Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo 675 Churchill Row, E3B 1P5 Fredericton, New Brunswick Email:wangabof@yahoo.

fr Twitter: FWangabo

January 09, 2012 The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0A2 Phone Number: (613) 992-4211 Email Address: pm@pm.gc.ca Mr. Prime Minister, I am Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo, a Human Rights Activist, and Congolese by birth now living in exile in Canada. Since my arrival to Canada in July 2009, I have appreciated the democratic values of the Canadian society, their respect of human rights, and some of these democratic values have been and continue to be part of my life and work for which I was offered humanitarian protection from the government of Canada. Mr Prime Minister, I wish to bring to your attention the current human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to express my disappointment following your announcement to participate in the summit of Francophonie nations to be hosted in the DRC, despite widespread grave human rights crimes by both political and military leaders and the widespread electoral fraud in its recent presidential election and crackdown on political dissidents. Mr. Prime Minister sir, I wish to remind you that in the fall you said that you would boycott the 2013 meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka if the government there did not pursue an investigation of human rights abuses inflicted on civilians at the end of that country's civil war, therefore I find your position with attending the summit of Francophonie nations in Kinshasa to be inconsistent with this view. Throughout the last two decades of war (1998-2007) the lives of between 5.4 and 8 million innocent black children, women and men have been claimed and unspeakable gross crimes have been committed against civilians. These have included crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture, sexual violence, recruitment and use of children in fighting associated with the armed forces and armed groups, as well as enforced disappearances and killings. Such crimes continue to take place, most notably in the east and northeast even under the gaze of the international community: the so called United Nations and western democratic civilized nations.

All this while the impunity of perpetrators and a denial of justice for the victims remains pervasive, while millions of families are and continue to be broken as a result of the direct impacts of this unjust traumatic war. The close link between mineral extraction and on-going violence has been well documented and researched. Canadas involvement in the mining industry in DRC is equally well documented and Canadian companies are reputed to hold about 4.5 billion USD in mining related investments alone making the DRC the first destination for Canadian mining activities in Africa. After the rise of then-rebel Laurent Dsir Kabila to the Congolese presidency in 1997, Ugandan and Rwandan troops quickly invaded eastern Congo ostensibly to prevent attacks in their countries, which they claimed were originating in the lawless eastern territories of Congo. The United Nations Mapping Report, published in 2010, which was mandated to document atrocities committed between March 1993 and June 2003 has recommended that the perpetrators of those human rights violations and crimes against humanity should be persecuted. The United Nations mapping team's 550-page report contains descriptions of 617 alleged violent incidents occurring in the DRC between March 1993 and June 2003. Each of these incidents points to the possible commission of gross violations of human rights and/or international humanitarian law. Each of the incidents listed is backed up by at least two independent sources identified in the report. As serious as they may be, uncorroborated incidents claimed by one single source are not included. Over 1,500 documents relating to human rights violations committed during this period were gathered and analysed with a view to establishing an initial chronology by region of the main violent incidents reported. Only incidents meeting a 'gravity threshold' set out in the methodology were considered. Field mapping teams met with over 1,280 witnesses to corroborate or invalidate the violations listed in the chronology. Information was also collected on previously undocumented crimes. Despite the scale and complexity of the issues in DRC, neither the UN report nor the panelists suggested the situation was hopeless, a point emphasized in the opening remarks by Museum director Sara Bloomfield, This is not a crisis already resigned to history, but an ongoing and perilous reality. For some there is the perception that this complicated issue is unsolvable, but with so many civilians still so painfully vulnerable, we must continue to raise awareness of the crisis and encourage those who seek ways to resolve it. According to Amnesty Internationals report, in the East, the war never conclusively ended. A range of armed forces continue to perpetrate violence against the civilian population, including forced displacement, abductions, looting, forceful recruitment and use of child soldiers, and massive sexual violence. According to the United Nations, 27,000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 in South Kivu Province alone, a figure that represents only those assaults that were officially reported. In the DRC, given the scale of the crimes committed, the number of victims and the level of impunity of the perpetrators, a strong, effective and credible national criminal just system is essential. However, a major obstacle to ensuring truth, justice and reparation for past and current violations is the current weakness due to the lack of an accountable Congolese criminal justice

system. Injustice is common in both the military and civilian justice systems. In the military high ranking officers shield soldiers under their command from justice. Justice has long been delayed and denied to the victims of the Congolese war and surprisingly enough the International Criminal Court lack commitments to arrest people who committed war crimes in Congo. An example is that of Mr. Laurent Nkundabatware a CNDP warlord who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Mr. Nkundabatware was arrested in January 2009 in Rwanda after a joint Rwandan-Congolese operation to arrest him as claimed by the both governments in an official statement. Mr. Nkundabatware was supposed to be extradited by Rwanda to Congo to face the Congolese justice but there is no extradition treaty between the DRC and Rwanda; and even if an extradition treaty existed between these two countries, the DRC has got no independent and accountable justice system that will protect the victims who will provide evidences. The only victim and witness protection programmes are offered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), but they are limited in scope. Therefore, the United Nations International Criminal Court must set an example for the Congolese system and arrest and bring to trial Mr. Nkundabatware as soon as possible. The failure to hold those responsible for violations to account has a harmful impact of additionally entrenching a culture of impunity; it fosters cycles of violence and violations; it undermines any efforts to create a culture of peace and respect for a democratic rule of law. Congolese are appalled by an apparent neglect of International organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union which they see demonstrated in these organizations support for the elections in the DRC and for Joseph Kabila who had rigged the elections. These elections were supposed to be an opportunity for the international community to express solidarity with Congolese and to make politicians comply with democratic principles leading to stability and a consolidation of the rule of law. The 2011 elections should have been held in a peaceful environment and under conditions of transparency and full participation of all political forces but this was clearly not the case as shown by the reports of the various independent monitoring groups Mr. Prime Minister, it is in light of these points that Congolese have not only questioned the announcements of your participation in the Francophonie summit but also the timing of your announcement. We would understand your announcement and its timing as a clear support to Kabila a man who hijacked the elections in Congo but can only speculate on why you would ask for human rights accountability in Sri Lanka and fail to do the same for a country with very poor human rights record like the DRC. Canada and their allies did not only keep quiet and watch 5.5 million black Congolese being killed but they have also failed to take a stronger stand against the electoral problems and the morally bankrupt Kabila government which was the best opportunity to help build democracy and a state of justice in this devastated nation. Therefore, Mr. Prime Minister, in view of the above points I wish to request the following from you and your government:

1 Mr. Prime Minister; Considering the fact that you would boycott the 2013 meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka if the government there did not pursue an investigation of human rights abuses inflicted on civilians at the end of that country's civil war; Considering that all human beings are equal regardless of their race; Considering that no one should be exposed to human rights violations; Considering the irregularities in the 2011 presidential election in Congo and the unrest and killing of political opponents of Joseph Kabila; Considering that the timing of your announcement to attend the Francophonie summit in Kinshasa would indicate support of the government of Canada to a government that has hijacked power from the voters; Considering that your announcement and its timing diminished the active participation of the Congolese people in the politics and civic life of their country and their rights to peacefully express their democratic choice of leaders through the ballot; Considering that the respect of the democratic will of the people should be universal; Therefore Mr. Prime Minister, I ask you and your government: To announce a boycott of the Francophonie Summit in Kinshasa if : i. ii. the government there will not pursue an investigation of human rights abuses inflicted on civilians during the country's war, the government of Joseph Kabila does not show a sincere commitments towards democracy and peace by engaging in talks with the other presidential candidates of Congo (Mr. tienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba) and other members of the opposition.

2 Mr. Prime Minister; Considering the massive killings and grave human rights abuses committed against the Congolese poor civilians by different local and international armed groups; Considering the volume in numbers of the people who have died; Considering that Congolese families are broken as the results of the atrocities committed against them;

Therefore Mr. Prime Minister, I ask you and your government: To break this international conspiracy of silence and lead a request to the United Nations to set aside one international day to be observed each year for the recognition of the millions killed in the DRC between (1998-2010). This international day could be observed each January 17th; being also the day that a Congolese hero Patrice mery Lumumba was killed. 3: Mr. Prime Minister; Considering the scale of the crimes committed, the number of victims and the level of impunity, a strong, effective and credible national criminal justice system is essential for the Democratic Republic of Congo; Considering that the major obstacle in the Democratic Republic of Congo is ensuring truth, justice and reparation for past and current violations due to the lack of an accountable government; Considering that injustice is common in both the military and civilian justice systems and that within the military, officers shield soldiers under their command from justice; Considering that the impunity of perpetrators and a denial of justice for the victims remain pervasive: while millions of families remain and continue being broken as a result of the direct impacts of this unjust traumatic war; Considering that Mr. Laurent Nkundabatware a CNDP warlord who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity was arrested in January 2009 in Rwanda after a joint RwandanCongolese operation to arrest him as claimed by the both governments in an official statement; Considering that Mr. Nkundabatware was supposed to be extradited by Rwanda to Congo to face the Congolese justice but there is no extradition treaty between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; and even if an extradition treaty existed between these two countries, the DRC has got no independent and accountable justice system that will protect the victims who will provide evidences; Considering that the only victim and witness protection programmes are offered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), but they are limited in scope; Considering that failure to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account has a harmful impact of additionally entrenching a culture of impunity; fosters cycles of violence and violations; undermines any efforts to create a culture of peace and respect for a democratic rule of law; Considering that the International Criminal Court has showed less commitment in arresting people such as Mr. Laurent Nkundabatware, Mr. Bosco Ntaganda among many others who committed grave human rights violations on Congolese civilians;

Considering that the Government of Canada has been instrumental in the creation of the International Criminal Court; Therefore Mr. Prime Minister, I ask you and your government: I) To make an official request to the United Nations Security Council and to the United Nations International Criminal Court to extradite Mr. Laurent Nkundabatware to the International Criminal Court; To make an official request to the United Nations Security Council and to the United Nations International Criminal Court to ask the government of Congo and the International Criminal Court to work together to arrest people working within the Congolese government (Ex: Bosco Ntaganda) who have committed crimes against humanity.

II)

Mr. Prime Minister, I do believe that the grave human rights abuses and the crimes against humanity committed against Congolese civilians is the result of complicity of the international community with the government of Joseph Kabila and the conflict of interests between these involved parties have influenced the silence while millions of Congolese continue to die. I and millions of other Congolese citizens look up to you and other comity of nations to help uphold our God given rights to a just equal and free country within which we can live and prosper. We have been let down and abandoned to a sordid fate to date and I feel helpless and will be constrained to consider other measures to bring attention to our plight. I would therefore embark on a hunger strike commencing 25th of February 2012 if you and your government fail to respond positively to these outlined demands. I trust you will follow the moral just and honourable path and I look forward to a favourable response from you and your government. Sincerely

Fredrick Wangabo Mwenengabo

Cc.: Her Majesty The Queen His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada The Speaker of the Canadian House of Parliament, Senator Nol A. Kinsella The Speaker of the House of Commons The Hon. Andrew Scheer The Honourable Graydon Nicholas, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick The Prime Minister of New Brunswick, Hon. David Nathan Alward The New Democratic Party Interim Leader, Hon. Nycole Turmel The interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Hon. Bob Rae

The leader of the Green Party of Canada, Hon. Elizabeth May The Member of Parliament for Fredericton, Minister Keith Ashfield The New Brunswick Liberal Party Interim, Hon. Victor E. Boudreau The Executive Director, New Brunswick Liberal Association Mr. Lopold Mallet, His worship Brad Woodside, Mayor of Fredericton The New Democratic Party Leader of New Brunswick, Mr Dominic Cardy His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI His Excellency the President of the European Commission, Jos Manuel Durao Barroso His Excellency the United Nations General Secretary, Ban Ki-moon His Excellency the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser The President of the United States of America, His Excellency Barack Obama The French President, His Excellency Nicolas Sarkozy The Prime Minister of Belgium, His Excellency Elio Di Rupo Prime Minister, His Excellency David Cameron The Council of Europe-Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Thomas Hammarberg The Prosecutor, International Criminal Court, Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navanethem Pillay The Amnesty International Secretary General, Mr. Salil Shetty The Human Rights Watch executive director. Mr. Kenneth Roth The United States Chief Executive & Political Officer for the Conservative Party, H. Michael Hervey The Speaker for the Parti Socialiste(France), Mr. Benot Hamon