Misplaced Pages

Dr. Urbain Kisula Ngoy (1940—2018) was a Congolese politician and doctor who served as governor of the Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2004 to 2007. During his time in office, he sought to end the Mai-Mai's abuse of Katanga.

Biography

Kisula was born on 18 November 1940. He is Mulubà and a descendant of King Kasongo wa Nyembo of Luba.

Career

Medical career

Kisula was a doctor for Gécamines prior to becoming a politician.

Political career

In his early years as a politician, Kisula was aligned with the Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans before joining President Joseph Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). He was appointed governor of Katanga by President Kabila on May 16, 2004. In lieu of giving the Mai-Mai political power of their own, Ngoy was considered their representative, as per Kabila; the militia denied that he represented that.

Relations with the Mai-Mai

Shortly after assuming office, Kisula organized a round table between his administration, "traditional chiefs from the north," and members of the Mai-Mai, who had been terrorizing Katanga for several years. Many sent representatives in their place in case Kisula intended to arrest them. Relations continued to break down, however, as Kisula denied the Mai-Mai's requests for resources and resolutions created at the round table were not realized. Kisula did, however, largely avoid using military intervention to suppress the militia and believed that a soldier without resources would turn against the government.

Kilwa massacre

In October 2004, a rebel group attempted to occupy the town of Kilwa; they communicated directly with Anvil Mining to assure the company that they were not intending to seize control of their Dikulushi Mine. Townspeople fled, many to the island of Nshimba, and those that remained were victims of a number of human rights violations and executions carried out by the 62nd Infantry Brigade of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC). After bringing down the threat, the FARDC spent two days systematically searching houses; meanwhile, Anvil Mining returned to the area to resume mining. Three days after the attack, Kisula, along with Augustin Katumba Mwanke (presidential advisor and Anvil Mining board member) and General Dieugentil Alengbia Nzambe, went to Nshimba to tell Kilwa refugees they could return home. Despite the townspeople being assured that Kilwa was safe, the FARDC remained in the area for nine months after the attack, intimidating and threatening families, particularly of those who had been executed.

Human rights organizations pushed for accountability and in July of the following year, the province's chapter of the African Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADHO/Katanga) was threatened by Donatien Nyembo Kimuni, spokesperson for Kisula's administration, for criticizing Anvil Mining and accused them of attempting to drive Katanga into poverty by cutting off ore trading. Several days later, Col. Ilunga Ademar, who led the FARDC during the attack, was arrested and charged with war crimes during the Kilwa operation. A protest, authorized by Kisula, ensued in Lubumbashi and stormed the ASADHO/Katanga offices. Police failed to respond to calls for help from ASADHO/Katanga staff. In August, a letter written in June from Kisula to Anvil Mining's general manager surfaced; it showed Kisula had requested the company assist the FARDC with "logistical support". In September, Kisula encouraged local human rights organizations, including ASADHO/Katanga, they should support mining companies instead of attempting to discourage investment in the province's biggest source of income. Kisula was not called as a witness in the Kilwa court trial, which commenced in December 2006, nearly three years after the attack.

Mining

Because of its rich copper, cobalt, and gold mining, Katanga has long been the target of mining privatization and politicization and other resource-hoarding attempts. Kisula spoke in defense of companies such as Anvil Mining and Gécamines and criticized the central government for not enforcing laws, including keeping miners away from closed mines like the Shinkolobwe mine. He also accused the central government of damaging business for the SNCC, whose main work is transporting ore by railroad, by allowing private companies to use trucks. Kisula called on financial support and intervention from foreign nations to help navigate the crisis and to re-industrialize.

Death

Kisula died 18 November 2018 in South Africa after an illness.

References

1. ^ "URBAIN KISULA NGOY TIRE SA REVERENCE EN AFRIQUE DU SUD". mediacongo.net (in French). 24 October 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
2. Couture, Pamela D. We are Not All Victims: Local Peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo. p. 23.
3. "REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO COMMISSION ELECTORALE INDEPENDANTE (C.E.I) ELECTIONS DES DEPUTES PROVINCIAUX D'OCTOBRE 2006" (PDF) (in French). Commission Electorale Independante. 2006. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
4. ^ KATANGA: THE CONGO'S FORGOTTEN CRISIS (PDF) (Report). International Crisis Group. 2006-01-09. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
5. Vinckel, Sandrine (2016). ""Projet de décentralisation, conflit Nord-Sud et endormissement du conflit Katangais – Kasaïens?"". La violence et le silence Politiques de réconciliation, relations interpersonnelles et pratiques sociales de coexistence au Katanga, RDC (PhD) (in French). Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne. S2CID 165822850.
6. Kasyulwe, Désiré Kisonga; Léonard, Guillaume; Zana, Mathieu; Simons, Edwine; Krawcyzk, Joris; Laghmouch, Mohamed (2014). TANGANYIKA: Espace fécondé par le lac et le rail (PDF) (Report). Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
7. ^ "Congo: Turmoil in Katanga after governor's appointment". SouthScan. 2004-05-28. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
8. ^ "Yes, guv". Africa Confidential. 2004-05-28. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
9. "Yes, guv". Africa Confidential. 45 (11): 8. 2004-05-28. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
10. Stearns, Jason; Verweijen, Judith; Baaz, Maria Eriksson (2013). The national army and armed groups in the eastern Congo Untangling the Gordian knot of insecurity (PDF). Rift Valley Institute. ISBN 978-1-907431-30-2.
11. Sephton, Irene Margaret (2018). ""A SITE OF GATHERING"". FINDING PEACE AMONGST RESTLESS AND UNATONED BONES: A DIALOGUE ON BÚMÙNTÙ FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (PDF) (PhD). Université Paris 1 Panthéon – Sorbonne. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
12. Spittaels, Steven (2018). ""In their own words: Mai Mai motivation"". Conflict motivation mapping: A tool to analyse the relative importance of armed groups' motivations (PhD). Universiteit Antwerpen. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
13. "11.12.05 Offensive contre les Mai-Mai au Katanga: Kisula Ngoy dénonce (Radio Okapi)". Congo Forum. 2005-12-11. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
14. ^ Kilwa Trial: a Denial of Justice (PDF) (Report). CORE. 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
15. Supplement to the Human Rights Periodical (PDF) (Report). OECD. 2005. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
16. Anvil Mining Limited and the Kilwa Incident Unanswered Questions (PDF) (Report). RAID. 2005-10-20. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
17. "RDC: Menaces à l'encontre de l'ASADHO". OMCT. 2005-07-08. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
18. ^ "Les actes d'intimidations s'intensifient à l'égard des membres de l'ASADHO". Fédération internationale pour les droits humains. 2005-07-13. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
19. Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Democratic Republic of Congo (Report). International Federation for Human Rights. 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
20. "Kilwa Massacre: Timeline of Key Events 1998 to 2010" (PDF). RAID. n.d. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
21. ^ KILWA A Year after the Massacre of October 2004 (PDF) (Report). ACIDH and RAID. 2004. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
22. "COUR SUPRÊME DU CANADA" (PDF). Université Laval. 2012. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
23. "Democratic Republic of the Congo - Country Commercial Guide". International Trade Administration. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
24. KCOMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE N°15/2005 (PDF). University of Texas (Report) (in French). African Association for the Defence of Human Rights. 2005. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
25. "Katanga: le gouverneur Kisula Ngoy avoue l'impuissance de l'autorité de l'Etat dans sa province". Congo Planete. 2006-03-07. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
26. Cuvelier, Jeroen (2009-07-14). "The impact of the global financial crisis on mining in Katanga" (PDF). IPIS. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
27. "Lubumbashi : Kisula Ngoy accuse l'Etat congolais d'asphyxier la SNCC". Radio Okapi. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
28. "Return of mining brings hope of peace to the DRC". Mail and Guardian. 2006-07-05. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
29. Carroll, Rory (2006-07-05). "Return of mining brings hope of peace and prosperity to ravaged Congo". The Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-01.

External links

• Interview with Kisula Ngoy World Investment News, October 12, 2005

• Governors of Katanga Province
• 1940 births
• 2018 deaths
• 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo people