The lturi district, located in the Orientale Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, currently has one of the world's worst -and for a long time largely ignored - human rights records. Based on the investigations carried out by MONUC and other human rights entities, it is estimated that 8.000 civilians. probably more. were deliberately killed or were the victims of indiscriminate use of force from January 2002 to December 2003.

These abuses have been carried out with total impunity by all lturi armed groups and several non-lturi groups (MLC, RCD. RCD-MI.., RCD-N). In addition, the pre-transition Government in Kinshasa and the Governments of Rwanda and

Uganda all contributed to the massive abuses by arming. training and advising local armed groups at different times.

Date of publication: 16 July 2004

Original: English