Dokument #1325165
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Kongulu Mobutu, a captain in the Division
spéciale présidentielle (DSP), was in command of an
extremist section within this organization (Africa
international Oct. 1998, 32; DPA 18 June 1997). Nicknamed
"Saddam Hussein," he was also assistant to General Bolozi, his
uncle and head of the military intelligence-gathering organization
called the Service d'action et de renseignement militaire (SARM)
(Africa international Oct. 1998, 33). In the last days of
the Mobutu regime, Kongulu commanded his own military unit and a
security outfit called "Aigle" (ibid.). Kongulu Mobutu instructed
also his father's bodyguards (The Washington Post 21 Mar.
1997). He and his men were the last to leave Kinshasa before the
city fell to the rebel troops of Laurent-Désiré
Kabila (Africa international Oct. 1998, 33). In a
statement made to AFP on 20 May 1997 in Lomé, Togo, Kongulu
Mobutu denied having been involved in the assassination of General
Mahele Lyoko. General Mahele is reported to have encouraged Zairean
soldiers to surrender to Kabila's rebel troops as they were
advancing towards Kinshasa (ibid.).
According to a 26 September 1998 Los
Angeles Times article, Kongulu Mobutu "spent most of his time
overseeing a dozen businesses that ranged from importing to river
shipping." In May 1995, he registered a trading company in
Switzerland whose main purpose was to
channel funds from sale of Zaire's copper, cobalt, gold and diamond resources into the family's bank deposits. Letters signed by Mobutu Kongolo requested that clients make payments for precious metals and minerals to a numbered Swiss account. (Las Vegas Review-Journal 27 May 1997).
According to a 21 March 1997 article in
The Washington Post, Kongulu Mobutu also protected a
smuggling operation called "Air Excellence" whose planes were
loaded at night at N'Djili by Zairean soldiers. The article quotes
the chairman of the Zairean Association for Human Rights (AZAHDO)
as saying that he had heard from several sources that Kongulu
Mobutu received bribes from Lebanese smugglers "who use his name to
get goods in and out of Zaire." A 13 May 1997 article published in
the Johannesburg daily The Star substantiates this
information by stating that president Mobutu, his son Kongolo as
well as close aides permitted Lebanese, Israeli, Belgian and South
African nationals to "smuggle out 80% of the country's diamond
wealth ... provided they got a share of the loot."
Kongolo died on 24 September 1998 in a
hospital in Monaco "after a long illness" (Los Angeles
Times 26 Sept. 1998).
Reports on human rights violations
committed by Kongulu Mobutu could not be found among the sources
consulted by the Research Directorate.
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.
References
Africa International [Paris].
October 1998. No. 318. "Congo Démocratique (ex-Zaïre) :
on l'appellait 'Saddam Hussein'."
Agence France Presse (AFP). 20 May 1998.
"Zaire: Mobutu's Son Denies Killing Former Zairean Defense
Minister." (FBIS-AFR-97-098 20 May 1997/WNC)
Los Angeles Times. 26 September
1998. "Kongulu Mobutu: Son of Late Zairean Dictator." (NEXIS)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 18 June
1997. "One Month a Refugee, Mobutu Has Yet to be Given Asylum."
(NEXIS)
Las Vegas Review-Journal. 27
May 1997. Final Edition. William Drozdiak. "Mobutu's Swiss Money
Trail Proves Elusive." (NEXIS)
The Star [Johannesburg, in
English]. 13 May 1997. June Bearzi. "South Africa: Wild West'
Traffickers said Smuggle 80% of Zaire Diamonds." (FBIS-AFR-97-133
13 May 1997/WNC)
The Washington Post. 21 March
1997. Final Edition. James Rupert. "Zaire Reportedly Selling Arms
to Angolan Ex-Rebels." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International On-line.
Electronic sources : IRB databases,
Internet, REFWORLD.
Le Soir [Brussels]. Searches in
archives (Internet).