Rights activist released in Uvira

The Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) on Thursday released human rights activist Donatien Kisangani Mukatamwina on a US $280 bond after detaining him for 13 days in Uvira, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kisangani was released along with three others who were arrested with him. All were accused of belonging to a political movement called the Service de liaison armee et population, or SLAP, suspected by RCD-Goma of serving as a link between Mayi-Mayi militia groups active in the mountains surrounding Uvira and Bukavu to the residents of both cities. "I told the truth that I didn't know this movement," Kisangani told IRIN. "My name was on a list of SLAP members, but I was never consulted. Perhaps somebody wanted to harm me." RCD-Goma lifted all accusations against Kisangani, who belongs to a local NGO, Solidarite-echange pour le developpement integral (SEDI), but obliged him to appear each day at 9:00 at the Direction generale pour les migrations. "Apart from cuts of whips the first day, I was not maltreated, although sanitary conditions were very bad in the prison," Kisangani said. He added that he was ready to resume his work after a brief rest. [See earlier story, "Rights activist still in eastern prison"]