In dem Amnesty-Bericht werden detailliert Menschenrechtsverletzungen der letzten Jahre dokumentiert. Zahlreiche Beispiele verdeutlichen - gestützt auf langjährige Ermittlungen - den Willkürcharakter vieler Strafprozesse und belegen die weitverbreitete Folterpraxis sowie das einzigartige Ausmaß von Todesurteilen. Die letzten Kapitel enthalten eine Kritik der chinesischen Menschenrechtspolitik und der deutschen Chinapolitik. (1) (Andreas Ufen)
Since 2 August 1998, fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has dramatically endangered the lives of millions of civilians. This armed conflict has spread swiftly - both in terms of the number of governments and armed groups involved in the fighting, and in terms of the devastating impact the conflict has had on local populations. Initially sparked by President Laurent-Desire Kabilas expulsion of Rwandese and other foreign troops, the conflict has rapidly involved other regional governments and armed opposition groups from the DRC and neighbouring countries which support either side of the main protagonists. (...) In the last three months, serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including rape, as well as arbitrary arrests and detentions, have been committed by parties on both sides of the conflict. (...) Amnesty International is publishing this report to bring these violations to the attention of the international community. While the conflict has received some attention by the media and some foreign governments, very little has been said or done about its human rights dimension and the atrocities inflicted on the unarmed civilian population. (AI/DÜI; gekürzt)
Since taking power President Kabila has faced increased political pressure from his supporters and opponents to expel Rwandese troops and remove Tutsi, who helped to bring him to power in May 1997, from key positions in the government and security forces. On 27th July 1998, he ordered all Rwandese and other foreign troops out of the DRC and on 2 August his Rwandese-backed opponents began an armed campaign to overthrow him. Other countries taking part of the fighting include Zimbabwe and Angola on the DRC government side, and Uganda on the opposition side. (...) Amnesty International is publishing this report to place the fighting which started on 2 August 1998 in a broader historical and regional context and to highlight the potential risk of further massive human rights abuses in the DRC and in neighbouring countries. (...) Opposition groups in the DRC and the rest of the Great Lake region which have taken up arms on the grounds that the governments they are fighting violate human rights have themselves been responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. These abuses have continued to occur because they were ordered or condoned by political and security force leaders who had responsibility to prevent them. Instead of being brought to justice, the perpetrators went to take their place as political leaders on the national and international stage. (AI/DÜI; gekürzt)
