Never seen before footage shed light on Kabila’s dictatorship!

By Gael Masengi

An exclusive video uploaded on YouTube this past week by “Voice of Congo” news website, reveals the brutality and dictatorship power of Joseph Kabila and his administration. The 20 plus minutes private footage shot inside an airplane is set to show a truly shocked populist Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi reacting on the news of their landing authorization denial onto Kinshasa’s main and only operational Nd’jili airport.

Frustrated, E. Tshisekedi speaking to a pilot

Shot back in 2011 by one of Etienne Tshisekedi’s aides, the never-seen- before video recording details the tension, frustration and anxiety that grew inside the aircraft on the afternoon of November 26 2011 when the opposition leader and his cabinet members learned the news of landing denial from the “airport authorities” of the DR. Congo. Coming back from a province where he was campaigning for the presidential elections, Etienne Tshisekedi together with his wife and partners were preparing for a last public meeting before elections and a triumphant welcome-back rally 500 meters down on the ground where a crowd of his countless sympathizers were waiting impatiently for him, unexpectedly a team of South African piloting the airplane informed the passengers that the control tower had requested the jet carrying Mr Tshisekedi to divert away and “land somewhere else” as it would not be allowed to land in Ndjili airport tarmac, failure to do so, there will be “real consequences”. Confused by “authorities” decision, a worrying airliner pilot is shown on the video constantly looking at fuel indicator and worrying to what to do next. Unlike many other countries, the mineral resource enriched DR. Congo has outdated infrastructures, unpaved roads, of course a dictatorial regime and one functioning airport where every international and domestic flight arrives to and departs from.

E. Tshisekedi looking anxiously at the plane window

Frustrated yet furious, Tshisekedi on the video is shown addressing his secretary, advising him to leave alone the pilot decide on the place on their landing. “Leave him...!” He said angrily “if he is forced to land in Brazzaville [Republic of Congo], let him do so… we have to land somewhere” continued a fuming Tshisekedi.  After a heated debate, several unsuccessful attempts to contact the airport authorities of Brazaville and minutes of flying back and forth above the capital Kinshasa skies, the airliner is shown making an emergency landing onto an abandoned military airfield of Ndolo, 17 kilometers away from the initial landing field.

“After touring the country… my last stop before Kinshasa was Matadi” he said to media “…before departing from there, the airport management told me ‘the Congolese airspace is closed’, I wonder who closed it and what for. Despite their decision we manage to take-off anyway, arrive here [Kinshasa] as always the pilots took Nd’jili direction but somehow we were redirected here” he concluded “I will send the Rwandan [Joseph Kabila] back where he belongs”   

Eager to meet his partisans, Tshisekedi ordered his driver 10 miles back to the main airport where convoys of security force brutally dispersed with teargas and bullets a strong crowd of his sympathizers. More than 30 people were shot and killed that day and many more were seriously injured. Forbade to leave the airport, the 80 years-old opposition veteran, Etienne Tshisekedi was escorted later that night by a contingent of security forces and sequestrated under house arrest.

DRC alleged Coup plot: Bail denied!

By Gael Masengi        

20 Congolese alleged coup-plotters arrested back in early February of this year will remain in South African jail said a judge this past Friday afternoon at Pretoria’s Magistrate Court.

accused suspects

Emotions ran high inside the court room as Magistrate Solomon Mkubela delivered his ruling against the defendants, he argued that the counsel for the accused could not prove his clients are not a “flight risk” let alone they wouldn’t be a threat to the lives of Congolese political authorities, include Joseph Kabila, if granted bail. The magistrate again said, the suspects could easily leave South Africa with help from Congolese community, and also noted that none of the accused has a permanent residence in South Africa, something which he believed can make their escape from the country possible, therefore he ordered the “suspects” to remain in custody until the beginning of their trial on May 23^rd.    

The men are accused of plotting to overthrow the controversial regime of Joseph Kabila and physically eliminate him and his aides, 19 suspects were arrested by a special division of the South African police in the early hours of February the 6^th while en route to the northern province of Limpopo where the prosecutor alleged that a “training camp” was set-up by a team of undercover police officers who pretended to be retired members of S.A elite commando-turn mercenaries. Belonging to an unheard organization called the “Union of Nationalists for Renewal”, the men allegedly sent a “wish list” asking for machine guns, radio, grenades and even surface-to-air missiles and arranged for a training camp, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told magistrate judge at previous court hearing. Accused to be the “ring leader”, an astonished Etienne Taratibu Kabila, eldest son of assassinated President Laurent D. Kabila eventually turned himself-in at Bellevue police station, Cape Town.

Saddened by the outcome of bail hearing, spouses of the “suspects” broke in tears as they were making their way out of the court with a remarkable dissatisfied crowd of supporters who are convinced that it’s a ‘clear political decision’ not a legal one. They unanimously accuse President Jacob Zuma –closest ally of Joseph Kabila – of “deeply” interfering on the judge’s decision, alleging that the Zuma administration will do anything to secure its interests in the DR. Congo by satisfying a class of Congolese political elites and overlooking the will of people, a thought many analysts of the Great Lake region seem to favor.  

“This is a political decision, period!” said a fuming James Kamanda “We’ve seen Oscar Pistorious shot and killed his girlfriend and he got bail, why does it have to be different with the people who didn’t commit the act of killing neither attempt?”

The magistrate has however insisted that his decision was not finale; the accused can launch an appeal if they wish in a higher court while waiting for the trial date.  

Alleged DRC coup plotter to spend another weekend behind bars

Source: South African Broadcasting Corp. (SABC)

Twenty alleged DRC coup plotters will spend another weekend behind bars. The men are accused of conspiracy to topple the current Congolese government and ultimately eliminate Joseph Kabila and senior members of his administration.

counsel for the accused, Johan Kotze adressing the media

The Pretoria Regional Court (Magistrate Court) heard that the men set up a training camp in the northern province of Limpopo. June or July was pencilled for the execution of their plot in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The police allegedly found training material and the coup plan on one of the accused’s computer. Joseph Kabila’s brother, Etienne Kabila is the allegedleader of the coup.

State Advocate (prosecutor)Shaun Abrahams told the court that it will not be against the grain of the constitution or constitutionally offensive to keep the accused in jail until the conclusion of their case. He says the men entered the country illegally and still have the means to leave illegally as they have the support of the Congolese community in South Africa.

Also Read:     Coup d’état attempt, true or false?

                     DRC coup plot: theaudience stunned by revelations but not surprised

Abrahams says the accused have the potential to endanger Joseph Kabila ant to disrupt peace in the DRC. He says they have no regard for South Africa’s interest because had they succeeded in their plan, they would have put this country in a bad light. He says the men acted in common purpose and the state has a strong case against them.

However, counsel for the accused, Johan Kotze, says it far-fetched to think that the 20 men without sophisticated ammunition could enter the DRC and endanger the lives of President Kabila and his cabinet. The case continues on Monday

                                                                 

                                                                     This article has been edited, the original version can be found here

DR Congo coup plot: the audience stunned by revelations but not surprised

By Gael Masengi

The South African prosecutor on case of 20 Congolese arrested in February for “conspiracy” to topple the current government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amazed the fully packed court room as he continuously read-out documents retrieved from one of the accused laptop computer.

 

Inside the court room at Pretoria's Magistrate court

Opposing to bail application of the “suspects”, Shaun Abrahams pinpointed details before the magistrate of various reasons why ‘accused no 1 all the way to no 20’ shouldn’t be freed temporary. Cited among evidences, a computer confiscated from suspect no1 revealed that Joseph Kabila alongside other Congolese political personalities such as Kengo wa Dondo (senate), Evariste Boshab (MP), Andre Kimbuta (mayor of capital Kinshasa), naval and terrestrial army force generals was amongst the priority on the list of people to be arrested, if possible stand trial or even be physically eliminated once the group take control of the country as they are considered enemies of the people. Joseph Kabila whom again according to the seized documents described him as “Hippolyte Kanambe” a Rwandan imposter ‘who listen only to the language of weapons’, rigged the presidential elections of 2011 therefore he cannot be allowed to negotiate with or be granted immunity if captured. An audience of almost anti-Kabila activists reacted with an apparent ‘satisfying’ smile when it was stated that the group was planning to implement various valuable social projects once the Congo fall in their hands and thereon be governed by a true Congolese who has best interests of the people at heart, projects which includes –holding a free and fair election within the following months, the group disapprove of the M23 rebel as they are regarded as enemies being supported by both Rwandan and Ugandan government.  Abrahams told the magistrate that though the group had no cash to buy such a large arsenal of weapons but they sought to source fund from mineral resources stockpiled in the Mai-Mai held area in the eastern DR Congo, it was also revealed that the group already have around 2700 men deployed inside the country and have access to weapons shipped from Bulgaria and Romania sold by notorious war lord Viktor Bout during 1993-94 to Hutu rebels in exile in the DRC who were fighting the government of Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.

The group of 19 men alleged coup plotters were arrested last month, the raid conducted by a special division of the SouthAfrican police came as result of “months long investigation” by the crime intelligent unit, police said

Accused to be the master mind of alleged coup plot against Joseph Kabila, the Congolese-born American citizen,James Kazongo is just like one of a million Congolese nationalists in the diaspora who despite their distance to the Congo, are still feel bound by a duty to save their homeland.

 
The audience listened carefully as the prosecutor spent the whole day inside Magistrate court’s room 6 reading the reasons for the state to keep in custody the 20 men, Abrahams argued that the men not only pose a threat to the lives of Congolese authorities but also to South Africa, however he failed to specify how much of a threat they are to South Africa. Magistrate Solomon Mkubela adjourned the session stating that he could have allowed the bail hearing to continue beyond the usual 4pm time but that will conflict with the arrangement made with the prison officials. Therefore further hearing is set to continue on March 15^th.

Oscars 2013: “Amour” grabs best foreign film trophy.

By Gael Masengi

Written and directed by the Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, “Amour” or “Love” has once again triumphed by winning the best foreign film Oscar at the 85^th Academy Awards this Sunday in Los Angeles, beating Canada’s “War Witch”, a Congo-made film and three other contenders.

A moving French-language drama, Amourtells the story of an elderly Parisian couple Anne (Riva) and Georges (Jean-LousTrintignant), facing up to a sudden turn in their lives. When Anne has stroke that leaves her partially paralyzed, their world is upended.

Emmanuelle Riva, the French actress who wowed film critics by flawlessly portraying the dying Anne became the oldest woman to ever get an Oscar nomination. At 86 Riva not only received an Academy Award nomination but also won a handful of other mainstream accolades, notably the Bafta Award for best actress in a leading role, European Film Award and recently the Cesar Award in the same category. While this year’s Academy Awards saw the oldest actress nominee, it also did crown the youngest one, a 9 years-old American Quvenzhane Wallis for her stunning performance as Hushpuppy in Beasts of Southern Wild.

Ang Lee surprised many, film critics as well as fan, who bet on Steven Spielberg for the best director award. The Taiwanese born Lee is however not stranger to the Oscars, he has won it twice before for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Best foreign Film) and as a director in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain. As anticipated by almost everyone, the British actor Daniel Day Lewis walks away with the statuette for his perfect portrayal of the former American president Abram Lincoln in Lincoln, Day-Lewis becomes the sole 3× Oscar winner for best actor category.

"Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but thank you." said Jennifer Lawrence who tumbled while climbing the stairs to accept her Oscar for best actress. Best documentary went to Searching for Sugar Man, a feature highlighting the efforts of two fans from Cape Town, South Africa, Stephen Segerman and Craig Bartholomew on journey to find out if the rumoured death of an American musician Sixto Rodriguez was true.

All the winners from the Oscars 2013:

Best Picture:                      Argo

Best Director:                    Aang Lee (Life of Pi)

Best Actor:                         Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actress:                     Jennifer Lawrence (The Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor:      Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Best Supporting Actress:    Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo)

Best Original Screenplay:   Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

Best Cinematography:        Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)

Best Visual Effects:             Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and                                                                                                       Donald R. Elliott (Life of Pi)

Best Costume Design:          Jacqueline Durran

Best Production Design:       Rick Carter (Production Design); Jim Erickson (Set Decoration)         (Lincoln)

Best Sound Editing:              Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers (Skyfall)  

Best Sound Mixing:              Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes (Les Miserables)

Best Film Editing:                  William Goldenberg (Argo)

Best Short Film (Live Action):   Curfew (Shawn Christensen)

Best Make Up and Hairstyling:  Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell (Les Miserables)

Best Original Score:                  Skyfall (from 007 Skyfall –Music and Lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth)

Best Documentary:                    Searching for Sugar man

Best Animated Feature:             Brave (Walt Disney)

Best Short Film (Animated):       Paperman (John Kahrs)

Best Foreign Language Film:       Amour (Austria)