Congolese ask for support for protest outside Dail Eireann

dublin | anti-war / imperialism | event notice Sunday June 06, 2004 18:37 by Fintan Lane - Anti-War Ireland info at antiwarireland dot org 087 1258325

More than five million people have died in the Congo since 1996 as a result of war, and the country now seems on the brink of another full-scale war. Conflicts have continued over the past few years in the east of the country - much of these revolve around a scramble to control valuable mineral resources and stoked up ethnic rivalries. The Congolese-Irish Partnership has just issued the following call to action in Ireland:

PRESS RELEASE

Congolese Irish Partnership Condemns Irish Inaction on the Congo, with the fall of the town of Bukavu under dissidents’ control

SIT-IN outside the Parliament on Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th June2004, 10.00am to 4.00pm

From Wednesday 9th -11th June, 2004 the Congolese Irish Partnership is organising a sit-in outside the Parliament, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 to draw attention to the plight of their compatriots and the fall of the town of Bukavu under the control of dissidents who received support from Rwanda and to demand that Ireland uses its Presidency of the EU to raise the issues internationally.

Despite the protest march the Irish government which holds the European Union presidency did not take any action to condemn the aggression. Therefore the CIP and Congolese community have decided to organise a sit-in on Wednesday 9th –11th June, 2004, from 10.00am to 4.00pm, outside the Dail Eireann. Some banners may be displayed about the issues outlined above.

We seize this opportunity to inform you that the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in general and particularly in the east is worsening. The town of Bukavu is under the dissidents’ controls who receive support from Rwanda.

The Congolese Irish Partnership (CIP) an Irish organisation in charge of assisting Congolese people and providing information on Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, expresses its deep concern about the way that Irish government remains very indifferent about the situation in the DRC. We hope that we can count on the full support of the media
For more information please contact the CIP at the above address.

CIP calls on the Irish presidency to demonstrate that genuine protection for fundamental rights is at the heart of development in the EU in practice as well as in theory.

Where: Outside the Parliament, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

When: 10.00am to 4.00pm, Wednesday June9th-11th 2004

What: SIT-IN outside the Parliament
For further information, please contact:
Pierrot Ngadi, CIP- Tel. 087-6664895, pierrotcsginfo@ireland.com