By Richard Norman
Last week the United Nations Security Council extended by two months the mandate of MONUC, its Congo peacekeeping mission. Last year’s elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo–the first free poll in more than forty years–produced a winner without resulting in a civil war, and so generally met the standards of success. But clearly, as MONUC’s extension shows, qualifications abound in the DRC these days.
Violence still plagues the east, with illegal mining and timber exploitation fueling rapacious militias. And the government has a massive amount of work to do to establish the rule of law and proper business practices. (Although news of military tribunals convicting both Congolese soldiers and militiamen for human rights abuses sounds like a good first step.)
Another problem is establishing an efficient and accountable government, after decades of gutting under Mobutu and war under Laurent Kabila. The following story is a good illustration of the current government’s ongoing battle in this regard:
Congolese press are stumped by what they are calling the "phantom minister," a man no one has ever seen or heard of, but who was appointed minister of trade by the prime minister earlier this month.
In a list presented to the prime minister, Kasongo Ilunga was nominated for a ministerial position alongside his party’s president, Honorius Kisimba Ngoy.
Out of the two nominees, Ilunga was chosen as minister of trade in the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but was nowhere to be found.
"Is this a phantom or a fictional person?" asked the independent Le Phare newspaper.
"He never showed up to any of the meetings," Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga’s spokesman said. Nor had anyone ever heard of him.
In a spirit of opportunism, three others with Ilunga’s name came forward immediately, but did not match the profile and were turned away, the spokesman said.
Shortly after the phantom minister’s appointment, Ngoy sent the government a resignation letter on Ilunga’s behalf.
The Congolese press has speculated that Ngoy listed a fake name to ensure he got a cabinet post.
Not so, he maintains. "I am already a member of parliament and did not want to be in government," he said. Ngoy has since put forward another party member.
The prime minister cannot accept any new minister as long as the "phantom" has not handed in his resignation personally, his spokesman said.
And that was not forthcoming.
Ngoy will not release Ilunga’s contact details, even if he insists he exists. [DPA via MONUC site]