Democratic Republic of Congo: Information or reports on a massacre of 50 or fewer Hutu refugees by ADFL rebel forces at l'Église la Colombe in Kisangani, on 15 March 1997
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RDC30501.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo: Information or reports on a massacre of 50 or fewer Hutu refugees by ADFL rebel forces at l'Église la Colombe in Kisangani, on 15 March 1997, 1 December 1998, RDC30501.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab16c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No reports of a massacre of 50 or fewer Hutu refugees by ADFL rebel forces at l'Église la Colombe in Kisangani on 15 March 1997 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In a fax relayed to the Research Directorate on 7 December 1998 by a representative in Montréal, the president of Justice et Liberation, a Kisangani-based Christian human rights organization, states that if there had been any credible basis to the allegations of a 15 March 1997 massacre of 50 Hutu refugees on the premises of a church called "La Colombe," such information would have been in the possession of Justice et Libération and would have been made public during that period of time. To the president of Justice et Libération, "Colombe" refers to a radio station project initiated in Kisangani by an independent journalist at the end of 1996.
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 sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Justice et Libération, Kisangani. 7 December 1998. Letter faxed to representative in Montréal and relayed to the research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International. October 1998. Annual Report 1998. London: Amnesty International Secretariat. [Internet]. < www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/ar98/index >. [Consulted: 18 Nov. 1998].
Amnesty International. 3 December 1997. Democratic Republic of Congo: Deadly Alliances in Congolese Forests. (AI Index: AFR 62/33/97). London : International Secretariat.
Association zaïroise de défense des droits de l'homme (AZADHO). February 1998. État des libertés et violations des droits de l'homme au Zaïre en 1997. Kinshasa: Association zaïroise de défense des droits de l'homme.
Développement et Paix. A Montréal-based non-governmental organization with an office in Lumumbashi.
Electronic sources : LEXIS/NEXIS, WNC, Internet.
Human Rights Watch (HRW)/Africa - Fédération Internationale des Ligues des droits de l'Homme (FIDH). Octobre 1997. République démocratique du Congo : ce que Kabila dissimule : masacres de civils et impunité au Congo. Paris: Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme.
International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (ICHRDD).
Justice et Libération/Association Chrétienne de Défense des droits de l'Homme, Kisangani. 31 May 1997. Rapport d'activités mai 1997. (covers March 1997)
ReliefWeb of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The purpose of this effort is to strengthen the response capacity of the humanitarian relief community through the timely dissemination of reliable information on prevention, preparedness and disaster response. (Internet)
United Nations. Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights. 30 January 1998. (E/CN.4/1998/65). Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Former Zaire), Submitted by the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Roberto Garretón, in Accordance with Commission Resolution 1997/98.
United Nations. Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights. 30 January 1998. (E/CN.4/1997/6/Add. 2). Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Zaire, Prepared by the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Roberto Garretón, in Accordance with Commission Resolution 1996/77. Addendum: Report on the Mission Carried Out at the Request of the High Commisioner for Human Rights Between 25 and 29 March 1997 to the Area Occupied by Rebels in Eastern Zaire.