of Joseph Kabila, uncovering grave human rights abuses by armed
groups in eastern Congo and calling on the government to put an
end to the impunity with which these groups operate.
We, at KAIROS, an organization of 11 Canadian churches and church-based
organizations, are urging the Canadian government to demand from
the Congolese government:
- A complete and independent investigation into Mr. Kabungulu’s
death.
- The prosecution of individuals involved in the murder, including
those accused of obstructing justice.
- A halt to all attacks on human rights defenders throughout the
country.
- The means to ensure that civilians will no longer be targets
of military or police violence, including torture, murder and
rape.
Such demands are fully in line with the Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998 as well as
many other international human rights instruments to which both
Canada and the DRC are signatories. In particular, article 9 of
the above-mentioned Declaration which states:
In the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including
the promotion and protection of human rights as referred to in the
present Declaration, everyone has the right, individually and in
association with others, to benefit from an effective remedy and
to be protected in the event of the violation of those rights.
The State shall conduct a prompt and impartial investigation or
ensure that an inquiry takes place whenever there is reasonable
ground to believe that a violation of human rights and fundamental
freedoms has occurred in any territory under its jurisdiction.
We further urge that Canada support an investigation into Mr. Kabungulu’s
murder by Ms. Hina Jilani, the Special Representative of the UN
Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, with a view towards
revealing the truth concerning his murder and increasing protection
for other human rights defenders whose lives are in imminent danger.
On August 4th, two members of les Forces Armées de la République
Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) accused of involvement in Mr.
Kabungulu’s murder escaped from custody with the help of Colonel
Thierry Ilungu, commander of the 105th Brigade of the FARDC. Colonel
Ilungu has issued death threats against Mr. Kabungulu in the past.
The armed forces have been implicated in numerous other attacks
against civilians, including several in that past month.
The tragedy of Mr. Kabungulu’s murder highlights the disturbing
level of violence in eastern DRC committed by armed groups. The
region has been troubled with massive insecurity since the end of
the Congo’s civil war. The army and the United Nations Mission
to the DRC (MONUC) have been unable to establish the environment
necessary to begin to rebuild the country and ensure justice for
its citizens. The war and the subsequent unrest have claimed nearly
4 million lives, according to most estimates.
Mr. Kabungulu was a key human rights actor in his country and in
the region and the truth about his death needs to be established.
Looking forward to your response,
Mary Corkery
Executive Director
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
| cc. |
Jean-Pierre Bolduc
Ambassador of Canada to the Democratic Republic of Congo
Mrs. Louise NZANGA RAMAZANI
First Counsellor & Chargé d'Affaires
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Henri-Paul Normandin
Director, Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and International
Women’s Equality Division, Foreign Affairs Canada
Julian Murray
A/Program Director
Central Africa and Great Lakes Program
Canadian International Development Agency
Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Human
Rights Defenders
Alfa Sow
Chief Clerk, MONUC Sector 5
Bukavu, DRC
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