Democratic Republic of the Congo: Whether the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo-Zaïre, AFDL) was dissolved in 1999; the situation of its former members
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 11 June 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | COD102827.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Whether the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo-Zaïre, AFDL) was dissolved in 1999; the situation of its former members, 11 June 2008, COD102827.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/48d2237e23.html [accessed 31 May 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. |
Several sources report that in April 1999 then president Laurent-Désiré Kabila ordered the dissolution of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo-Zaïre, AFDL) (UK 8 Feb. 2008, Annex B; Les nouveaux mondes rebelles 2005, 233; Political Handbook of the World 2005-2006 2006, 265; see also US 23 Feb. 2000, Sec. 2b; Political Parties of the World 2005; Le Potentiel 16 May 2007; CDH 17 May 2008). However, Political Parties of the World indicates that following the assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila in 2001, his son, Joseph Kabila, took over as leader of the AFDL (2005, 135).
In a March 2008 interview in the daily Le Potentiel, Mwinyi Hamza Badjoko, the president of the Democratic Party / New Political Generation (Parti démocrate / Nouvelle génération politique), stated that the AFDL [translation] "became the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (Parti du peuple pour la reconstruction et la démocratie, PPRD), the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (Mouvement de libération du Congo, MLC) and the Congolese Rally for Democracy (Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie, RCD)" (31 Mar. 2008). In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, the Secretary General of the Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (Centre des droits de l'homme et du droit humanitaire, CDH) in Lubumbashi stated that [translation] "some AFDL members formed the PPRD, and others formed the RCD" (17 May 2008). The Collective of Youth Solidarity Organizations in Congo-Kinshasa (Collectif des organisations des jeunes solidaires du Congo-Kinshasa, COJESKI-RDC), a network of 340 youth associations working primarily in the area of human rights and that has consultative status with the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council, stated in a submission to the UN Human Rights Council that the founders of the AFDL had formed the RCD-Goma in 1998, and then had formed the National Congress for the Defence of the People (Convention nationale pour la défense du peuple, CNDP) in 2005 (COJESKI-RDC 13 Mar. 2008).
Further information on the AFDL and the situation of its former members could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
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 sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Centre des droits de l'homme et du droit humanitaire (CDH) [Lubumbashi]. 17 May 2008. Correspondence from the Secretary General to the Research Directorate.
Collectif des organisations des jeunes solidaires du Congo-Kinshasa (COJESKI-RDC). 13 March 2008. "Situation des droits de l'homme en RDC : communication du COJESKI-RDC auprès du Conseil des droits de l'homme des Nations Unies." (sociétécivile.cd)
Les nouveaux mondes rebelles : conflits, terrorisme et contestations. 2005. "République démocratique du Congo." Edited by Jean-Marc Balencie and Arnaud de la Grange. Paris: Éditions Michalon.
Political Handbook of the World 2005-2006. 2006. "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Edited by Arthur Banks, Thomas Muller and William Overstreet. Washington, DC: CQ Press.
Political Parties of the World. 2005. "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Edited by Bogdan Szajkowski. London: John Harper Publishing.
Le Potentiel [Kinshasa]. 31 March 2008. Olivier Dioso. "Mwinyi Hamza Badjoko : 'On ne gère pas un pays en se lamentant, en jouant au cache-cache'."
_____. 16 May 2007. Rich Ngapi. "Cinq questions à Babi Mbayi."
United Kingdom (UK). 8 February 2008. Border and Immigration Agency. "Country of Origin Information Report: Democratic Republic of the Congo."
United States (US). 23 February 2000. Department of State. "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Representatives of La Voix des sans voix (VSV) and the Ligue des droits de la personne dans la région des Grands Lacs (LDGL) did not respond to requests for information within the time constraints for this Response.
Publications: Nations of the World: A Political, Economic and Business Handbook.
Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential [London], Agence France-Presse (AFP), allAfrica.com, Amnesty International (AI), L'Avenir [Kinshasa], British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Europa World Plus, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Jeuneafrique.com, Ligue des droits de la personne dans la région des Grands Lacs (LDGL), L'Observateur [Gombe], Le Phare [Kinshasa], Radio France internationale (RFI), Le Soft [Kinshasa], Le Soir [Brussels], United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo, MONUC), United States (US) Department of State, World News Connection (WNC).
