Urgent Peace and Justice in the DRC- Join us in prayer and solidarity

On November 28^th, DR Congo went to cast their vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates. It is their 3^rd democratic elections since independence. The day after elections our colleagues said, “On the election day, people were excited to vote but now people have mixed feelings as they wait for the results: fear for the unknown and joy for having fulfilled their right. Especially with rumors people seem more anxious and fearful. But as for us, we are trusting in the Lord who has the history of Congo in His hands, not politicians or super powers. Let us wait and see God's plan for our country today and for the years to come!"

Great Lakes region political analyst, Laura Seay, said about the polls, “Massive problems plagued the process, including hundreds of thousands of registered voters finding their names missing from the electoral rolls, polling stations lacking sufficient numbers of ballots (and, in some cases, not having any ballots at all), and voters having little guidance on where to vote if they were at the wrong precinct. Accusations of fraud are flying, with several opposition candidates already rejecting the uncounted results and widespread reports of pre-ticked ballots, pre-stuffed ballot boxes and extra ballots being flown into the country.”

The results of the election were scheduled to be announced on December 6^th.  The week leading up to the announcement was a mix of hope and fear. Hope for change and progress in the governance of Congo; fear of violence and instability that could come from candidates vying for power. Among 11 presidential candidates there are 2 strong contenders: the incumbent, Joseph Kabila and a man who has led beside Mobutu, Etienne Tshisekedi. Kablia has propped up soldiers around the country and threatened people with violence if they didn’t vote for him. Tshisekedi hasn’t proved a peaceful alternative. On several occasions he has incited violence by asking his supporters to “terrorize” the government.

Last week Seay said it looked like, “Tshisekedi may win the election outright and, contrary to all expectations, it is within the realm of possibility that Kabila would gracefully step down and allow a transfer of power to take place. The most likely outcome, however, is that Kabila will claim victory while Tshisekedi's supporters take to the streets in protest. If this happens, the international community will likely push for a power-sharing arrangement as it did in Kenya after 2007's disputed elections. Whether Kabila and Tshisekedi could actually come to a power-sharing agreement is impossible to predict.”

Yesterday the results should have been announced. The country is being heavily patrolled and policed. There are members of the Congolese police force, UN soldiers, Congolese national army soldiers, and neighboring country military support. Some estimates say sixty-nine percent of votes have been counted. Preliminary polls show that Kabila is leading by a general margin of 10%. However, the official announcement has been postponed until Thursday.

Seay says, “The international community provided inadequate support for Congo's 2011 elections, and it is inadequately prepared to deal with any kind of violent or prolonged post-electoral crisis. Diplomatic efforts to prevent violence and bring all parties to the table should be intensified and should involve international actors at the highest levels. The International Criminal Court should follow through on its promise to closely scrutinize any violence associated with the elections. All actors should hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.”

I want to ask you to take time to pray for peace and justice to reign in the DRC. There is an African Swahili proverb that says, “When and where two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. (Wapiganapo tembo, nyasi huumia.)” May God protect the civilians, thwart plans of wicked people seeking to benefit from instability, give wisdom to those in power, bring stabilizing pressure at a macro/international level, and strengthen Congolese democracy.

Psalm 27- “The Lord is the light and salvation of the Congolese people; whom shall we fear? The Lord is the stronghold of our lives; of whom shall we be afraid? When evildoers assail us to eat up our flesh, our adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamps against us, our hearts shall not fear; though war arise against us, yet we will be confident…Hear, O Lord, when we cry aloud; be gracious to us and answer us!...Teach us your way, O Lord, and lead us on a level path despite our enemies...Give us not up to the will of our adversaries…they breathe out violence. We believe we will look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! We wait for the Lord, with courage…we wait for the Lord.”

__________________

You may be wondering, “So Chelsie, are you safe!?” The leadership of UCBC decided to send me to Kamapala, Uganda for the election period. I am here working remotely with my colleague Bethany and staying up to date on the progress of the elections. My cell phone contact is +256704361366 I’ll return to DRC when the leadership of UCBC feels it is safe and stable. Thank you for joining us in prayer and solidarity. I am happy to report that the situation in Beni has been relatively stable and no one associated with UCBC has been in harm’s way. UCBC cancelled classes yesterday and today. Most businesses in Beni were also closed. And today is my birthday! I’m blessed to have colleagues and friends here in Kampala to celebrate!

Jason Stearn's Recent Article in 'the Guardian'

The verdict of Congo's voters must not be sacrificed for 'stability'

Foreign powers who choose to look the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable
---Jason Stearns; December 5th 2011

Tens of millions of Congolese went to the polls last Monday. It was an emotional day: women with infants strapped to their back waited for hours in the sun, while elsewhere old men hobbled through knee-deep water to cast their ballots. And yet, as the country heads towards a post-election crisis, western diplomats seem ready to see the voters' verdict sacrificed for a misguided notion of stability.

These elections, the second since the end of a bloody civil war, have been mired in controversy for the past year. In January, President Joseph Kabila's party orchestrated a change in the constitution, getting rid of a runoff round of polls for the presidency. This effectively pitted opposition candidates against each other, improving Kabila's chances. The election law was also changed, allowing the ruling coalition to appoint the head of the election commission. Nonetheless, the incumbent has faced stiff competition, especially from firebrand opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who has been able to attract crowds of over 100,000 people. There has been no reliable polling, but preliminary results from voting stations suggest that the race is tight, meaning even minor rigging could be a game-changer.

Then, election day came with a crescendo of controversy. While most of the country voted peacefully, there were hundreds of incidents small and large. In the central Kasai provinces, dozens of polling stations had to close or were burned down by mobs following allegations of fraud. In the east, soldiers in Masisi territory forced voters in dozens of villages to vote for their candidate, in one case tying up voters and taking their ID cards to vote for them. In the western city of Mbandaka, the provincial governor chased opposition witnesses out of his polling station and then spent almost an hour inside before leaving.

Election results are now being compiled, with official tallies showing Kabila leading by a hefty margin. But these figures are again hotly contested, not least because the election commission has not disaggregated the results by polling station, so they can be crosschecked with those of independent observers. Opposition parties, which had officials in most polling stations countrywide, say they have proof the tallies are false. This is the basic bind the country is in: with the credibility of the election commission tarnished, neither of the main contenders will accept defeat. Tshisekedi had declared himself the winner, while Kabila's campaign has said it can't lose.

The sad truth is that it is no longer a question of whether there will be a crisis tomorrow, when official results are supposed to be announced; the question is how bad it will be. Kinshasa is simmering with rumours and anger, while police and presidential guards have been deployed in force throughout town. If Kabila is announced the winner, there will be urban unrest. If Tshisekedi perseveres, army officers in various parts of the country have threatened violence.

In the face of this predicament, the reaction of senior diplomats has been half-hearted. In a closed-door meeting of the UN security council on Friday, some European countries voiced concern at the irregularities, but the body was too divided to take a strong stance. Only one ambassador took part in the meeting; others were too busy working on Syria and Egypt. According to sources present at the meeting, the council thinks it will be difficult to know how much fraud took place and whether it affected the outcome. The priority is to prevent the UN from becoming an arbiter and to ensure stability. The fact that ambassadors find Tshisekedi an unsavoury leader does not help matters.

Their analysis and priorities are ill-founded. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has suffered from violence for the past 15 years, often due to unaccountable leadership. Looking the other way as polls are rigged will hardly make the country more stable. It is also not true that we may never get to the bottom of electoral fraud. There are around 40,000 Congolese observers from churches and civil society monitoring the polls, alongside several hundred foreigners. The election commission must urgently publish poll results in a disaggregated form, so observers can verify them. Polls should then be held again in the many places where they were cancelled, and allegations of fraud jointly investigated with international observers.

We are entering a critical period in Congolese history. Foreign countries, which provide over $3bn in aid a year to Congo, have a heavy responsibility to allow the Congolese decide their own fate. They should not shirk it.

Update on the Elections from Bethany

Visit Bethany's (my colleague at UCBC) blog for updated links to websites reporting about the DRC 2011 Elections.

Quote from a colleague in Beni, "On the election day, people were excited to vote but now people have mixed feelings as they wait for the results: fear for the unknown and joy for having fulfilled their right. Especially with rumors people seem more anxious and fearful. But as for us, we are trusting in the Lord who has the history of Congo in His hands, not politicians or super powers. Let us wait and see God's plan for our country today and for the years to come!"

Bethany's Blog

Why should the US care about elections in Congo...? Report from Laura Seay

The Atlantic Article: In Congo Elections, More Than Just Democracy at Stake

NOV 29 2011, 1:24 PM ET

The Democratic Republic of Congo has made important strides since its first-ever elections in 2006, but this week's vote could put it all at risk

LAURA SEAY - Laura Seay is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. She blogs at Texas in Africa.

A Congolese volunteer watches ballot boxes in Kinshasa / AP

Though many polling stations lacked a fraction of the necessary ballots and serious pre-election violence broke out in several places, presidential and parliamentary elections took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday as scheduled. The campaign was highly contentious; the country is still struggling to recover from nearly two decades of violence, state failure, and general insecurity. The DRC's first democratic elections since independence, in 2006, garnered lots of international attention and financial support. The 2006 polls were also contentious, but they ran remarkably smoothly, especially considering the logistical challenges of holding an election in a country so large and with such weak infrastructure.

Things are harder this year. Donor governments, which have weaker economies and plummeting foreign aid budgets, gave Congolese authorities significantly less money to assist with logistics and transportation for this year's elections. Fewer international observers will monitor fewer polling places and counting centers. Several electoral rallies and protests have turned violent, local tensions are boiling over, and leading opposition candidate Etienne Tshisekedi is now openly calling on his supporters to "terrorize" the government. International observers are increasingly concerned that the elections could result in significant violence. These fears are well-founded and the international community has no viable plans in place to address the consequences if the worst occurs.

Why should the international community care about Congo's elections, which look increasingly likely to be marred by violence? First and foremost, we should care because the DRC government's legitimacy is at stake. The Congolese government provides almost no public services or public goods, so elections and international recognition are among the few bases upon which its legitimacy rests. Many Congolese saw the 2006 elections as the international community's way of legitimating transitional president Joseph Kabila's rule. They are correct that most donor states wanted Kabila to be elected, but there is little reason to believe that Kabila did not honestly win in 2006. He had strong support in the eastern provinces, where almost all of the population supported him in the first and second round.

There were two reasons for Kabila's electoral success in the east in 2006 -- but they might not hold today. First, he ran on a platform of peace and development. Second, Kabila speaks Kiswahili, the lingua franca of the East, and ethno-linguistic voting patterns essentially determined the race.

Voters there have since become disillusioned by Kabila's failure to end the violence that plagues the region, and they have not seen the development gains he promised in the 2006 campaign. Faced with this knowledge, Kabila's party changed the country's constitution from a two-round, first-past-the-post system to a one-round, winner-takes-all system, which improves his odds at reelection. Since the opposition has failed to unite behind one candidate, it is likely that Kabila will win in this new system. While there is no reliable, systematic polling on the elections, most knowledgeable observers believe that Kabila will probably win with approximately 30 to 35 percent of the vote.

If he does, it could lead to disaster. Kabila's legitimacy as the winner will be immediately questioned, particularly by the population in Kinshasa, the capital and a major city in the country's west, where few people will know anyone who voted for Kabila. Western Congolese almost universally voted against Kabila in 2006. Today, rumors in the west run rampant that Kabila is "not really Congolese" -- his real mother, the rumor goes, is Rwandan, meaning that Kabila does not have a legitimate claim to the presidency. Yes, Congo has birthers, too.

Most members of the Congolese diaspora are stridently opposed to Kabila's rule and may use social media and other outlets to argue that he stole the election. That only a limited number of international observers are present to confirm or reject the election's validity could compound Kabila's potential legitimacy problem, as do the credible, widespread allegations of fraud in the voter registration process. Congolese voters have been watching the Arab Spring and the results produced by millions taking to the streets to protest perceived illegitimate or oppressive rule. Supporters of opposition candidates will probably not hesitate to attempt the same, though they would likely be met with a violent response. In the absolute worst-case scenario, it is unfortunately plausible that some groups could resort to attempting full-scale civil war.

Despite the ongoing troubles in the east, the DRC is more stable today than it was five years ago. Several militants groups have laid down their arms or integrated into the national army. While most people here still live in desperate poverty, there are small signs that the economy is strengthening. Transportation infrastructure is getting vastly better thanks to assistance from the Chinesegovernment. With assistance from the European Union, health care infrastructure and access are improving. But, if the 2011 elections leads to violence, all of these gains are at risk, as is the stability of the entire region. It is critical that donor states develop a plan to ensure stability during and after the election campaign. The International Criminal Court prosecutor has already warned Congolese candidates that it is watching and will claim jurisdiction over any electoral violence. This is a good first step, but more significant security and stabilization plans are critically needed -- and soon.

Congo votes.

Here is a short account of what were hearing from TV News Reports, online news sources, and friends in Beni/Butembo:

November 27th, 10pm--
"Some of the voting stations have changed last minute causing a bit of uncertainty. Not to mention that many people who paid and registered to vote over the last few months can't find their names on the voter registration records. This means they won't be able to vote tomorrow and they are starting to cry, ‘corruption!’ Despite the reports that CENI (the Congolese Electoral Commission) hasn't delivered all the ballots were being told that everyone will vote tomorrow. No delays. It's all over the radio."--friends in Beni

"Opposition leader, Tshisekedi, has been placed on house arrest for instigating violence." --Aljazeera

"People in Kinshasa have been buying machetes and sharpening them [in anticipation for election unrest]. They are saying to themselves, ‘if anybody bothers me I will use this.’ The tension is high there."--friend from Butembo

"Kabila keeps saying that he's 100% sure he's going to win and if not there's sure to be violence." --friends in Beni

November 28th, 12:00am-3:00pm--
"The elections in Beni are moving along peacefully."--facebook status update from friend in Beni

"...hundreds of thousands of voters in South Kivu are not listed in the voter registration lists...some ballots are arriving with Kabila's name already checked off..." --online blogger in South Kivu

"people who are not listed on the registration lists (in Beni) have been allowed to vote, but have to be listed separate from the registered voters. They are writing their names down on a piece of paper." --friends in Beni

"In Kinshasa, the police fired live ammunition on opposition supporters. The first assessment reported 10 deaths and 40 serious injuries according to hospital and radio sources" --online news source The Beni-Lubero

Masked gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at a polling station in Lubumbashi, the capital of  Democratic Republic of Congo's Katanga mining province, The governor of the province said as presidential elections took place on Monday."Three people were killed, seven were arrested and five handed themselves over after being surrounded by the army," Moise Katumbi, the governor of the local Katanga province told Reuters by telephone from the city. --online news source Reuters News

"I'm coming to elect and really it was amazing.so we are the ones who will make brighter day, let's start giving there's a choice we're making and we'are saving our lives cos we'll make a better day just you and me.be bless Congo DR and God the mighty be glorified in this election.thx" --facebook status update from student in Beni

"Hello out there! I'm safely back in Beni this morning. As this was my objective, once I reached home, I went immediately to vote. I'm proud of being part of my country voters. Please, let us pray for the results, especially, politicians and the population's reactions." --facebook status update from friend in Beni

Websites to follow for updates:

The Beni Lubero Online

Congo Siasa- Jason Stearn's blog about 'Congo Politics and Tribulations'

CENI- Congolese Electoral Commission 

Friends of the Congo- Election Reports

Blogs worth reading:

Texas in Africa- an academic blog for politics, security, development, and advocacy

Congo Siasa- Jason Stearn's blog about 'Congo Politics and Tribulations'

Bethany in the DR Congo- my colleague at UCBC (currently in exile with me)

The Enough Project: "The Kivus Without Kabila- A Return to Full-Out War?"- An advocacy organization looks at the political climate in North and South Kivu in relation to the current administration's use of former Rwandan soldiers in the policing the region

News reports/articles:

BBC- "Congo Votes Amid Fears of Violence" 

Voice of America Reports: Polls open in DRC Elections, African Union Proving Support for DRC Elections, Electoral Commission says DRC '99% Ready' for Elections

Aljazeera- 

DR Congo voters: What elections mean to us

Citizens in eastern DRC tell Al Jazeera why they are looking forward to national elections on November 28. HEAL Africa's Report about Elections  Mutanni Radio- Special Elections Reports

Kabila's campaign billboard; could someone please explain to me how a yacht (third picture featured in the bilboard) communicates fiscal responsibility or the interests of the Congolese people!?

"The Church Must Influence All Citizens and Permeate All Parties" -W.Temple

“The Church Must Influence All Citizens and Permeate All Parties” –W. Temple
(19th Century English Archbishop, Professor, Reformer, and Social Activist)

This morning as I wake, the 2011 Congolese elections begin. Today the Congolese people will vote for their President and 500 members of their national assembly. As I read William Temple’s reflections on social order and Christian duty I think of Congo. He said that the church’s influence on society should have two functions: making Christian principles known and enabling the Christian to reshape the existing social order. In my estimation the church in Congo has failed in the latter function.

Congolese society is converted to Christianity, but not discipled. Eighty percent of the population identifies as Christians. Theopolitician, Joseph Kiza, who teaches in the Theology and Leadership department at UCBC, says that there is a universal Christian identity but many people are simply church-goers. These people can tell you about Christian values, but does their faith equip them to change the existing social order to reflect these values? Kiza says that, “Congolese people are convinced the politicians are not Christians, yet they are in the pews with us.” If they are in church, why hasn’t their faith impacted our society?

Two years ago during a chapel service at UCBC an elderly preacher from the community shared a message with our students. He asserted, “Politics are satanic. Christians should never be involved nor run for political office lest they fall into an unholy life.” I was mortified. Later on that day a Congolese colleague explained that this was a popular Christian teaching in Congo 15 years ago. Thank God for professors like Kiza who feel differently. For the past few months professor Kiza has been speaking in churches and universities around North Kivu to share how Christians should be involved in politics.

William Temple says that political issues must take people and society as they are, not as they should be. Accordingly, the Church’s belief in Original Sin should make us sober and realistic judges of our present circumstances (Foster & Smith, 2005). Kiza challenges this notion asking people to reconsider in light of the contemporary political realities.

Kiza reminds people that the church is being used by politicians; they come to campaign and give money for church endorsements. He calls for people to recognize that the very leaders who embezzle money, lie, let impunity reign, and murder are the leaders that Christians have elected. Christians have elected the leaders under which we suffer. He insists that the church must be a part of the solution: the Congolese church must understand their identity before God and take their place in society!

God loves Congo: the people, the land, the nation, and the region of Africa in which it resides. In Genesis 1 and John 1:3 we see that God created the world. He created the land that would become Africa. He knew how Congo would be formed and the people that would live therein. God looks down from heaven; he sees a Congolese man living in a city. He loves that man. The man is created in his very image. He is unique from the other creations; given responsibility to manage the creation, community, and country. God gives dignity to that man. The State exists for the citizens, not the citizens for the state. The people in that state should extend the dignity which God bestows unto their fellow man.

In the book of Romans the apostle Paul exhorts believers to transform their actions by changing their thinking. He says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).” In the passage he goes on to speak about Christians living in harmony and honoring the contributions that each of them can make to their community. I pray that the Congolese people would continually identify things in society that can be improved (regardless of their political party or the election results) and implicate themselves in the work that it necessitates to bring change.

As the elections take place today and as the ballots are counted this coming week I hope that Congo will remain stable. I pray that the Congolese Christian community would promote peace, participate in the democratic process, and exemplify submission to governing authorities. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul assures the Christians in Rome that God has appointed their governing authorities to maintain order and justice in society, thus they should be respected (Romans 13). May this moment in Congo’s history contribute positively to the democratization of the nation.

"Beni will be a safe place...but the Congolese Police don't have what they need to control a riot..."

From the UN Nepalese Battalion chief, “I believe that the PNC and the FARDC can do this (manage the elections) but they don’t have the resources. For example when there was an uprising in September, the police and FRDC resorted to shooting in the sky. I kept telling them, ‘Don’t do that!’ and we sent out troops to go and disseminate that message. But they did that because they don’t have the batons, tear gas, shields, or rubber bullets to manage the riots. Their commanders have been trained in places like Belgium, France, and even America. But the problem is resources: they don't have what they need to handle a rioting crowd. I see Beni as a peaceful place. I don’t think we will have problems during the elections.”

This is a rough quote from the battalion chief stationed here in Kipriyani (where UCBC is located) explaining about the security situation here in Beni and his opinion of the Congolese police and army. For the elections, the Congolese police (PNC) and the Congolese national army (FARDC) will be poised to manage the population. MONUSCO will support them as long as they act in harmony with the peace mandate ‘upheld’ by the UN. However, if the PNC or FARDC acts contrarily the UN will ‘intervene’ for the protection and peace of the Congolese people.

The DRC Elections In Numbers

The 28 November DRC elections in numbers:

• 0: No female presidential candidate
• 11: The number of presidential candidates
• 37: The average number of candidates competing for one legislative seat
• 56: The number of pages each ballot has due to the large number of parliamentary candidates
• 147: The number of political parties in the DRC
• 500: The number of parliamentary seats being contested
• 62,500: Estimated number of polling stations across the country
• 32,500,000: The number of registered voters
• 64,000,000: The number of ballots printed in South Africa

Sources: CENI, MONUSCO, Carter Center, media
via Desiree Lwambo https://www.facebook.com/zwanck
Accessed 4 November 2011

The Power of Choice

"A citizen is an actor in the leadership of the state, the power of the citizen lies in their choice, they determine their future- in Congo we need to see the will of the people in choosing their leader, you have the right to choose the person who will represent you." -A. Mwaka

Today at The Christian Bilingual University of Congo (UCBC) we welcomed a guest speaker, Arsen Mwaka PhD. He grew up in Beni, and studied at the University of Kisangani, University of Kinshasa (the capital city), completed his Masters in Belgium and Doctorate in France. Today he leads The Centre for Political Science Research at the University of Kinshasa and is very involved in the administration of the CECA20 church (an Evangelical denomination here in Congo). Mwaka also serves as a consultant for the US-based organization, Global Integrity.

He exhorted the UCBC assembly to look at the situation in Congo and understand that it is because the democratic process isn't functioning like it should. He spoke about the purpose and proper functioning of a parliament. He spoke about the qualifications of a candidate for the position of deputy. He insisted that this political position demands that the candidate can read and interpret the law. They also must be able to propose new legislation and serve as an inspectors of the state's activities. Yet all the deputies that have come to represent Beni in the national parliament are under-qualified. Since independence there hasn't been a single candidate from Beni with more than an undergraduate degree. No deputy from Beni has ever proposed new legislation. However, in the last five years, the Provincial Assembly in Goma (comprised of 43 representatives) did propose one new piece legislation.

Mwaka spoke at length about the incompetence of Congolese political leaders. He gave examples of election candidates coming to say, "Yes, I have my degree in civil engineering and don't you see how I've built this city." He gave examples of candidates who come bearing gifts of salt, soda, t-shirts, or beer and asked the assembly if these gifts were sufficient signs of political legitimacy.

He said, "Look at the function of the parliament in our country. Why is everyone here wanting to become a deputy? Who has studied law? I would like to demand that people in Congo give the correct importance to these positions. We have written 2 books that are showing the identities of political leaders here in Congo. In North Kivu the people are the youngest, were influential in the war, and their first job was in campaign management...Look at what has happened in the past and where we are now. Please note their ability to perform the function for which you are electing them, not something like singing or playing soccer. The first thing he [a candidate] must do is not talk about himself, but to [be able to] read the law and lead it's implementation in his province and state."

Mwaka then gave an exhortation to the teachers and professors at UCBC. He said they are charged with the responsibility of three tasks:

1. Conducting scientific research,
2. Teaching related to that research and
3. Serve society.

He concluded by stating that his goal is that Congo's government would function like other states in the world. Mwaka said, "It is revolting to me that we are ranked as the last country in the world because we should be ranked 1st...we are the first in potential. In our country we can see a war for oil, diamonds, coltan, water, food, and more...We are a veritable salad of war." As a solution he proposed leaders who are well qualified for political office.

The assembly ended with an opportunity for the students to pose questions.