sources: Allafrica, IRIN, Le Soir, De Standaard
March 3 2003
-The Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC) rebel movement based in the northeastern city of Bunia signed an accord with the UPDF. Although tensions were reported to have eased between the UPC and UPDF since the accord, MONUC reported that new fighting had erupted some 15 km outside Bunia, this time between the UPC and RCD-Kis/ML.
-Over 30 000 people have been displaced since late 2002 by attacks and counterattacks by Mayi-Mayi militias and the RCD-Goma along the western bank of the river Lomami in Eastern Kasai.
March 5 2003
-American private enterprises like MPRI, AirScan International and TASK International have offered to reinforce MONUC. They say to be much cheaper than MONUC, that costs $ 608 million a year.
March 6 2003
-Humanitarian organisations warned of possible massacres of ethnic Hema during the night after the UPDF and ethnic Ngiti and Lendu on March 4 stormed Bunia, forcing the UPC to flee. The Lendu are engaging in widespread looting of the city. Among locations reported to have been looted was a warehouse storing food provided by the UN World Food Programme as well as the offices of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
March 7 2003
-In Bunia 300 to 400 people are said to have been killed on March 5 during fighting by UPDF and UPC. Thousands of Congolese people have fled into Uganda's northwestern Nebbi District. A Ugandan Member of Parliament has asked his government to clarify the role of the Ugandan army in the participation of the fighting.
-Parties in the Inter-Congolese dialogue agreed on March 4 to a programme for the drafting of a constitution and for a future unified army, following 11 days of discussions held in Pretoria, South Africa. The documents were signed in the presence of Moustapha Niasse, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy for the DRC peace process.
March 8 2003
-UPC, rebel movement backed by Rwanda, is split and the breakaway group has taken control of 2 towns, Aru and Mahagi and parts of the gold-rich Mongwallo. This group is under the command of Jerome Kakawavu Bakonde. The UPC is hosting the Ugandan rebel movement People's Redemption Army of Anthony Kyakabale and Samson Mande,according to the UPDF.
March 11 2003
-Great Lakes Region is awash with small arms and no place more than northeastern DRC, where traffickers are doing brisk business to the detriment of millions of peoples, 3 Kinshasa-based researchers commisioned by Pax Christi say in a preliminary report. Arms are entering the Congo from countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, ex-Sovjet countries and Western countries. 90% are from Uganda.
March 12 2003
-The political party of Joseph Kabila, PPRD (Parti du Peuple pour la Réconstruction et la Démocratie) has presented itself in Kinshasa. Members are groups like Comités du Pouvoir Populaire, Mai-Mai, FAP and M17.
-The US Ambassador in Congo, Aubrey Hooks, says Rwanda and Uganda have brought war to the Congo. Hooks asks Rwanda not to get involved in Bunia, and requested Uganda to withdraw its forces.
March 14 2003
-Rwanda has issued an ultimatum for the Ugandan army to withdraw from Bunia immediately or face the Rwandan Patriotic Army.
Uganda and Kinshasa have agreed to a cease-fire and the withdrawing of the UPDF will take place before April. The Ituri Pacification Commission will start work on March 18.
March 17 2003
-The UPDF has deployed more troops in the mountainous border districts of Bundibugyo and Kasese pretending the danger of attacks by the Ugandan PRA rebels.
-20 000 Rwandan soldiers have crossed the frontiers from Rwanda to Congo in North-Kasai near Rutshuru, according to the bishop of Beni-Butembo. The town of Walikale should have been conquered by Rwandans after ousting of Mai-Mai groups. There is also fighting between Mai-Mai and the Rwandan army together with members of the Burundian army near Fizi and Baraka in South-Kivu.
March 19 2003
Two Worldbank affiliated banks, SFI (Société Financière Internationale) and MIGA (Agence Multilaterale de Garantie des Investissements) intends to invest in Congolese mining.
March 20 2003
-A new report of Amnesty International is published: "Democratic Republic of Congo on the Precipice: the deepening human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ituri."
-Congo has won $ 36 million of aid from IMF. The money takes the amount loand by IMF to Congo to $ 569m of a total $ 786m available.
March 21 2003
-With the adoption of Resolution1468 the UN Security Council asked Kofi Annan to increase the presence of the peacekeeping mission in the Congo, especially in the northeastern Ituri district.
-Theattorney-general of Congo said that he had found no evidence to substantiate the report by UN experts of plundering of the country's natural resources by irregular contracts. However, he admits that there were questions over the conduct of those involved in the signing of contracts.
-The Ugandan army have captured 3 strategic airports in Congo from the UPC, namely Fataki and Bule and Mongwale near the goldmines.
March 25 2003
-Ugandan army commander Kazini and other top military officers will be disciplined following a Cabinet directive. The directive comes in the wake of recommandations from the Porter Commission investigating the plundering of Congo's natural resources.
March 31 2003
-The IPC , administrative organ that brings together representatives of warring parties in Ituri, becomes effective April 24 after the withdrawing of Ugandan troops. Among the signatories of the cease-fire, preceding the IPC, are FNI (Front for National Integrationists), FPDC (Popular Forces for Democracy in Congo) and PUSIC (Party for the Saveguard of Integraty of Congo). The UPC backed by Rwanda didn't sign the cease-fire.
-Nine African heads of state and key role players at the Inter-Congolese Dialogue will converge in Sun City (South Africa) to witness the signing of an agreement for a transitional government in Congo.
April 1 -3 2003
-Government representatives, rebel groups, non-armed political opposition and civil society in the Congo, meeting in South Africa, have endorsed a transitional constitution to govern DRC for two years.
-Meanwhile, two towns in eastern Congo, are conquered by Rwandans: Muhanga and Bunyatenge.
April 4 2003
-MONUC said a spate of attacks against its forces in North Kivu by Congolese civilians. In Beni took place an anti-MONUC march. They are angry that MONUC is always denying the presence of Rwandan soldiers in Congo.
-The IPC is inaugurated in Bunia, the principal town of Ituri. The 177-member commission is being chaired by the UN Secretary-General's deputy special representative in Congo, Behrooz Sadry.
April 7 2003
-The killing of hundreds of civilians in Drodro, a town northern of Bunia, on April 3 is the latest in a surge of killings and other human rights abuses that have taken place in Ituri. Reports from the field suggest that Lendu militias, supported by Ugandans, attacked remnants of the recently ousted UPC Hema forces.
April 8 2003
-In Bukavu (South-Kivu) 15 people were killed by fighting between RCD and militia MUDUNDU 40.
-The conflict in Congo has cost more lives than any other since World War II, the International Rescue Committe said in a report. The IRC estimates that at least 3.3 million Congolese died.
-Joseph Kabila was sworn in as interim head of state of the Congo. On 5 April, Kabila promulgated the new transitional constitution agreed in Sun City.
April 9 2003
-The culprits of the massacre of Drodro will be brought before the International Criminal Court; this was the pledge made by the UN High Commisioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vierra de Mello.
April 10 2003
-The USA has asked Uganda to withdraw troops from Ituri. The UPDF will pull out of Congo by 24 April. They will protect Uganda from the Rwenzori area with 1000 men troops, according to the Ugandan government.
April 14 2003
-The IPC adopted a series of interim measures to end hostilities and provide a provisional administration in Ituri. The IPC delegates agreed to the creation of a Provisional Assembly with 32 members, an executive body with a commisioner and 4 assistants responsible for administration, infrastructure, finance and economy. A Commission for Prevention and Verification with 18 members would examine the causes of the conflict and establish measures to prevent any escalation. Another commission will evaluate the security in Ituri. MONUC takes the leadership of these commissions.
-The international committee that will be following the transition in Congo has held its first meeting. Participants of the committee are beside MONUC the 5 permanent UN Security members, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and the EU.
April 21 2003
-Thousands of Hema have fled the Ituri region into Bundibugyo in western Uganda.
-Uganda has evidence to proove that there is a great number of Rwandan soldiers in Congo.
April 22 2003
-RCD-Goma says it will take part in the national follow-up committee in Kinshasa.
-President Joseph Kabila nominated Yerodia Ndombasi as one of the 4 vice persidents of the transitional government.
-MONUC has sent extra soldiers to Bunia from where the Ugandan troops are scheduled to start withdrawing April 24.
April 24 2003
-6000 men Ugandan troops are leaving Bunia. Brig. Kale Kayihura complained that the UN had not deployed any troops to replace the Ugandan troops. A first MONUC contingent of Uruquayans arrived on April 23.
April 28 2003
-The Congolese government announced that the Cour d'Ordre Militaire had ceased to exist.
-Leaders of RCD-Goma arrived in Kinshasa. The delegation is led by Ruberwa and Ondekane.
-A new report of Amnesty International about Congo is published: "Time to stop the carnage and economic exploitation."
April 30 2003
-The International Court of Justice is yet to decide on how the DRC case filed against Uganda for illegal occupation should proceed.
May 5 2003
-MONUC said it greatly deplored renewed hostilities in Bunia. Meanwhile new fighting has started near Uvira between RCD and Banyamulenge, allied with the Mai-Mai. In Shabunda , 350km from Bukavu, there also are clashes between RCD and Mai-Mai.
-Zahidi Ngoma is elected by a segment of the political opposition in Congo as one of the 4 vice-presidents in a two-year transitional government under president Joseph Kabila. The other vice-presidents will be: Azarias Ruberwa for the RCD, Jean-Pierre Bemba for the MLC and Yerodia Ndombasi for the government.
-Taking the place of the withdrawing Ugandans are 700 Uruquayan peacekeepers with a mandate only to protect UN personnel. There are also contingents of Congolese police sent to Ituri by the Congolese government. On Mai 3 fighting has broken out between Hema and Lendu in Bunia.
May 8 2003
-Hundreds of civilians demanding protection stormed a UN mission headquarter in Bunia. Several thousands of people have also sought refuge at the airport where a small UN force is stationed The UN under-secretary-general for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Marie Guéhenno, was briefing the Security Council that Bunia is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.
May 10 2003
-Warning that rising violence in Bunia could lead to massive civilian death, Kofi Annan urged action by the Security Council to calm the situation. Human Rights Watch says that the MONUC must urgently protect civilians threatened by renewed violence in Ituri.
May 12 2003
-Ten of thousands Congolese civilians of Bunia have taken refuge in Uganda. The UPC took controle of Bunia after 6 days of fighting between ethnic militias. 30 people have been killed last days.
May 14 2003
-In Dar es Salam (Tanzania) a meeting takes place of the Ituri groups under the leadership of Tanzanian president Mkapa.The UPC is no present.
May 15 2003
-Departing Ugandan troops left behind weapons which were seized by militias fighting in Bunia, according to the UN.
May 16 2003
-The Security Council welcomed Kofi Annan's efforts to address the situation in Ituri, including options for sending an emergency international force.
-All IPC parties agree in Dar es Salam with a cease-fire.
May 20 2003
-The USA will resume military training programmes in Uganda.
-A French reconnaissance team has visited Bunia and the Ituri district to lay the ground for the possible deployment of troops.
chronicle 9, september 29 -october 12 1997
chronicle 10, october 13 - october 26 1997
chronicle 11, october 27 - november 9, 1997
chronicle 12, november 10 -november 23 1997
chronicle 13, november 24 -december 7 1997
chronicle 14, december 8 1997 - january 4 1998
chronicle 15, january 5 - january 18 1998
chronicle 16, january 19 - february 1 1998
chronicle 17, february 2 - february 15 1998
chronicle 18, february 16 - march 1 1998
chronicle 19, march 2 - march 15 1998
chronicle 20, march 16 - march 29 1998
chronicle 21, march 30 - april 26 1998
chronicle 22, april 27 - mei 10 1998
chronicle 23, mei 11 - mei 31 1998
chronicle 24, juni 1 - august 26 1998
chronicle 25, august 27 - september 28 1998
chronicle 26,september 29- october 31 1998
chronicle 27, november 1- december 5 1998
chronicle 28, december 6 - january 24 1999
chronicle 29, january 25 - march 14 1999
chronicle 30, march 15 - may 9 1999
chronicle 31, may 10 - october 24 1999
chronicle 32, october 25 - january 9 2000
chronicle 33, january 10 - april 2 2000
chronicle 34, april 3 - june 25 2000
chronicle 35, june 26 - august 27 2000
chronicle 36, august 28 - october 29 2000
chronicle 37, october 30 - january 14 2001
chronicle 38, january 15 - march 18 2001
chronicle 39, march 19 - may 20 2001
chronicle 40, may 21 - july 15 2001
chronicle 41, july 16 - october 8 2001
chronicle 42, october 9 - december 15 2001
chronicle 43, december 16 2001 - march 3 2002
chronicle 44, march 4 2002 - may 26 2002
chronicle 45, may 27 2002 - september 8 2002
chronicle 46, september 9 2002 - december 9 2002
chronicle 47, december 10 2002 - march 2 2003