a human rights defender and member of a human rights defenders’ network based in Jomba, North Kivu province
Cases- Case status
- Unknown
- Location of case in SG report
- 2023-036-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2023
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: -4.038333
Longitude: 21.758664
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
- UN Peace Operation / Political mission
- Dates of prior UN action
- 10 August 2022
- Type of record
- Unnamed individual/group/organization
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Type of rights defended
- Accountability & impunity
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
shared information with MONUSCO on the alleged violence and abuse against the local population.
- Engagement with UN body
- OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
- UN Peace Operation / Political mission
- Type of attempted engagement
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- July 2022
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- North Kivu Province, DRC
- Reprisal information
July 2022, a human rights defender and member of a human rights defenders’ network based in Jomba, North Kivu province, received several death threats on the phone and visits at home by members of an armed group that had occupied several localities in the neighbourhood. Reportedly, members of the armed group accused the defender of having shared information with MONUSCO on the alleged violence and abuse against the local population. With UNJHRO assistance, the defender relocated twice, but he continues to receive threats from members of the armed group.
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- Non-state actor(s)
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
With UNJHRO assistance, the defender relocated twice, but he continues to receive threats from members of the armed group.
- Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
- No
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 1
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2024
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of a human rights defender and member of a human rights defenders’ network based in Jomba, North Kivu Province, who had received several death threats on the phone and visits at home by members of an armed group for having shared information with MONUSCO, was included in the 2023 report of the Secretary General. 81 According to information received by OHCHR, in August 2023, he observed the presence of unknown persons suspected to be affiliated with the M23 around his accommodation; the individuals appeared to be tracking his movements. As a result, he moved to a different location. In December 2023, unknown individuals attacked him, stole his phones, and threatened that they would behead him for his “stupid connections with the human rights office”. The human rights defender is under continued surveillance by the authorities and has been living in constant fear.
- On 17 July 2024, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report.
- Followup Trends 0
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes