Photo: Gabriel Wamenya.

Goma, 30 August 2011 – The appointment of an army colonel, Zabuloni Muniatware, commonly called "Col. Zabuloni", as the new Police Chief in the Masisi territory, Nord Kivu province, has stirred up tension in a region hitherto adversely affected by insecurity because of the presence of several armed groups. Alerted shortly after the incident, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) sent a delegation to inquire about the situation.

The UN delegation, led by the Officer-in-Charge of the UN Mission in Nord Kivu, Mr. Axel Queval, also included representatives of Civil Affairs, Human Rights, Child Protection and Public Information Divisions.

Upon arrival, the delegation met with the local authorities who briefed them on the background to the crisis, and informed them about the mechanisms put in place to protect the civilian population. According to the authorities, the crisis is politically motivated and not ethnic-based as is being rumored. This reality is evidenced by the fact that different communities, irrespective of ethnic origins, staged public protests to reject the appointment of Col. Zabuloni.

"We have no problems with Zabuloni, he is our son. But we instead denounce the criminal acts that he committed," said a woman leader at a meeting with civil society associations. Having committed such acts in the past, the local population considers Col Zabuloni a "criminal", and as such, categorically rejects his appointment as the new Police Chief in their territory.

He is accused of having committed various kinds of atrocities against the population during the war between the National Congress for the Defence of the People (in French: Congrès national pour la défense du peuple, CNDP) and Government forces. CNDP, now a political party, was established in 2006 as a political armed militia to protect eastern DRC's minority Tutsi population against Hutu militias. Since then, Col. Zabuloni was allegedly in command of a parallel police with its stronghold in Kibabi until his controversial appointment three weeks ago.

The Head of the UN delegation to Masisi, Mr. Queval, reiterated the determination of MONUSCO to fully implement its mandate by protecting civilian populations wherever their lives are threatened.

Since the rejection of his appointment by the local population, Col. Zabuloni has established his military Headquarters at Lushebere, about six km away from Masisi-centre.

Koumbo Singa Gali/ MONUSCO