Dokument #1155109
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
According to several sources, the UDPS/Kibassa, led by Frédéric Kibassa Maliba, is a splinter group of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social, UDPS), the Congolese opposition party (Digitalcongo.net 24 May 2001; Afrique Express 21 Feb. 2002; Radio France Internationale 13 Aug. 2001). In fact, Digitalcongo.net reported that five UDPS factions existed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) in 2001, including the UDPS/Kibassa and the UDPS/Tshisekedi (18 June 2001).
Frédéric Kibassa Maliba held the position of Deputy Minister of Mines (AFP 28 Nov. 1997), as well as Minister of Mines (Keesing's Mar. 1999, 42822) and Minister of Youth and Sports in the Laurent-Désiré Kabila government (Digitalcongo.net 7 Apr. 2003). Kibassa was accused of misappropriation of funds in June 2000, while he was Minister of Mines (AFP 13 June 2000; Digitalcongo.net 24 May 2001). Several sources reported that the UDPS/Kibassa was one of the parties recognized by the Kabila government (Association africaine de science politique June 2001; UDPS 19 Oct. 2000; Country Reports 2000 Feb. 2001, Sec. 2.b.). According to Country Reports 2000, the Kabila government recognized and registered the UDPS/Kibassa "in an attempt to diminish the stature and political potential" of the UDPS/Tshisekedi (ibid.). According to Dr. François Tshipamba Mpuila, a UDPS representative, the UDPS/Kibassa is [translation] "a branch of [Laurent-Désiré Kabila's] AFDL/CPP State Party" (UDPS 19 Oct. 2000).
According to Le Phare, a Kinshasa daily newspaper, Frédéric Kibassa Maliba and Étienne Tshisekei wa Mulumba, leader of the UDPS/Tshisekedi, had been engaged in a [translation] "struggle for legitimacy" within the party since 1996 (Le Phare 20 Mar. 2002). The same daily paper published the following statement by Frédéric Kibassa Maliba from a letter addressed to Masire, the facilitator for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, in March 2001:
[translation]
In order to clear up any confusion between me, Kibassa Maliba, General Coordinator of COPOP (Coordination des plates-formes de l'opposition politique) and Mr. Étienne Tshisekedi of the Cotonou and Gaborone Group, who involved the UDPS in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue process from the beginning, I will take care to let Mr. Étienne Tshisekedi continue to involve the UDPS, while I, from now on, will continue to involve the COPOP in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue (ibid.).
Kibassa Maliba also added [translation] "I will keep an open mind and am ready to negotiate with Mr. Étienne Tshisekedi, since we are both authors of this name [that of the UDPS] and co-founders of this party" (ibid.). Other sources, however, later indicated that the Kibassa and Tshisekedi factions clashed over the UDPS leadership (Digitalcongo.net 27 May 2002; ibid. 24 May 2001; IRIN 7 Mar. 2002). Digitalcongo.net reported that Frédéric Kibassa Maliba died from a heart attack in Brussels on 5 April 2003 (7 Apr. 2003).
No additional information on the relationship between the UDPS/Tshisekedi and UDPS/Kibassa could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints for this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Afrique Express. 21 February
2001. No. 223. "Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba : Lumumbiste,
tshombiste, mobutiste, opposant, et Premier ministre sans
gouvernement." http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/CENTRALE/rdcongo/rdongobio/223tshissekedi.htm
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
Agence France Presse (AFP). 13 June
2000. "Quatre ministres interpellés dans des affaires
financières (radio)." (NEXIS)
_____. 28 November 1997. "Opposition
Leader Accepts Post in DR Congo Government." (NEXIS)
Association africaine de science
politique. June 2001. Maliki Hashimu Yahaya. "L'expérience
congolaise d'une démocratie à la base : les
comités du pouvoir populaire." http://www.aaps.co.zw/Publications/AIJP/yahaya.html
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 2000. February 2001. United States Department of
State. Washington, DC. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/af/753.htm
[Accessed 20 May 2003]
Digitalcongo.net. 7 April 2003. Kandolo
M. "Kibassa Maliba, ancien minsitre des Mines de L.D. Kabila,
terrassé par une crise cardiaque à Bruxelles." http://www.digitalcongo.net/print_this.php?id=22410
[Accessed 20 May 2003]
_____. 27 May 2002. Willy Kilapi.
"Politique : Kibassa menace de traduire Tshisekedi en justice." http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=12642
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
______. 18 June 2001. "Lesquelles des
ailes du PDSC, de l'UDPS, du PALU, du MPR détiennent la
légitimité?" http://www.digitalcongo.net/print_this.php?id=2483
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
______. 24 May 2001. Kansogo Mukishi.
"Tshisekedi-Kibassa : le combat sera long et dur." http://www.digitalcongo.net/fullstory.php?id=2146
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
Integrated Regional Information Networks
(IRIN). 7 March 2002. "Congo-Kinshasa; Inter-congolese Dialogue
Talks Resume." (NEXIS)
Keesing's Record of World
Events. March 1999. Vol. 45, No. 3. "Democratic Republic of
Congo: New DRC Government."
Le Phare [Kinshasa]. 20 March
2002. Kandolo M. "Kibassa Maliba reconnaît enfin Tshisekedi
comme seul chef de l'UPDS." http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/printable/200203200194.html
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
Radio France Internationale [Paris]. 13
August 2001. "Conglolese Rally for Democracy Has Reshuffled its
Leadership." (FBIS-AFR-2001-0813 13 Aug. 2001/WNC)
Union pour la démocratie et le
progrès social (UDPS). 19 October 2000. François
Tshipamba Mpuila. "Mise en garde contre les attestations
signées par un parti politique alimentaire
créé et agréé par Kabila,
dénomé 'UDPS/Kibassa'." http://www.udps.org/textes-Europe/belux-221000-1.html
[Accessed 21 May 2003]
Additional Sources Consulted
Europa World Year Book 2002
IRB Databases
Political Handbook of the World 1999
Political Parties of the World Handbook
2002
Internet sites, including:
Africa Confidential
Africatime
Amnesty International
Le Congo sans frontières
Human Rights Watch
International Crisis Group
Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent
United Kingdom: Immigration and
Nationality Directorate
United Nations Mission in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
Search engine:
Google
Involvement of the Kibassa faction of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in the Laurent-Désiré Kabila government; the relationship between the UDPS/Tshisekedi and UDPS/Kibassa factions [RDC41000.FE] (Anfragebeantwortung, Französisch)