2009 Annual Conference Press Release

“Conference offers hope for the social ills in the Democratic Republic of Congo!”

What is anticipated to be one of the most powerful, inspiring, and uplifting events for Congolese citizens living in the U.S. Leja Bulela Inc’s much anticipated 2009 annual conference will take place from July 3 to July 5th, 2009 at the Hilton Garden Inn DFW Airport in Irving, Texas.

The theme of the conference is “Celebrating Families, Culture and a Legacy of Service to Mankind”. This will be the first of its kind that will bring 3 U.S. based organizations together that have proactively addressed the social needs of disadvantaged citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are committed to facilitating a better way of life for these citizens. The three organizations include Leja Bulela Inc, a non-government organization based in the U.S., which WORKS TO EMPOWER displaced refugees in the Eastern Province of Kasai and has constructed a medical clinic to address the health care needs of theses refugees; DRCongoChildren, a non-government organization that strives to increase awareness to the World about the increasing number of homeless children in the capital city of Kinshasa; The Mutombo Dikembe Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and has constructed a hospital in the capital city of Kinshasa.

Conference Highlights include
• Screening of the film Documentary “ The Street Children of Kinshasa”, with the film producer Gilbert Mulamba

• Mr. Ilo Mutombo representing The Mutombo Dikembe foundation

• Along with a host of other presenters from the Democratic Republic of Congo who will discuss reports of the INCREASING PREVALENCE of rape on young women and increased sex trafficking of young girls.

Congo has suffered through a decade long war, along with ethnic based attacks on certain populations. The conference will be a light of hope and inspiration for those that are looking to proactively join forces and proactively help solve the social ills that are faced by citizens in this country. This is a family event, with a registration fee required to participate in the conference and is open to all those that are committed to proactively addressing the social issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For complete conference information and registration visit: http://www.lejabulela.org/annualmeeting.php

Canadian Broadcasting Center Breaks The Silence

Didier Illunga-Mbenga on Dikembe Mutombo

Before the second round series against Houston kicked off, Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo's career had already reached an unfortunate end after an in-game knee injury during the previous round against Portland. And with yesterday's 89-70 Game 7 win shutting down the Rockets' postseason, Mutombo's NBA life is now officially concluded as well.

With that in mind, I felt it appropriate to pay proper respect to Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo, whose achievements were even longer than his full name. Most basketball fans were aware of Mutombo's round ball credentials: Eight-time All-Star. Four-time Defensive Player of the Year. An absolute beast sucking up rebounds and swatting away shots, the latter achievement always followed by the infamous "not in my house" finger waggle.

But despite the laundry list of NBA excellence (and the genius that was "Clouds"), Mutombo arguably made a bigger impact away from the game.

It's hardly difficult to understand why Mutombo garners nearly God-like status in his native Congo. I spent a few moments before LAL-HOU Game 2 talking with Mutombo's fellow countryman/Laker center DJ Mbenga. Seeing DJ's face light up while praising Dikembe made perfectly clear how much he looks up to the Georgetown legend. The generosity displayed towards Mbenga early in his career reflects the manner in which Mutombo strived to bless his entire homeland. Acts that not only impressed DJ, but helped provide inspiration and confidence to establish his Mbenga Foundation. Here's what he had to say.



Andrew Kamenetzky: How aware were you of Dikembe's NBA career as you were growing up in Congo?

DJ Mbenga: I started watching him when I was so young, man. I didn't even know (about) basketball.

AK: Was he just that big of icon in your country, regardless of whether or not you were into basketball?

DM: Actually, I met him when I made the league. I knew about him before. I used to watch him. Like I said, I never liked basketball, but I knew him. Now we're really close.

AK: How difficult was it for you to see his career end with an injury?

DM: It was funny, because I always joke with him. I said, "If you don't want to stop, the basketball is gonna stop yourself." (laughs) But when I saw him fall down, I already knew. When I saw him fall down, I was like, "It's over." I was sad, and I was happy for him. At least he stopped his career on the court, and not in a bad way. Not like he was incapable of playing. He went in and played. He went in and proved (he could still play). For me, he ended so good. Like, beautiful.

AK: What has Dikembe meant to Congo, in terms of representing what you can do with your life? What can be accomplished?

DM: He just brought inspiration for a lot of things. Just a big brother for a lot of kids, because if you see what he did and even the way he talked, just to watch him make the league and do so well, it was an inspiration for everybody. Even when I didn't like basketball. And when I started playing basketball, he became a big influence for me.

AK: You didn't start playing basketball at nearly as young an age as your teammates. Did seeing what Dikembe accomplished provide confidence that you could reach the highest level?

DM: Yeah. Of course. When I started playing, like you said, I was pretty late. But I would listen to him, and watch Hakeem Olajuwon. (Dikembe) started when he was seventeen. I was started when I was seventeen years old, too. So it was nice for me to listen to him, spend time with him, and talk with him. He would say, "Listen. I started late. I couldn't score. But when I know what to do, that's what I gonna do."

AK: Did you look Dikembe up once you came to the States?

DM: When I came to the States, my first call was to him. My first call. I spoke to him. And he asked me how I was, how do I feel? I'm like, "I just got here. I really don't know all this." He's like, "What you need to his is rebounding, block shots, listen and learn."

I said, "I don't know, Be. I was playing overseas before I got here. My game is different."

He said, "No. Do what I what ask you to do. Do what I ask you to do for now. And then when you get the confidence, (then work on scoring). Just do what I ask you to do." And I'm like, "I'm trying."

AK: And he was right.

DM: He was right. One time (while playing for the Dallas Mavericks), they put me in the game against him. It was so much fun. We were talking (back and forth). And after the game, we went to eat, and I said, "Listen, when you asked me to do that stuff, I understand. I needed experience. But that's not my game. I'll shoot the ball. I'll score. I'll dribble the ball. I'll make my moves." He's like, 'Who do you play with on your team?'

I said, "We've got Dirk (Nowitzki). We've got Josh Howard."

He said, 'All those guys, they score. They don't need your points. They need you on defense. If you understand and realize that, you'll get the playing time.' And before, I was like, "Yeah, right. That's not true."

If I got playing time, I would try to score, make my shot, until I was like, "Why? Dirk is gonna shoot everything. Josh is going to do everything."

Then I just started just playing defense. Blocking shots. And I started to enjoying playing this game. Defense. Run. Set the screen. Little by little, building my confidence. And then finally, when I was at the point where I wanted to be, I started to make my move. Shooting the ball. And then when we talked, he was like, "What did I tell you?"

Even today, I went to talk with him, he said, "I see you have more confidence now. Remember what I told you the first time we talked? I knew what I was saying. That doesn't mean, you don't have any game. But you gotta know where they need you."

AK: Were you ever on the wrong end of a finger wag?

DM: No. And I told him, if I ever block your shot, I'm gonna give you one of those. But it never happened. Every time we played against him, I would wait for him to try and make a move with me, so I could block the shot and do him back. But if I play (during the series), just for him, to give him my thanks, if I block a shot, I'm gonna do (a finger wag).

story taken from:http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/05/dj-mbenga-on-dikembe-motumbo.html
photos taken from: www.nba.com

Traxys Says It Will Stop Buying Congolese Tin

Traxys says will stop buying eastern Congo tin
By Reuters 4th May 09 - Kinshasa



Belgium-based minerals merchant Traxys will stop purchasing tin ore from violence-ravaged eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in response to pressure from the United Nations, a company official said on Monday. The minerals trade has long been a key source of revenue for illegal armed groups in the east, including the Rwandan Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), composed in part of fighters responsible for Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Traxys' decision to pull out of eastern Congo comes amid growing pressure from the United Nations and rights groups to clean up that trade. "As of June 1, we will stop sourcing any minerals from eastern Congo, that is to say, from (the provinces of) North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A report published late last year by a U.N. panel of experts charged with investigating violations of a Security Council-imposed arms embargo found that Traxys was part of a mineral supply chain that led back to the Rwandan rebels. The U.N. report said Traxys purchased in 2007 1,631 tonnes of the tin ore cassiterite and 226 tonnes of coltan, both used to manufacture electronics devices, such as mobile phones and video games consoles, from four Congolese companies which systematically buy from FDLR-controlled mines. Traxys, which lists among its shareholders several private equity firms and steelmaker ArcelorMittal, rejected the U.N. claims and said on Monday that it had set up its own framework to verify that the minerals it purchased did not support illegal armed groups. "According to the U.N., that's not enough...We prefer to stop until we can come up with a protocol that will satisfy them," the company representative said.

MOUNTING PRESSURE

The coordinator of the U.N. experts, Dinesh Mahtani, said on Monday that Traxys had not been told to withdraw from Congo, but that the group had asked Traxys for further information on its due diligence scheme. "There is no current U.N. ban on export of natural resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo," he said in a statement. "The Group will continue its research on due diligence and on whether companies are knowingly buying minerals controlled by non-state armed groups." A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted last year calls upon countries to "ensure that importers, processing industries, and consumers of Congolese mineral products" exercise due diligence on the minerals they purchase.

A campaign being led by U.S.-based human rights group Enough Project is calling for more transparency in the sector and stricter laws to force companies to prove the origins of the ore they buy. However, some observers fear that increasing restrictions on Congolese minerals will simply push companies to look elsewhere for their raw materials and endanger the livelihoods of thousands of local miners. "Traxys is among the biggest buyers. This will have serious economic consequences here," Namegabe Mudekereza, the head of South Kivu's business association and the patron of one of the U.N.-cited mineral suppliers, told Reuters on Monday. North and South Kivu remain a volatile patchwork of rebel and militia strongholds despite the official end of a 1998-2003 conflict. The war and subsequent humanitarian disaster have killed an estimated 5.4 million people over the past decade.--


Jamie KneenCommunications & Outreach Coordinator ofc. (613) 569-3439MiningWatch Canada cell: (613) 761-2273250 City Centre Ave., Suite 508 fax: (613) 569-5138Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 e-mail: jamie@miningwatch.caCanada http://www.miningwatch.caSkype: jamiekneen
distributed by Congo Global Action Coalition