The Congolese Liberation Movement (Mouvement de libération du Congo, MLC), led by Jean Pierre Bemba (AFP 11 June 2003; ibid. 28 Apr. 2003) and supported by Uganda (Africa Research Bulletin 24 Jan. 2002, 15123), is a rebel movement that was formed in 1998 to fight against the regime of the former president, Laurent-Désiré Kabila (AFP 11 June 2003; ibid. 28 Apr. 2003; see also RDC32130.F of 15 June 1999). The MLC occupied the northern part of the country (AFP 12 July 2003; ibid. 11 June 2003).

The MLC was among the Congolese parties that negotiated and signed the inter-Congolese peace agreement (Africa Research Bulletin 1 May 2003, 15274; AFP 24 Mar. 2004). Currently, this movement is participating in the transitional institutions, specifically in the government established on 30 June 2003 under the agreement (AFP 22 July 2003; ibid. 30 June 2003). The president of the MLC holds one of the four vicepresidential positions in the transitional government (ibid. 12 July 2003; ibid. 28 Apr. 2003; Africa Confidential 2 Apr. 2004, 7), while Olivier Kamitatu, the Secretary General of the MLC, was made president of the National Assembly (L’Observateur 21 Apr. 2004; AFP 28 Apr. 2003) and Antoine Ghonda Mangalibi, also from the MLC, was made Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (ibid.; Africa Confidential 2 Apr. 2004, 7).

During telephone interviews held on 19 and 20 April 2004 (see also RDC42634.FE of 22 April 2004), a program manager from the League of Electors (Ligue des électeurs) provided the following information.

He pointed out that his organization does not have and has never had ties to the MLC. However, he explained that, before the peace agreement was signed, the league members, as part of their work, often went into the regions occupied by the various armed groups, including the northern part of the country, which was occupied by the MLC. When the league members returned to Kinshasa, the government suspected them of collaborating with the armed group in the region they went to. He added that anyone who entered the [translation] “enemy territory” was suspected of having a [translation] “secret agreement with the enemy.” He said that the suspicions stopped when the transitional institutions were established.

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 for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Africa Confidential [London]. 2 April 2004. Vol. 45, No. 7. “Congo-Kinshasa. To Plot or Not.”

Africa Research Bulletin [London]. 1 May 2003. “Democratic Republic of Congo: Sun City Deal.”

_____. 24 January 2002. “Democratic Republic of Congo: Power-Sharing Deal.”

Agence France Presse (AFP). 24 March 2004. “Partage de responsabilités au sein de l’administration territoriale en RDC.” (Courrier AFP)

_____. 22 July 2003. Rose-Marie Bruballa. “Les acteurs de la transition ‘prisonniers’ de leur appartenance à un mouvement (Éclairage).” (Courrier AFP)

_____. 12 July 2003. “Le président du RCD annonce ‘la fin de la guerre’ contre Kinshasa (Papier général).” (Courrier AFP)

_____. 30 June 2003. “Composition du gouvernement de transition en RDCongo.” (Courrier AFP)

_____. 11 June 2003. “Les groupes armés dans le district très troublé de l’Ituri.” (Courrier AFP)

_____. 28 April 2003. “Le MLC publie la liste des ses représentants au gouvernement de transition.” (Courrier AFP)

Ligue des électeurs, Kinshasa. 19 and 20 April 2004. Telephone interviews with the program manager.

L’Observateur [Kinshasa]. 21 April 2004. Nsuami Nienga. “Une délégation d’enfants interpelle les députés sur la situation dramatique des enfants congolais.” http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=36659 [Accessed 22 Apr. 2004]

Additional Sources Consulted

Publications: Africa Research Bulletin, Jeune Afrique/L’Intelligent, Resource Centre country file .

Internet sites, including: Africatime, AllAfrica, Amnesty International, Dialog, Digitalcongo.net, Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), MISNA, ReliefWeb.