MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Democratic Republic of Congo: the case of Floribert Chebeya Bahizire

15.6.2010

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Filip Kaczmarek, Cristian Dan Preda, Thomas Mann, Tunne Kelam, Sari Essayah, Martin Kastler, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Monica Luisa Macovei, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Elena Băsescu on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0376/2010

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B7‑0378/2010

European Parliament resolution on the Democratic Republic of Congo: the case of Floribert Chebeya Bahizire

The European Parliament,

–       having regard to its previous resolutions on the deteriorating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly the one of 21 February 2008 on North Kivu[1], 23 October 2008 on clashes in the eastern border areas of the DRC[2], and 20 November 2008 on the EU response to the deteriorating situation in the east of the DRC[3]

 

–   having regard to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement signed June 2000,

 

–       having regard to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly resolution of 22 November 2007 on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular in the east, and its impact on the region,

 

– having regard to the UN Security Council Resolution 1925 (2010) authorising

         withdrawal of up to 2000 Forces from Eastern Congo by 30 June 2010,

 

– having regard to the 3 June 2010 declaration attributable to the spokesperson for the UN Secretary General on the brutal death of Floribert Chebeya in Kinshasa,

 

–       having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

 

 

A. whereas Mr Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, the Executive Director of human rights organisation La Voix des Sans Voix (VSV) and of the national network of human rights groups, was found dead in his car in Kinshasa on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 after being called for an appointment with the police the previous evening;

 

B.     whereas Chebeya, who campaigned to uphold the rights of the constitution and improve prison conditions, had been harassed by authorities in the past and was named in a report this year from human rights group Amnesty International saying he was at risk. Over the past decade, he had focused on human rights abuses, corruption in the military and links between militias and foreign groups;

 

C. whereas according to the media reports on the afternoon of Tuesday, 1 June 2010, Floribert Chebeya Bahizire received a phone call from the Central Police Station requesting him to attend a meeting with Inspector General John Numbi Banza Tambo; whereas upon arrival at the police station Mr. Chebeya Bahizire could not contact Inspector General Tambo, the chief of the police;

 

 

D.  whereas there are contradictory statements regarding the state of the body when it was found; the first police declarations said that the body apparently showed no signs of violence while human rights activists declared "that there were signs of violence on his body, blood on the mouth, nose and ears, and bruising of the forehead and the neck;

 

E.    whereas according to Mr. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the circumstances of the killing "strongly suggests official responsibility;

 

F.     whereas Head of Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), General John Numbi, has been suspended until further notice and other three police officers arrested in connection with the killing;

 

G.    whereas deputy Colonel Daniel Mukalayi, who was arrested earlier has reportedly confessed to killing Floribert Chebeya on the order of his superior, General John Numbi;

 

H.    whereas on a number of occasions, Mr. Chebeya had expressed fears for his life. He told Amnesty International on several occasions that he felt he had been followed and that he was under surveillance by the security services;

 

I.      whereas the existence of human rights defenders and the free press play a check and balancing role in the promotion of democracy and their killing is becoming part of a growing trend of intimidation and harassment in the DRC;

 

J.    whereas the EU High Representative, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and others have all issued statements condemning the murder of Floribert Chebeya Bahizire and have called for an independent investigation;

 

 

1.      Deeply shocked by the news of the brutal untimely killing of Floribert Chebeya, the champion of human rights advocacy and a well known and widely respected human rights defender in the Democratic Republic of Congo;

 

2.    Calls on the Congolese government to urgently open a credible, transparent and thorough investigation into the death of Floribert Chebeya Bahizire with the assistance of the United Nations (UN) which will prove the Governments commitment to solving this terrible crime;

 

3.     Urges the Congolese government to launch a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into the whereabouts of Mr Fidele Bazana Edadi, Mr Chebeya's missing driver and ensure that the families of both men are protected;

 

4.    Expresses its deep concern regarding the general degradation of the situation of human right defenders in DRC; calls on the DRC authorities to fully comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998 and implement the UN's 2009 Universal Periodic Review recommendations as measures to protect the rights of human rights defenders; stresses that punishing the authors of the assassinations of human right defenders and journalists that have occurred in the past years is an essential element for the democratization of the country;

 

5.      Stresses the need to tackle corruption and bring to justice the perpetrators of human rights abuses within the Congolese security forces, and underlines MONUC's crucial role in doing this through joint planning and implementation of operations and proper accountability mechanisms for abuses;

 

6.      Calls on the international community in cooperation with the African Union to strictly abide by the arms embargo to the DRC and recommend an establishment of an independent task force to investigate any violations of that arms embargo;

 

7.      Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments of the Member States, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Security Council, the UN Secretary-General and the governments and parliaments of the Great Lakes region.

 

• [1]  Texts adopted of that date, P6_TA(2008)0072.
• [2]  Texts adopted of that date, P6_TA(2008)0526.
• [3]  Texts adopted of that date, P6_TA(2008)0563.