Republic of the Congo: The Rally for Democracy and Development (Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le développement, RDD), including its creation, leaders and history; whether it is active in the Congo and whether its members are being targeted by the government of President Sassou Nguesso

According to MWINDA, the newspaper of the Association of Congolese Democrats in France (Association des démocrates congolais en France), Saturnin Okabé is currently the interim president of the Rally for Democracy and Development (Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le dévéloppement, RDD) (MWINDA 31 Jan. 2003). However, according to the Panafrican News Agency (PANA), Saturnin Okabé is the president (9 Dec. 2002).

In 1999, the RDD was led by former prime minister Jacques-Joachim Yhombi Opango, and his secretary general was Saturnin Okabé (The Political Handbook of the World 1999 1999, 233).

According to MWINDA:

[translation]

The RDD was created on 2 December 1990 by General Jacques-Joachim Yhombi Opango, who was released from his house arrest in the name of democracy. The former prime minister under President Pascal Lissouba, Yhombi Opango has been living in exile since the war ended in 1997 and leads his party from abroad. (31 Jan. 2003)

The 9 December 2002 PANA article corroborates this information. According to the Lettre du continent, Joachim Yhombi Opango is currently living in exile in France (2 Jan. 2003).

The Associated Press (AP) indicates that former prime minister Jacques-Joachim Opango was one of the leaders in the regime of Pascal Lissouba who were convicted by a Brazzaville court for [translation] "high treason and embezzlement" (AP 28 Dec. 2001). Jacques-Joachim Yhombi Opango was sentencted to [translation] "20 years of hard labour and fined 11 billion francs CFA" (ibid.; AFP 28 Dec. 2001).

Because the RDD called for a boycott of the 2002 general elections, it has no members of parliament (ibid. 28 June 2002; MWINDA 31 Jan. 2003; PANA 9 Dec. 2002) or senators in the Congolese parliament (ibid.; MWINDA 31 Jan. 2003).

No information on whether the leaders and members of the RDD are being targeted by the government of Sassou Nguesso could 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 additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 28 June 2002. "Législatives : large victoire des partisans de Sassou Nguesso." (NEXIS)
_____. 28 December 2001. "Pascal Lissouba condamné à 30 ans de travaux forcés." [Accessed 31 Jan. 2003]

Associated Press (AP). 28 December 2001. "L'ancien président congolais, Pascal Lissouba, condamné par contumace à 30 ans de travaux forcés pour haute trahison." [Accessed 31 Jan. 2003]

Lettre du Continent [Paris]. 2 January 2003. "La valse des colonels?" (NEXIS)

MWINDA. 31 January 2003. A.S. Mandingou-Ewo. "Nous sommes dans une tyrannie." [Accessed 31 Jan. 2003]

Panafrican News Agency (PANA). 9 December 2002. "Appel pour une table ronde en vue de résodre la crise du Pool." [Accessed 1 Feb. 2003]

The Political Handbook of the World 1999. 1999. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential [London]

Africa Research Bulletin

L'Autre Afrique [Paris]

Country Reports 1994-2001

Resource Centre country file: Congo

Jeune Afrique [Paris]

La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH [Paris] 1998-2001

LEXIS/NEXIS

Monde rebelles

Le Nouvel Afrique Asie

Internet sites, including:

ECOI NET

FIDH

HRW