Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for the question. The answer is quite simple. Those groups are being used by the anti-election powers that be. Their reasoning is this: if the country is plunged into chaos, it can't hold elections. Therefore, they create rebel groups, on both sides, such as those in Bas-Congo that killed Bundu dia Kongo followers, those in Kasaï that killed members of Kamuina Nsapu, and those in Kivu.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'll give you an example from my own life. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, I spent a lot of time in the Congo. One of the reasons we went there was precisely to set up organizations that would provide the structural benefits, like those Canada is hoping to see. For instance, we created a centre for entrepreneurship to help young people understand what owning a business is all about, how to run a business, which governance policy to adopt for business success, and so forth.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The only thing Canada can do is send observers who would be on site and work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, CENI, to ensure that there really is transparency in the counting of votes and publishing of the results and to ensure that Mr. Kabila does not run for president because he has used up his two mandates.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would like to add that the majority of generals are known, and their names are in reports published by the UN. Another report was produced after the meeting of September 26, in Geneva. Partners of the Congo were invited to discuss solutions that could lead to a better future, which is related to your concern.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In that regard, Canada created, at parliamentary level....

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If you read Western Union's report, every year, an amount equivalent to $10 billion is sent by the Congolese diaspora to family members. I can even tell you that, if there were no Congolese in the diaspora, the current situation in the Congo would be much worse because the Congolese government does not support anything.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for your question. During my introduction, I talked about the fact that the Congolese crisis is humanitarian, but it is first and foremost economic. Most of the conflict zones are in areas with coltan, copper, cobalt and gold, and they are mainly located in the east, such as in Katanga, North Kivu, South Kivu, Maniema, and so on.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Canada can do a lot. Earlier, I was saying that Canada has credibility in the eyes of the international community. One of the main things Canada can do is to insist that voting machines be eliminated. They are frowned upon by everyone—in another words, the UN, the African Union, the European Union, the SADC, and even the opposition parties that are invited to participate in the election.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I can guarantee that Joseph Kabila did not win the 2011 election. The Catholic Church, which had more than 36,000 observers at polling stations, specified that Joseph Kabila had clearly not won the election. He simply imposed himself by the force of arms and has remained in power since then.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much. I would like to mention quickly that an agreement was signed on December 31, 2016, known as the Saint Sylvester Agreement. This agreement was facilitated by the Catholic Church. Under one of its clauses, the opposition was supposed to provide a prime minister responsible for forming a transitional government for a period of 12 months, to enable that person to hold elections.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for your question. Kasai is just one region, located in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The thing about Kasai is that it is full of people who, for the most part, are supporters of the Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social, the UDPS, which is the party opposing the occupation power in Congo.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  There are about 80, not including those that have been officially acknowledged. The opposition is the primary target of this action, insofar as Joseph Kabila is creating chaos throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in Kasai in particular, where a bastion of the population not only opposes Joseph Kabila's politics, but is also offering a political alternative.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  It is members of the military who are on the ground, not armed groups from outside. It seems that the population have identified soldiers in these military groups who do not speak the local language, whether Lingala, French or Tshiluba. It is clear that many Congolese law enforcement personnel have understood that the orders from their superiors are not fair, that they do not represent justice.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Mr. Chair, thank you for inviting us. It is truly an honour to be here today to talk about a situation that you are already very familiar with. As you know, I am an advisor to the Communauté congolaise de la grande région de Toronto, or COCOT, a non-profit organization in Toronto that works with Congolese people and helps them integrate into life in Canada.