Democratic Republic of Congo: Joseph Mukungubila's church and the 30 December 2013 attacks, including the individuals involved; treatment of the church members and of Mr. Mukungubila's family by the authorities (2006 April 2014)

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Joseph Mukungubila's Church

Sources present Joseph Mukungubila [also called Paul-Joseph Mukungubila Mutombo and Gideon Mukungubila] as a self-proclaimed "prophet" (France 24 30 Dec. 2013; Jeune Afrique 30 Dec. 2013). He is also known as the leader of a politico-religious movement, the [translation] "Ministry of Restoration from Black Africa" (Ministère de la restauration à partir de l'Afrique noire) (ibid.; France 24 30 Dec. 2013). The headquarters of this movement is located in Lubumbashi [Katanga province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)] (Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). France 24 - a group of three television channels providing continuous news - reports however that he is a former soldier (France 24 30 Dec. 2013).

According to the online news site Afrik.com, Mukungubila is known as a [translation] "visionary" (Afrik.com 30 Dec. 2013). He pledges to free the Congolese people from [translation] "Rwandan slavery" (Jeune Afrique 30 Dec. 2013). On the Ministry of Restoration from Black Africa website, Mukungubila is described as [translation] "the prophet of the eternal"; his message is "to announce the Gospel, [and] declare a day of revenge from God," and his mission is to [translation] "set things right before the return of the Lord Jesus" (Ministère de la restauration à partir de l'Afrique noire n.d.). Sources describe this church as [translation] "the church of sacrificers of latter day saints" (La Prospérité 6 Jan. 2014; Xinhua 4 Jan. 2014). Other names for Mukungubila's church could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In an interview with France 24, a Congolese journalist states that Mukungubila is known for having "always condemned and launched verbal attacks against the government" (30 Dec. 2013). Sources state that before the 30 December 2013 attacks (reported below), Mukungubila had written an open letter [or two (Jeune Afrique 31 Dec. 2013)] expressing his displeasure with President Kabila (Jeune Afrique 31 Dec. 2013; The Telegraph 30 Dec. 2013), accusing him of being "too close" to Rwanda (ibid.). According to sources, Mukungubila was a candidate in the 2006 presidential election (ibid.; Jeune Afrique 31 Dec. 2013).

2. 30 December 2013 Attacks

According to sources, on 30 December 2013, the city of Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, faced multiple attacks attributed to armed groups led by Mukungubila (France 24 30 Dec. 2013; Jeune Afrique 31 Dec. 2013; Afrik.com 30 Dec. 2013). They attacked the headquarters of the Congolese National Radio and Television (Radio télévision nationale congolaise, RTNC), the airport in Kinshasa and the Tshatshi military camp (ibid.; Le Soir with AFP 30 Dec. 2013). Other sources state that the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense was also attacked (Jeune Afrique 30 Dec. 2013; The Telegraph 30 Dec. 2013).

Sources report that some armed men entered the RTNC headquarters and took two journalists hostage; then a statement, apparently written by Mukungubila, was read on the radio, promising to free the Congolese people from "Rwandan slavery" (ibid.; France 24 30 Dec. 2013). Shortly after that takeover, [translation] "intense fire" rang out at the International Airport of Kinshasa (Afrik.com 30 Dec. 2013).

An Afrik.com article published on the same day of the attacks reports that the authorities stated that they had regained control of the situation in Kinshasa, [translation] "including at the airport" (ibid.).

According to news articles published in the days following the event, the attacks in the capital led to the deaths of between 40 (The Telegraph 30 Dec. 2013; France 24 30 Dec. 2013; Jeune Afrique 30 Dec. 2013) and just over 100 people (Reuters 31 Dec. 2013; Xinhua 4 Jan. 2014). An Afrikarabia article states that [translation] "the attack by the Congolese security forces" resulted in 43 deaths among Mukungubila's followers (6 Mar. 2014). However, in March 2014, Afrikarabia also reported that according to a report produced by local NGOs, 214 people were [translation] "shot dead" (Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). These NGOs also reported [translation] "the excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force, particularly using war weapons" (ibid.).

During an interview with France 24 on 30 December 2013, Mukungubila admitted that some of his followers were among the attackers. Then, in an interview granted to Jeune Afrique on 31 December 2013, Mukungubila stated that his followers committed these attacks because [translation] "he had just been attacked for the fifth time by the ruling power in Kinshasa." He stated that the attack had not been premeditated and that it was instead an [translation] "act of anger" that he called "spontaneous" (Jeune Afrique 31 Dec. 2013). He also stated that the attackers were not armed (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Treatment of Mukungubila's Followers

A report published in 2006 by the United Nations Organization Mission in the DRC (Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies en RDC, MONUC) states the following:

[UN English version]

A presidential candidate, Pastor Paul Joseph Mukungubila, was threatened and 18 of his supporters were arbitrarily arrested in Kinshasa on 5 April and illegally detained for three days. Four mini-buses and two trucks full of military and police officers arrived at the pastor's private residence to carry out the arrests (UN 27 July 2006).

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3.1 Treatment of Mukungubila's Followers After the 30 December 2013 Attacks

According to the media, the government authorities of Katanga province closed Mukungubila's church following the 30 December 2013 attacks (Xinhua 4 Jan. 2014; La Prospérité 6 Jan. 2014).

According to an article published by Jeune Afrique, Déborah Nkulu, daughter of Mukungubila, stated that after the 30 December 2013 attacks, Mukungubila's followers were [translation] "tracked down" by law enforcement and that "some women from Pastor Mukungubila's church were even raped before being arrested. Other followers were buried alive" (11 Mar. 2014). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to an article published by Afrikarabia, a news website in the DRC and in Central Africa, a report by local NGOs states that [translation] "several hundred followers of Pastor Mukungubila were taken prisoner in Lubumbashi and in Kolwezi" (Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

4. Treatment of Joseph Mukungubila's Family Members

According to sources, Mukungubila's family fled Lubumbashi in January 2014 after the 30 December 2013 attacks (ibid.; Jeune Afrique 11 Mar. 2014). An Afrikarabia article states that [translation] "seven of [Mukungubila's] wives, along with their sisters and children, fled from Lubumbashi and sought refuge in neighbouring Zambia … at the height of the police repression" (Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). Sources state that 11 or 12 relatives of Pastor Mukungubila were arrested in Zambia on 14 January 2014 and detained in the capital, Lusaka (ibid.; Jeune Afrique 11 Mar. 2014). Without documents or with fake identities, Mukungubila's relatives applied for asylum in Zambia, fearing "'persecution'" if they were returned to the DRC (ibid.). Sources state that the Zambian authorities rejected the applications twice (ibid.; Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). According to the Afrikarabia article, the applications for political asylum were submitted with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (ibid.).

A Jeune Afrique article states that Déborah Nkulu identified her mother, five other wives of Mukungubila, a four-month-old boy, a four-year-old girl, a cousin, two sisters from other wives of the pastor, and a wife who is a member of Mukungubila's church as the people who had fled to Zambia (11 Mar. 2014).

In an interview with Afrikarabia, Rossi Ampion, who is a member of the Human Rights League (Ligue des droits de l'homme, LDH) and [translation] "is closely tied to the Mukungubila movement," stated that there is "a real manhunt in Katanga [a province in the RDC] to track down members of [the] Mukungubila movement" (Afrikarabia 6 Mar. 2014). According to Afrikarabia, the political relations between Zambia and the DRC are "excellent": the president of Zambia is "one of the closest allies of Joseph Kabila in the region" (ibid.). According to Rossi Ampion, that is why Zambia refuses to accept Mukungubila's family members as refugees (ibid.). Similarly, in an interview with Jeune Afrique, Déborah Nkulu states that Zambia's refusal is just a [translation] "political conspiracy":

When the Zambian president and his Congolese counterpart are on good terms, Lusaka's position in this matter is a concern because the Zambian authorities even threaten to return these relatives of Pastor Mukungubila to the DRC … All of these people risk being killed if Zambia sends them back to the DRC (Jeune Afrique 11 Mar. 2014).

Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

According to Jeune Afrique, an advisor to the DRC Minister of the Interior stated that [translation] "being a member of [Joseph Mukungubila's] … family is not an offence," and that his relatives "have done nothing wrong and are welcome in their national territory" (ibid.).

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

Afrik.com. 30 December 2013. Assanatou Baldé. "Tentative de coup d'État en RDC, 40 morts." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2014]

Afrikarabia. 6 March 2014. Christophe Rigaud. "Des proches du pasteur Mukungubila menacés d'expulsion en Zambie." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2014]

France 24. 30 December2013. Leela Jacinto. "Who Is Congo's Mukungubila: 'Prophet' or Coup Mastermind?" [Accessed 14 Apr. 2014]

Jeune Afrique. 11 March 2014. Trésor Kibangula. "RDC : détenues en Zambie, six femmes du pasteur Mukungubila craignent pour leur vie." [Accessed 22 Apr. 2014]

_____. 31 December 2013. Trésor Kibangula. "RDC - Paul-Joseph Mukungubila : 'Ils nous ont massacrés pour rien'." [Accessed 23 Apr. 2014]

_____. 30 December 2013. Mathieu Olivier and Trésor Kibangula. "RDC : quatre choses à savoir sur Paul-Joseph Mukungubila." [Accessed 22 Apr. 2014]

Ministère de la restauration à partir de l'Afrique noire. N.d. "Accueil." [Accessed 29 Apr. 2014]

La Prospérité [Kinshasa]. 6 January 2014. Grace Ewawa. "Katanga : l'église de Mukungubila fermée!" [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014]

Reuters. 31 December 2013. "Congo 'Prophet' Mukungubila Says Criticism of Kabila Prompted Violence." [Accessed 24 Apr. 2014]

Le Soir [Bruxelles] with Agence France-Presse (AFP). 30 December 2013. "Prise d'otages en RDC : la tentative de coup d'État est peu plausible." [Accessed 16 Apr. 2014]

The Telegraph. 30 December 2013. Aislinn Laing. "Kinshasa on Edge as Attempted Coup Put Down in Democratic Republic of Congo." [Accessed 14 Apr. 2014]

United Nations (UN). 27 July 2006. United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). La situation des droits de l'homme en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) au cours de la période de janvier à juin 2006. [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014]

Xinhua. 4 January 2014. "RDC : l'Église du prophète Mukungubila fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre." [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Reporters sans frontières.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential; Africa Time; Afrik.com; AllAfrica; Amnesty International; British Broadcasting Corporation; ecoi.net; Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; Small Arms Survey; United Nations - MONUSCO, Refworld; United States - Department of State.