On November 9, 2004 Human Rights Watch will give its highest recognition to Maître Honoré Musoko, a courageous human rights lawyer whose work has exposed massive human rights abuses in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Maître Musoko is the director of Justice Plus, one of the few human rights organizations still active in Ituri. Justice Plus monitors human rights violations, provides human rights education and intervenes directly in individual cases to halt abuses where possible.
When documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ituri, Human Rights Watch worked closely with Justice Plus and with Maître Musoko, who demonstrated extraordinary bravery in exposing the ethnic massacres, rape and torture that have characterized the conflict in Congo.
“Maître Musoko has been a lone voice in exposing the terrible atrocities in Ituri,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, senior researcher with Human Rights Watch’s Africa Division. “His determination to speak out despite threats to his safety has helped to expose abuses against civilians that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.”
At great risk to himself, Maître Musoko often spoke out against the widespread abuses by armed groups in Ituri. In September 2002 he was arrested and imprisoned for four days after giving a radio interview about ethnic massacres taking place in Ituri. He was forced to flee from the area in February 2003 when he was threatened for defending civilians falsely imprisoned. The office of the human rights organization he co-founded, Justice Plus, was raided and his local colleagues were forced into hiding.
After the threats to his life, Maître Musoko fled into exile in 2003 and now lives abroad. His local colleagues have continued his courageous work and face similar threats. On September 29, two Justice Plus activists were arrested and imprisoned after publishing a report criticizing abuses by local justice officials. The two activists were released the following day after an intervention by Human Rights Watch and other international organizations.
Human Rights Watch said that Ituri has been one of the worst hit areas during Congo’s devastating five-year war. Competing armed groups carried out ethnic massacres, rape and torture in this mineral-rich corner of Congo. A local conflict between Hema and Lendu ethnic groups allied with national rebel groups and foreign backers, including Uganda and Rwanda, has claimed over 60,000 lives since 1999, according to United Nations estimates.
Justice Plus is also active in conflict resolution programs helping local citizens push for justice. In January local courts resumed their work after having been closed since May 2003 when its judges had to flee deteriorating security conditions.
In the past eight months, fighting has decreased in the area, though human rights abuses continue. Last month armed militia in one town tortured 24 civilians and killed six of them. Sexual violence and recruitment of child soldiers has been widespread.
On June 23, the International Criminal Court (ICC) started investigating war crimes in the DRC. The prosecutor of the ICC stated last year that Ituri was a priority area for the court.
“Ituri desperately needs justice,” said Van Woudenberg. “Due to the work of Maître Musoko and his brave Justice Plus colleagues, there is now a glimmer of hope that perpetrators can be held accountable.”
