Jules Oyumbu was a judge for low-level criminal courts in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) until 2007 when he moved to the United States. He offered his view and history of the struggle Congolese people: They live in what could be a rich country because it produces 80 percent of the world’s coltan, a mineral used in making the tiny processors in electronic equipment.

Oyumbu said the rapes in the war-torn areas of Eastern Congo are for pleasure. The Hutu refugees along with the militaries from Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) take over a village, town or city and take whatever they want. They take food, wealth, natural resources, women and young boys and girls.

Oyumbu was a judge in Lodja, a town in central DRC, during the Rwanda Genocide and the overthrow of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, the president of the Republic of Zaire. He was exposed to the fighting only through the newspapers and television.

In 2007 he left the DRC to come to the U.S. because there was no independence of the judiciary in Congo. Unlike the balance of powers in the U.S. where there is independence of the judiciary, Congolese judges have to follow the lead of the government. If someone from the government said he needed his brother released from jail, a judge had to release him. “I cannot work under those realities,” Oyumbu said. “We need to guarantee the independence of the judiciary [in Congo].”

Oyumbu said the lack of good political leadership is why the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. “Japan doesn’t have any resources, but Japan is among the richest countries in the world. Congo has everything, but is among the poorest in the world.” All the people in power are working for themselves. They send money to foreign banks and their children to expensive schools overseas. “If you go to Congo, you can feel it. People are suffering. People are poor.” It is because of the political leadership, Oyumbu said. 

A Short History of the DRC: Jules Oyumbu

Hutu refugees fled to Eastern Zaire following the Rwanda Genocide. In 1997, the Tutsi from Rwanda allied with Zaire rebels and overthrew the Mobutu government that was in place. The Zaire rebels did not have the weapons and equipment to overthrow the Zaire government on their own. Zaire then became the Democratic Republic of Congo.

When the Mobutu were overthrown and Laurent Desiré Kabila was placed in power as president, in accordance with an agreement with the Tutsi, he appointed many Rwandese in high-ranking administrative and military positions.

In Kabila’s speeches he claimed to be fighting for the people, then he was in power and many people from Rwanda were running the country. In 2001 he was assassinated following his repulsion of Rwandese from the administrative and military positions. His son, Joseph Kabila became president.

Now the Tutsi, and Uganda with north of Rwanda, are in Eastern Congo claiming they are hunting for rebels who threaten their safety and security. In reality they are there to steal wealth from Congo’s abundant natural resources.

President Kabila has agreements to send the Hutu and other refugees back to Rwanda so the Tutsi do not have any reason to come to the DRC.