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Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville): Current treatment of former President Pascal Lissouba's family members (children, parents, cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces) by the government authorities; the names and whereabouts of these family members, and whether they are still in the Republic of Congo (2002-May 2003)

No current information on the treatment of former Congolese President Pascal Lissouba's family members could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, in describing the prevailing situation in the Republic of Congo, particularly with regard to human rights, the executive secretary of the Congolese Observatory of Human Rights (Observatoire congolais des droits de l'homme, OCDH) stated the following in an e-mail to the Research Directorate:

[translation]

In this [present] situation, the former President's close family members would unavoidably have to deal with all kinds of problems if they were identified as his relatives. Political intolerance is still the rule, and [those] who choose to return from exile are often subject to harsh treatment and discrimination both by the State and in their private lives. In any case, the former President does not have any family living in the Congo (26 May 2003).

This information could not be corroborated by the other sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to The International Who's Who, Pascal Lissouba, now married to his second wife Jocelyne Pierrot, is the son of Albert Lissouba and Marie Bouanga (2003, 969). On the subject of the former Congolese President's exile in London, the
20-26 January 1999 issue of L'Autre Afrique stated that his wife [translation] “divides her time between London and Paris” (14).

An article published in the Daily Post on 24 July 2002 reported that Pascal Poaty'Poaty, the 31-year-old son of former Congolese President Pascal Lissouba, appeared in a Liverpool court on six counts of theft. The article added that Pascal Poaty'Poaty, “an asylum seeker who has been given permission to stay in the United Kingdom indefinitely,” lived in Kirkdale with his wife and children (Daily Post 24 July 2002). This article, however, did not give the names of his wife and children.

Two sources identified Mireille Lissouba as the daughter of former President Pascal Lissouba (The Washington Post 28 May 1998; La Lettre du Continent 20 Jan. 1994). Though the Website for the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) did not specify whether she was the daughter of Pascal Lissouba, it indicated that Mireille Lissouba was the treasurer on the church's Montreal parish council (OCA 2002).

Without providing details, La Lettre du Continent stated that a certain “Binéka D.” was Mireille Lissouba's sister (28 Apr. 1994). Furthermore, the University of Western Australia's Website noted that Binéka Danièle Lissouba, born on 12 April 1957, was a writer, scriptwriter and journalist of Franco-Congolese origin (14 Sept. 1996). The Website for Auvidec, a Montreal-based film and video production house that produces a television series with religious themes, indicated that “Danièle Lissouba,” a journalist, among other things, and of African origin, was a member of the “Parole et vie” team (n.d.). On the site, Danièle Lissouba claimed that her faith brought her [translation] “all the way here to Quebec” (Auvidec n.d.). The same source, however, did not establish a link between her and the family of the former President Pascal Lissouba.

A 16 March 2000 televised report noted that Campaore, President of Burkina Faso, was offering “a comfortable lifestyle to members of Savimbi's family, [words indistinct], and Amirei Lissoubba [phonetic], who is one of the daughters of former president of Congo-Brazzaville, Pascal Lissouba. Compaore, Savimbi and Amirei made an economic pact” (Televisao Publica de Angola). This information could not be corroborated by the other sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

No additional information on the names or whereabouts of Pascal Lissouba's family members could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

L'Autre Afrique [Paris]. 20-26 January 1999. No. 76. “Pascal Lissouba : ‘je demeure le président du Congo.'”

Auvidec [Montreal]. n.d. “Équipe de ‘Parole et vie.'” <http://www.auparvi.qc.ca/pages/parovie.htm> [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Congolese Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) [Brazzaville]. 26 May 2003. E-mail sent to the Research Directorate by the executive secretary.

Daily Post [Liverpool]. 24 July 2002. “Son of Deposed President in Court.” (NEXIS)

The International Who's Who. 2003. London: Europa Publications.

La Lettre du Continent. 28 April 1994. No. 210. “Congo : Binéka Lissouba.” <http://www.africaintelligence.fr/ps/FR/Arch/LC-/LC-_210.asp> [Accessed 21 May 2003]

_____. 20 January 1994. No. 203. “Congo : Mireille Lissouba.” <http://www.africaintelligence.fr/ps/FR/Arch/LC-/LC-_203.asp> [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Orthodox Church in America (OCA). 2002. “St-Benoit de Nursie Church: Parish Directory.” <http://www.oca.org/pages/directory/listing.asp?KEY=OCA-CA-MONSBN> [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Televisao Publica de Angola [Luanda, in Portuguese]. 16 March 2000. “Angolan TV Reports Anti-UNITA Protest in Burkina Faso.” (BBC Worldwide Monitoring 17 Mar. 2000/NEXIS)

The University of Western Australia. 14 September 1996. “Binéka Danièle Lissouba.” <http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/AFLIT/LissoubaBinekaDaniele.html> [Accessed 26 May 2003]

The Washington Post. 28 May 1998. Charles R. Babcock. “Personal, Business Ties Blur in Allegations About Herman.” <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/counsels/stories/herman052898.htm> [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential 2002-2003

Africa Research Bulletin 2002­-2003

IRB Databases

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent 2002-2003

La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH [Paris] 2002-2003

LEXIS/NEXIS

Resource Centre country file. Republic of Congo

West Africa 2002

Internet sites, including:

Africatime

Allafrica

Amnesty International

Les Dépêches de Brazzaville

European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI.net)

FIDH

HRW

MISNA

Reliefweb