RCD-Kisangani protests continued detention of two members

The Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML) said that two of its members, Gilbert Ndale and Philippe Mbilizi, continued to be detained in Bunia. The movement expressed particular concern for Mbilizi, who was reported to be seriously ill and hospitalised under military guard by soldiers loyal to a rival RCD-ML faction led by Ateenyi Tibasima. “The situation of Ndale and Mbilizi, now detained for more than a month [since 19 May 2001] is totally unacceptable. The fact that these acts go unreported can only encourage their perpetrators to carry on. Our experience in Bunia and other places has been that these kind of acts only diminish in relation to the attention from media and humanitarian organisations,” Jacques Depelchin, Secretary General of the RCD-ML loyal to Professor Wamba dia Wamba faction, told IRIN.