According to multiple sources, Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda, in his capacity as one of the commanders of the FARDC 231st Brigade, gave orders that resulted in the massacre of over 100 Rwandan refugees, mostly women and children, during an April 2009 military operation in the Shalio area. The UNSC DRC Sanctions Committee's Group of Experts reported that Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda was witnessed first-hand refusing to release three children from his command in Kalehe, on August 29, 2009. According to multiple sources, Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda, prior to the CNDP's integration into FARDC, participated in a November 2008 CNDP operation that resulted in the massacre of 89 civilians, including women and children, in the region of Kiwanja.
In March 2010, 51 human rights groups working in eastern DRC alleged that Zimurinda was responsible for multiple human rights abuses involving the murder of numerous civilians, including women and children, between February 2007 and August 2007. Lt Col Innocent Zimurinda was accused in the same complaint of responsibility for the rape of a large number of women and girls. According to a May 21, 2010, statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, Innocent Zimurinda has been involved in the arbitrary execution of child soldiers, including during operation Kimia II. According to the same statement, he denied access by the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) to screen troops for minors. According to the UNSC DRC Sanctions Committee's Group of Experts, Lt Col Zimurinda holds direct and command responsibility for child recruitment and for maintaining children within troops under his command. Integrated in the FARDC in 2009 as a Lieutenant Colonel, brigade commander in FARDC Kimia II Ops, based in Ngungu area. In July 2009, Zimurinda was promoted to full Colonel and became FARDC Sector commander in Ngungu and subsequently in Kitchanga in FARDC Kimia II and Amani Leo Operations. Whereas Zimurinda did not appear in the 31 December 2010 DRC Presidential ordinance nominating high FARDC officers, Zimurinda de facto maintained his command position of FARDC 22nd sector in Kitchanga and wears the newly issued FARDC rank and uniform. He remains loyal to Bosco Ntaganda. In December 2010, recruitment activities carried out by elements under the command of Zimurinda were denounced in open source reports. Entered the Republic of Rwanda on 16 March 2013, at Gasizi / Rubavu.
Other Information
(Date of UN designation: 2010-12-01)
Date of listing
2017-03-08
Program information
Authority
EU
Program
Restrictive measures in view of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Regime
UN, EU country specific
Target State
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Measures
Asset freeze and prohibition to make funds available, Prohibition to satisfy claims, Restrictions on admission
Sanctions Portfolio
- All assets of the listed persons and entities should be frozen. It is also prohibited to make any funds or assets directly or indirectly available to them.
- It is prohibited to satisfy claims made by the persons listed in Council Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 in connection with any contract or transaction the performance of which has been affected by the measures imposed by the same regulation.
- Member States shall enforce travel restrictions on persons listed in Annex I and II of Council Decision 2010/788/CFSP.
Official Information
On 7 April 1993 the EU decided to impose an arms embargo on Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo, the DRC).
On 28 July 2003, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1493 (2003) imposing an arms embargo against the DRC. On 18 April 2005, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1596 (2005) imposing also targeted restrictive measures. On 21 December 2005, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1649 (2005) extending restrictive measures to political and military leaders of foreign armed groups operating in the DRC who impede the disarmament and the voluntary repatriation or resettlement of combatants belonging to those groups, and to political and military leaders of Congolese militias receiving support from outside the DRC and in particular those operating in Ituri, who impede the participation of their combatants in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration processes. On 31 July 2006, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1698 (2006) extending restrictive measures to political and military leaders recruiting or using children in armed conflict in violation of applicable international law and to individuals committing serious violations of international law involving the targeting of children in situations of armed conflict, including killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction and forced displacement.
On 17 October 2016, the EU expressed its deep concern at the political situation in the DRC. It strongly condemned the acts of extreme violence that took place on 19 and 20 September 2016 in Kinshasa, noting that those acts further exacerbated the deadlock in the country due to the failure to call the presidential elections by the constitutional deadline of 20 December 2016. The EU stressed that, in order to create a climate conducive to dialogue and the holding of elections, the Government of the DRC must clearly commit to ensuring that human rights and the rule of law are respected and must cease all use of the justice system as a political tool. It also called on all stakeholders to reject the use of violence. The EU adopted targeted measures against those responsible for serious human rights violations, those who promote violence and those who try to obstruct a consensual and peaceful solution to the crisis which respects the aspiration of the people of the DRC to elect their representatives.
Derogations to the restrictive measures are possible, including the delivery of humanitarian aid.
