Fake IDs scandal rocks foreign embassy in Zimbabwe

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) community in Zimbabwe has been thrown into turmoil following allegations that officials at the DRC embassy in Harare sold Congolese birth certificates to non-Congolese nationals, including Rwandans seeking to avoid deportation.

Members of the Congolese community allege that some Rwandan nationals living in Zimbabwe have fraudulently obtained Congolese identity documents to present themselves as citizens of the DRC.

According to community sources, one embassy official allegedly accepted a US$2,000 bribe to issue a Congolese birth certificate to a Rwandan national who later used the document in an attempt to obtain refugee status through his lawyers while in prison.

One of the individuals identified is Desire Nsengimana, who is among three Rwandan nationals being held in remand prison. Another member of the group was deported to Rwanda earlier this year.

The three individuals — Desire Nsengimana, Benoit Ombeni Mupenzi and Ruberwa Salatel — were arrested by Zimbabwean authorities and detained pending deportation.

"We were approached as leaders of the Congolese community to testify whether the three people in remand are Congolese or not," a member of the Congolese community said.

"After a survey of our community, we realized that they are Rwandan nationals."

According to the sources, an embassy official identified as CS DS Kamanda also visited Harare Remand Prison and interviewed the three detainees before concluding they were not Congolese citizens.

Community leaders said subsequent searches at Tongogara Refugee Camp, in Harare and through national databases also failed to establish that the three were Congolese nationals.

"We are reporting this bad habit at our embassy in Harare as a way of discouraging such behaviour," another source said.

"It happened previously with a former diplomat in Zimbabwe 15 years ago."

The sources alleged that a former diplomat had similarly sold Congolese passports and other official documents to non-Congolese nationals, damaging the country's international reputation.

However, the DRC Embassy's chargé d'affaires, Michel Kama Mipwele, dismissed the allegations against embassy officials.

He confirmed that Nsengimana, Mupenzi and Ruberwa were not citizens of the DRC.

"In Zimbabwe, we work through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and if any of our nationals are arrested for any reason, the ministry informs us," Mipwele said.

"For the named individuals, we can confirm that they are not Congolese."

Officials at the Embassy of Rwanda in Zimbabwe could not immediately be reached for comment.

Community sources also claimed that divisions have emerged within Zimbabwe's Rwandan community, with rival factions allegedly clashing over various issues.

The allegations come against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda over the conflict in eastern DRC.

The conflict, centred largely in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, has displaced millions of people and remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. The DRC government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group and exploiting eastern Congo's mineral resources, allegations Kigali has consistently denied.

The DRC has also instituted proceedings against Rwanda before the International Court of Justice, alleging violations of international law arising from the conflict. Rwanda rejects the accusations.