“One Day to Remember…The Forgotten War of the DR Congo in the Context of the Great Lakes Region”

PRESS RELEASE

Asylum Seekers, Refugees and South African Youths Gather in Cape Town
To Remember the War in the DR Congo

“One Day to Remember…The Forgotten W ar of the DR Congo in the Context of the Great Lakes Region” is the title of an raising event organized by Unity for Tertiary Refugee Students (UTRS), NPO in waiting, in cooperation with the United Africa Society (UAS) of Herzlia High School and the Congolese Diaspora in Cape Town, held on 23rd August 2009 from 9:30 to 4:30 at Herzlia High School in Cape Town. The main objective of this event that took place on the International Day for the Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery, was to remind the world about a modern day humanitarian crisis, the story of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the root causes of the ongoing conflict through a full day awakening which presented it from a regional perspective.

The Great Lakes Region has witnessed over the past decades a series of conflicts which have unfolded in Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda oftentimes with a domino effect. During fifteen years of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo more than 6 million people have lost their lives, rape has been used systematically as a weapon of war, thousands of youths have forcibly joined rebel and war lords’ armies, natural resources have been and continue to be plundered by TNCs and foreign governments, the education and health care systems have collapsed, over 1 million people are internally displaced and thousands have become refugees in the neighboring and farer countries, including the Republic of South Africa. In spite of this, the ongoing conflict of the story of the DR Congo hardly ever makes it to the media. The crisis is rendered silent and is forgotten by the world.

The event was particularly wanted by the South African Holocaust Foundation and the Congolese community of Cape Town. Several experts contributed to a panel discussion, including Kathryn Sturman Head of the Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme at the of the South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA), Charles Obol, Chief Operating Officer at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Marian Matshikiza, Great Lakes Project Leader at the Institute for the Healing of Memories and Tom Butcher, the author of the book Blood River, A Journey Through Africa’s Broken Heart. Refugees and asylum seekers from the Great Lakes shared their personal stories of living in war, persecution, flight and how the became asylum seekers and sought refuge in South Africa. All participants were invited thereafter to share traditional African food from the Great Lakes region and enjoy the performances of refugee artists from the Great Lakes who showcased the cultures of their home countries through poetry, dance, drama, song, instrumental music and visual arts.

This event brought was attended by around 120 people, including refugee and asylum seekers from all over Africa, leaders of the Congolese community and Congolese associations in South Africa, secondary and tertiary South African and refugee students, representatives from NGOs, civil society organizations and refugee service providers in the Western Cape.

Contact:

Jamala Safari,
Event Coordinator