On Friday, June 16, the High Military Court continued the hearings of the informants in the case opposing the general prosecutor to the defendant Edouard Mwangachuchu Hizi in a mobile hearing at the military prison of Ndolo in the DRC. The Public Prosecutor requested the High Court to initiate legal proceedings against General Aban Van, Provincial Police Commissioner of North Kivu, for having lied to the Court during his testimony on the exact number of defections of the seconded police officers for the security of the Bibatama site to the Bisunzu mining company. Édouard Mwangachuchu Hizi, considered the owner of this company, refuted this assertion.
The forty police officers seconded to secure this site would have defected to the benefit of the M23. According to the prosecution, the unit detached to Bibatama constituted a reserve for the M23. In his deposition, General Aban Van stated that he was a provincial commissioner and that he was informed of the situation by the commander of the unit and that the document he provided to the Court was also sufficient proof. The defendant Edouard Mwangachuchu Hizi is prosecuted for participation in an insurrectionary movement, maintaining links with the M23 rebels, espionage, incitement of soldiers to commit acts contrary to duty and discipline and illegal possession of munitions of war.
This case raises many questions about security in the DRC in general and the role of the police in mining areas. The safety of mining sites is a major issue for the economic stability of the DRC. Denunciations of corruption and complicity between mining companies and military and police authorities are frequent in the country. Similarly, the recruitment of police and military by armed groups is a major problem in the region.
The DRC must deliver justice and end impunity in order to stabilize its paths of economic development and foster a safe environment for its people. Authorities must work to strengthen security in mining areas and protect workers’ rights. Solving these problems is essential for the socio-economic development of the country.