Sources consulted by the Research Directorate provided several versions of Lieutenant Rashidi's name: Rashidi Kasereka (Keesings Jan. 2001, 43932; The Washington Post 27 Jan. 2001; The New York Times 24 Jan. 2001; The Independent 22 Jan. 2001; East African 19 Feb. 2001), Rashid Kasereka (AFP 19 Feb. 2001), Rafiri (SouthScan 19 Jan. 2001), Rashidi Mizele (Digitalcongo.net 24 May 2001; CNN.com 23 May 2001; AFP 23 May 2001; Country Reports 2001 4 March 2002, Sec. 1a), Kasareka Rashidi (DPA 22 Jan. 2001; AFP 25 Jan. 2001), Rachidi Kasereka (Africa Confidential 26 Jan. 2001), and Kasereka Rachidi (World Socialist Web Site 25 Jan. 2001).

A 1998 article in the journal, Politique Africaine, reported that the ban on Christian names in Zaire by President Mobutu from 1973 to 1990 created a practice of "double identity" (double identité) in everyday speech, written documents and identity cards (Dec. 1998, 103-104). Thus, given names were continuing to be ignored in written sources in 1998, the time the article was written (ibid., 104). This practice has made it "impossible" to uncover legal given names from acquired informal names in Congo (ibid., 109). For more information on names in Congo, see the article "De l'Authenticité à la Libération : se prénommer en République démocratique du Congo" on the Politique Africaine Website at http://www.politique-africaine.com/numeros/pdf/072098.pdf.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Confidential. 26 January 2001. Vol. 42, No. 5. "Kabila est mort, vive Kabila!" http://www.africa-confidential.com/country.asp?ID=53 [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

Agence France Presse (AFP). 23 May 2001. "DRCongo: Probe Finds Rebels, Rwanda, Uganda Responsible for Kabila Assasination." (FBIS-AFR-2001-0523 23 May 2001/WNC)

______. 19 February 2001. "Kabila Assassination Still a Mystery." (NEXIS)

______. 25 January 2001. Hugh Nevill. "DR Congo Delays Inauguration of General Kabila as Probe Goes on." (NEXIS)

CNN.com. 23 May 2001. "Congo Lays Blame for Kabila Killing." http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/05/23/congo.kabila [Accessed 13 May 2003]
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 4 March 2002. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. htttp://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/af/8322.htm [Accessed 13 May 2003]

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 22 January 2001. "More than 380 Feared Executed in Kinshasa Reprisals." (NEXIS)

Digitalcongo.net. 24 May 2001. "Jeu de questions et réponses presse-commission." http://www.digitalcongo.net/print_this.phd?id=2142 [Accessed 13 May 2003]

East African. 19 Febuary 2001. Charles Onyango-Obbo. "Why Nobody's Dancing on Kabila's Grave." (Profile Africa 15 Jan. 2003) http://www.profileafrica.com/Search8.htm [Accessed 13 May 2003]

The Independent [London]. 22 January 2001. Alex Duval Smith. "Revealed: How a Hated Dictator Was Betrayed by One of His Most Trusted Guards." (NEXIS)

Keesings Record of World Events [Cambridge]. January 2001. Vol.47, No.1. "Democratic Republic of Congo: Assasination of President Kabila."

The New York Times. 24 January 2001. Norimitsu Onishi. "Slain Congo Leader Buried to Pomp and Confusion." (NEXIS)

Politique Africaine [Paris]. December 1998. No.72. Isidore Ndaywel è Nziem. "De l'Authenticité à la Libération : se prénommer en République démocratique du Congo." http://www.politique-africaine.com/numeros/pdf/072098.pdf [Accessed 13 May 2003]

SouthScan [London]. 19 January 2001. "Kabila's Purge In Kivu May Have Triggered Assassination." http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200101190113.html [Accessed 13 May 2003]

The Washington Post. 27 January 2001. Karl Vick. "Congo's Strangely Smooth Transition; Absence of Chaos After Assassination Raises Suspicions." (NEXIS)

World Socialist Web Site. 25 January 2001. Chris Talbot. "The Congo: Unanswered Questions Surround Kabila's Assassination." http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jan2001/cong-j25_prn.shtml [Accessed 13 May 2003]

IRB Databases

Europa World Year Book 2001

The International Who's Who 2001

Internet sites:

CIA World Factbook

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Permanent Mission

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