Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas

May you have a blessed and joyful celebration of Christmas with your family and loved ones!

Merry Christmas, with love from Bethany and Noé

Friday, December 23, 2011

Tshisekedi held "inauguration"

And it just keeps getting more interesting...

Today, Friday, Etienne Tshisekedi was sworn in to office, or he gave an oath to be a democratic president, in his home, since he is claiming to be the president of the DR Congo.

DR. Congo's Tshisekedi takes 'presidential oath' - AFP
DR Congo police block entry to Tshisekedi inauguration - BBC News
SMS Messaging Suspended Until Further Notice - Eurasia Review

It's frustrating that text messaging is still not working in the country. It's hard for our friends to communicate with one another... In a country where phone calls are not very cheap, sending text messages can sometimes be the most affordable means of communication.

We need to continue to pray for the country, it's leaders, police, politicians and the international community... To act justly, with mercy and love for the Congolese people.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Clinton disappointed by DRC election - UPI

Once again, here are a few links to check out about more news and information on the DR Congo and the recent elections.
And lastly, here is a message On Gift-Giving, from UCBC President, Dr. David Kasali: click here to read the full letter

In our many years spent in the U.S., people often asked us how we celebrate Christmas in Africa. Here in Congo we decorate churches with palm-tree leaves, slaughter goats and chickens, spend hours in church singing and hearing nativity stories, followed by afternoon feasting with friends and family. We don't have the NBA or NFL to entertain us, but we certainly build community around food.


Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Recent Responses to the Elections

Hello friends,

After the elections were officially announced on December 9th, Kabila was sworn in as President of the DR Congo, for the second time, yesterday, December 20th.

There has been international skepticism but not much openly voiced about the elections in Congo.

Violence has eased, but there are still reports of conflict especially in the large cities.

Below are several links to reports on what's going on in Congo now, after the elections. Please check them out and continue to remember the DRC.


Thanks,
Bethany

Friday, December 9, 2011

Kabila wins

Joseph Kabila has been declared the winner of the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The results were just announced and I was able to listen to them (in part) on the radio (Radio Okapi) from here in Kampala.

Kabila declared winner of DR Congo poll - Al Jazeera News
DR Congo election: Joseph Kabila 're-elected' - BBC News

Not very surprising news.
But now we know.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

DR Congo election results postponed - Al Jazeera News

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/12/2011128994408623.html


Early morning Kinshasa

Electoral body says all 60,000 ballots boxes have not been counted and will release results Friday.


Maybe today?

Thanksgiving dinner, 2011
Please check out my colleague Chelsie's blog with an update on the elections. Chelsie Frank in the Congo:
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.
Also, Jason Stearns updated some vote figures... It's interesting, for sure. Go to his blog by clicking here.

Averting Disaster in the Congo - Huffington Post - blog by Ben Affleck, Cindy McCain and Anthony W. Gambino

Today is supposed to be the day when the election results are announced. It seems likely that whether just or not (as Adam Nossiter of the NY Times indicates in 
After Vote, Congo Braces for Expressions of Discord), Kabila will win the election.

Not so surprising to most. But still disappointing to many.
 So we continue to wait for the official results.

Please keep on praying for our friends and colleagues in the DR Congo.


Thank you.

Bethany


Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!! I love you both so much!!! 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Another 48 Hours...

North Kivu, January, 2010
...Until the results will be released. 
Or so they say.
So we continue to wait.


In the meantime, Pray for:

Calm and peace in Beni after shootings yesterday morning. They were (likely) not election-related. But it initially caused a lot of alarm among the population during the early hours of the morning. 
(Roughly) translated into English from Radio Okapi Beni: 3 dead and 3 injured in clashes between FARDC and ADF-Nalu, the article is posted here in case you do not have a translation program in your browser:

Three people were killed and three others injured Tuesday, December 6 this morning at Beni in North Kivu, in the clashes between the FARDC and the Mai-Mai militia Ruwenzori associated with Ugandan rebels of the ADF-NALU. Calm has returned to this city and military authorities assured that the situation was under control. 
Two attackers were killed and another wounded, said Colonel Ngeleka Celestin, the spokesperson of "Operation Safisha Ruwenzori," responsible for the disarmament of the rebels of the ADF-NALU. Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) had two injuries in their ranks, the source said. 
An independent source confirmed that an officer of the Directorate of Revenue of North Kivu (DGNRK) was also killed and another National Fund for road maintenance (Foner), seriously injured in Mabolio area south-west Beni. 
It is in this area that the Ugandan rebels of the ADF-NALU and the Mai-Mai Rwenzori launched early this Tuesday, December 6, their assault on FARDC positions in the city. According to Colonel Ngeleka Celestin, the attackers have besieged the areawhere is the Beni central prison. " They wanted to attack the State Police Headquarters and the dungeon of the military prosecutor's office to release all prisoners , "he said. 
Beni was like a ghost town after the clashes, witnesses said. 
The mayor of Beni, Masumuko Bwanakawa called the local population for calm and go about her normal activities. 
Since last Friday, Beni was already under heavy military guard. Sunday, December 4th, the army was on high alert following the leaflets dropped in the city announcing an imminent attack by the rebels of the ADF-NALU.

Pray for the entire country, as we found out late last night that the results will not be posted until Thursday.
DR Congo election results delayed by 48 hours - BBC News 
Congo's delayed election results raise fears of a return to war - The Guardian
     This article focuses mainly on what's going on in the capital, Kinshasa.  
ICC watching DRC vote - Independent Online
Democratic Republic of Congo: Failed but hopeful - Huffington Post
Beyond Elections in the Congo - Canadian International Council 
With tensions high, people are still hoping for a peaceful reception of the results. Since there are lots of soldiers stationed throughout the cities and country-side, it's hard to know how or if that will even be possible. 

Congolese men and women in other cities around the world have been demonstrating against corruption, rigging and fraudulent vote results in the DR Congo. Unfortunately, some of these protests have turned violent.
DR Congo protesters clash with police in London - AFP 
DR Congo protests flare in Canada - AFP

As a dear friend in Beni told me, the biggest concern is for Kinshasa and what will happen there... Whenever the results are announced. So pray for Kinshasa and the citizens there



Pray for the people of the DR Congo; pray for peace, freedom, safety, justice, and the future of this country. 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Of course, there are delays...

North Kivu, 10 January 2009
...So results may not even be released today.
Or some may be announced.
Who knows.

We're still waiting!

Congo scrambles to tally votes as tensions mount - Reuters
"Partial preliminary results issued so far, representing nearly 70 percent of the ballots cast, give Kabila a 10-point lead over his chief rival, Etienne Tshisekedi."
Congo's crucial crossroads - CNN blog
"With up to 20% of polling places subject to irregularities, including election violations, with the counting process also filled with irregularities and disorganization, and with little confidence in the neutrality and impartiality of the central Congolese organizations responsible for certifying the elections how can the Congolese ever establish in a reasonable fashion who they chose to be their next President?"

Waiting for election results.

At 9am in Kampala, Uganda... We're waiting to hear the announcement of the results in the DRC.
The CENI website (http://www.cei-rdc.cd/) is not loading... Maybe it's down with too many visitors?

Some friends in Congo yesterday told us that text messaging services had been suspended within the country. People can send international text messages, but not inside of the country. I believe they can receive messages from international numbers as well.

Additionally, some cities had curfews yesterday and maybe even on Sunday night.

There are lots of soldiers in North Kivu... People are anxiously waiting for the results to be announced, supposedly that will happen today.

So for now, we are waiting.

A few more articles that I've found which you may want to read, especially this op-ed piece on the Guardian by Jason Stearns, which is quoted in part below. Click the link (or here) to read the full article.
"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


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.
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. 
And other recent articles to read: 
Congolese crisis - The Nation 
DRC: Ceni publishes the fourth partial results of the presidential election - Radio Okapi - In French (but you can translate the page using translate.google.com). This says that Kabila is winning in both North and South Kivus by a large margin... Seems unlikely. 
DR Congo's Kabila leads top rival day before final result - AFP 
Clashes erupt in Congo ahead of vote results - Reuters 
How wars and poverty have saved DR Congo's forests - BBC - But this is election time, not time to talk about the rain forest!  
Congo election: Joseph Kabila leads in early results - The Guardian  
DR Congo 'to use army in event of poll chaos' - Al Jazeera News, video on YouTube 
I'll post again when we know the results, if they will even be published or announced today. 
Continuing to pray,
Bethany 

Monday, December 5, 2011

"In DR Congo, Kabila finally comes of age"

More articles and updates for you....

But first, my favorite one so far! I just had to post this one:
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000047793&cid=349
In DR Congo, Kabila finally comes of age - The Standard (Kenya)
By Peter Wanyonyi
It is not for nothing that African presidents are described as ‘big’ men. Few elective positions in the world confer upon an individual the kind of power, prestige and money that an African gets by becoming leader of his or her country.
Whisper this quietly, too, but since African leaders are always men, save for those confused Liberians, being president also provides unfettered access to fellow citizens of the fairer gender.
In the pantheon of Africa’s Big Men, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Joseph Kabila has largely been a benign, reluctant presence. Unlike many of his peers, he didn’t come to power via a coup, a bush war or rigged elections. He inherited his position when a trusted bodyguard summarily dispatched his father to the other world. 
He was a slow learner, President Joseph Kabila. But no one can blame him. After all, he wasn’t even married when he became president of the DRC and as every villager knows, precious little can be expected of a man without a woman in the house. But as soon as a woman steps into a man’s world, matters change rapidly for the better. Focus is acquired, ambitions to own things suddenly materialise, and a ruthless pursuit of happiness ensues, driven by the needs of the real boss — Madam. 
Mad men
And so it is that President Kabila is finally coming of age. Pressed into agreeing to an allegedly democratic vote by his budget support partners, President Kabila finally acceded to elections, which are currently ongoing.
But the DRC is a strange place. Even mad men will wonder why a country that is wealthier than any other on earth — at least in terms of natural resources — should need budgetary support. After all, what is so difficult about digging holes in the ground, hauling minerals out of them and spreading them on the market. 
To be fair, though, President Kabila was willing to go along with the faÁade of democratic elections until someone — some say from South East Asia with an eye on the minerals of the DRC — whispered things into the Presidential ear. 
Whereupon the opposition candidate, who looked like he was making a fair shake of grabbing actual votes, discovered to his surprise that he wasn’t really supposed to campaign that hard, because there is no way he could win even if he did garner the most votes. 
You remember Uganda’s Dr Kiiza Besigye, don’t you?

And for a few more links... 
Church leaders warn of pending violence in Democratic Republic of Congo - The Telegraph
Editorial - The Times (South Africa)
Congo’s election commission says President Joseph Kabila leads in early vote results
*Note: I'm not sure where some of the sources for this information came from... But I don't agree with all of it... Especially the "reasons" for the delays in voting... Porters carrying the ballots on their heads? What about all of those planes we read about (how many were there?), which were rented to deliver ballots all over the country? 
Congo opposition rejects early presidential vote results - Reuters
Congo Siasa - Jason Stearns' blog

Sunday, December 4, 2011

DR Congo opposition leader issues warning over vote tally

More reasons to continue to pray for the DR Congo...

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2011/12/dr-congo-opposition-leader-issues-warning-over-vote-tally/
DR Congo opposition leader issues warning over vote tally
December 4, 2011


KINSHASA, Dec 4 - Veteran DR Congo opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi on Saturday issued a veiled threat of fresh violence after saying he rejected early election results showing President Joseph Kabila ahead.

Veteran DR Congo opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi /AFP

Monday’s vote, just the second since back-to-back wars that gripped the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1996 to 2003, was marred by deadly violence and rioting at polling centres and the long wait for results has been filled with tensions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) released updated results Saturday showing Kabila ahead of Tshisekedi by 51 percent to 34 percent, with 33 percent of polling centres counted.
But the tally included more of the incumbent’s traditional strongholds in the restive central African country than those of his main rival.
Tshisekedi said his party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), had a warning for Kabila and CENI chief Daniel Ngoy Mulunda.
“I’m warning Mr Ngoy Mulunda that the UDPS not only rejects these results, but warns Mr Ngoy Mulunda and Mr Kabila to respect the will of the Congolese people in publishing the results that will follow,” he said.
“I’m going to say that, if they don’t, they risk committing suicidal acts. I call all our people to stay vigilant so that if needed they can execute the orders I will give them.”
The latest results included 55 percent of polling centres in Katanga province, where Kabila is traditionally popular, but just three percent of polling centres in Kinshasa, where Tshisekedi has strong support.
The other nine candidates were trailing far behind. Ex-national assembly speaker Vital Kamerhe was in third place with five percent.
Provisional results were originally not expected until Tuesday, but the CENI decided to release early returns from Friday, saying it wanted to staunch the flood of rumours and false reports about the count.
It said it would again provide a new update Sunday. The supreme court is due to declare a final official result from the race on December 17.
The long wait for the outcome has filled with speculation, conspiracy theories and dirty tricks.
The CENI said its website had been hacked Friday and fake results showing Tshisekedi in the lead were briefly posted there. 
On the streets of Kinshasa, a table of results purportedly from the non-existent International Democracy Observatory showed Kabila up by 22 points.
As a host of election-related rumours circulated by text message, SMS service crashed Friday evening in Kinshasa.
Rumours immediately emerged that the government had ordered cell phone operators to interrupt text messaging — speculation the government and leading mobile company Vodacom both denied.
But an interior ministry source told AFP Saturday that the government had in fact ordered cell phone operators to block texting services indefinitely “because of the diffusion of false results.”
Adding to the charged atmosphere, Human Rights Watch said Friday that election-related violence had killed at least 18 civilians.
The New York-based rights group said most of the victims were shot dead by Kabila’s presidential guard near the capital’s main airport during a crackdown on Tshisekedi supporters who had gathered for his final campaign rally Saturday.
Other civilians were killed and wounded during clashes between rival parties, attacks by armed groups and mob violence, HRW said.
The government said Saturday it had ordered a military inquiry into the report.
“(The government) wants to get to the bottom of this story, and insistently asks HRW to hand in all elements and information in its possession, which is an obligation under Congolese law, so that punishments can be imposed if necessary,” said government spokesman and communications minister Lambert Mende.
Earlier, Mende had told AFP: “There wasn’t a single person killed or wounded” near the airport.
He acknowledged some of the report’s findings, but accused HRW of making “gratuitous accusations” against the presidential guard, which he said fired shots in the air to disperse a hostile crowd.
The UN Security Council added its voice Friday to the multiplying calls for peace, saying “all candidates should maintain a calm and peaceful environment, exercise restraint, await the results… and resolve their differences peacefully."

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Cycling to Power in DR Congo? - BBC News

I loved this article! Chris told us, or at least I first heard about it from him, a few weeks ago! Hope you enjoy reading...

Cycling to Power in DR Congo? - BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15873044



For 20 years, Alphonse Awenze Makiaba has been transporting anything from farm produce to passengers on his bicycle, commonly known as a toleka in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
But the largely penniless "tolekist" - who wears tattered jeans and open shoes - is the centre of attention in the eastern city of Kisangani after he announced his candidature for a national parliamentary seat in elections due on 28 November - a job that comes with a monthly salary of $10,000 (£6,400).
At the official launch of the campaign last month, Mr Makiaba, a 47-year-old bachelor, hit the road in a unique way.
Unlike many of his competitors who put up flashy posters and mounted loud speakers on cars to garner support, he reported to work on his rickety bicycle, seeing each passenger as a potential voter and making sure that none of them reached their destination without agreeing to back him at the polls.


Within a short time, news of his candidacy spread like a bush fire around Kisangani - not surprising as Mr Makiaba is the first bicycle taxi-owner to seek parliamentary office in the country.
He is running against 200 candidates in one of five seats up for grabs in Kisangani - a mining city of more than 600,000 people.
Mr Makiaba, although poor, is very charismatic and emotional about politics.
"I cannot believe what is happening. My desire was just to help people. I did not know it would turn out this way," he says on the campaign trail. "Look at the sea of people supporting me - I cannot believe it. Maybe god wants to use me as a saviour."
At Kisangani's central market, women, men and youths were swept away by the candidate, who presently earns, at most, $2 a day, mainly by transporting goods between markets and the homes of his clients, most of whom are housewives.
'Nepotism'
"We have known him for years. He is one of us and I think he understands the pain of being a poor man in DR Congo and has our interests at heart," Alphonse Bahia says animatedly.
His fellow tolekists are leading his election campaign.
Each morning, they ride through the city chanting his name and the number 48, his position on the ballot booklet - rather than ballot paper - being printed to accommodate the large number of candidates.
Countrywide, more than 18,000 candidates are competing for 5,000 parliamentary seats.
As Mr Makiaba, now simply known in Kisangani as Quarante-Huit [French for Number 48], cannot afford to print posters, his supporters have also photocopied his black-and-white picture, pasting it on bicycles and circulating it across the city.
Mr Makiaba says corruption and nepotism in the government drove him into politics.
"I want families in DR Congo, a very rich country, to have the pleasure of eating three square meals a day and to send their children to school," says Mr Makiaba, who can barely afford two meals a day.
"This [Mr Makiaba's candidature] can be our source of deliverance," says a neighbour, who gave his name only as Charles.
He says Mr Makiaba considered running in the 2006 election - the first poll in DR Congo in more than 40 years - but "hesitated".
For this election, he had been quietly campaigning since 2009, Charles says.
"Alphonse was already close to all his customers and he kept on insisting to them: 'Do not forget me,'" he says.
Sponsored by the little known Convention for the Republic and Democracy (CRD), Mr Makiaba says he was forced out of two other parties for being "very outspoken about injustices" within their ranks.
Designer suit
His supporters say he is a threat to other wealthy candidates because of the support he commands.
In fact, crowds forced the three main presidential candidates - incumbent Joseph Kabila, Etienne Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerehe - to allow him to speak at their rallies.
"When President Kabila was here, people shouted down the governor and asked the president to allow Alphonse to speak on their behalf because the governor had failed," recalls local resident Pierot Mungali.
His fledgling political career has already changed his lifestyle.
Mr Makiaba has abandoned his shack in Kisangani's swampy Kilanga 2 neighbourhood, apparently because of concerns about his safety in a country where polls tend to be marred by violence and intimidation.
"He is the poor man's candidate. Therefore, we have raised funds to pay for his accommodation at different places each night," says Mama Lela, a female neighbour.
His supporters have already bought a new designer suit and shoes for him, believing he will need them for his swearing-in ceremony in the capital, Kinshasa.
But DR Congo journalist and publisher Ernest Mukuli says that while Mr Makiaba commands support in Kisangani among opposition sympathisers, non-aligned voters and ruling party supporters, he is not assured of victory.
He says Kisangani is a stronghold of Mr Kabila and the candidate of the ruling People's Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD), Pierre Daruwezi, may do very well.
"Let us not forget it will be a secret ballot. Things may change at the 11th hour since he is running against a very wealthy candidate sponsored by the ruling party," Mr Mukuli says.
During Mr Kabila's campaign tour, he managed to convince Alphonse to back him since his CRD party had no presidential candidate.
"His decision to support Kabila may reduce his influence because [some of his supporters] may not want to be associated with the president," Mr Mukuli says.
Despite the region's mineral wealth, most Kisangani residents live in poverty
But whether he wins or not, Mr Makiaba's supporters say the tolekist-turned-politician has already made history, starting what they call a poor man's revolution in this diamond and gold-rich region of DR Congo.


Friday, December 2, 2011

Update on elections in the DR Congo

I had some more encouraging, but also sobering, words from another trusted friend in the DRC. He told me:
"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!"
A few more articles, reports and blogs to read for information on the elections, results and state of the DR Congo as we wait to hear more from the elections officials:



*Photos taken by me, in or around Beni and Butembo, DR Congo, 2010 and 2011


Thursday, December 1, 2011

Congo voted, and now...

Hello from Kampala!

It's a cool morning (nearly noon, actually) and it's good to catch up a bit on what's going on in the DR Congo.

It's hard to be here right now... Part of me wants to give up the hot shower, almost constant electricity and access to restaurants... But I can't. We're still waiting to hear the results of the election (on the 6th), and the response of the people after that.

So for now, I'm just going to have to enjoy our grocery store, and other things Chelsie and I don't often experience in Congo! :)

Our friends in Beni and other areas of the country told us that things went well. Except for some *significant* problems in large cities, things passed well on Monday... And Tuesday... And I read today that there was even voting continuing in Kinshasa yesterday.

Classes were canceled at UCBC on Monday, for the election. But they resumed again on Tuesday and things are back to normal there once again.

As one dear friend in Beni told me this morning - "Our prayer is that the Lord will choose the person that He sees prepared to lead the destiny of the nation." Amen. Let's hope so.

Here are a few articles, to check out for updates on the elections in the Congo, the vote, etc.
IOL - Chaos in DR Congo poll
AFP - Observers call for patience in DR Congo vote
NY Times - Notes from a Young American in Congo
Congo Planet - Observers Hail Successful DR Congo Elections
The Guardian - DR Congo opposition candidate calls for election to be annulled
The Atlantic - In Congo Elections, More Than Just Democracy at Stake

And websites / blogs with more information as well:
http://texasinafrica.blogspot.com/
http://congosiasa.blogspot.com/
CENI - Congo's Electoral Commission

Continue to remember the Congo and to pray for the people.