Tressor fled the DR Congo in 2002, together with his 12 year old sister who has since been granted status in the UK, as has his uncle and sister-in-law.

Tresor comes from the DR Congo's south eastern province of Katanga, near the Zambian-Angolan border. He lived in a village near the regional city of Kasuvubu. His parents were killed and he was wanted for political activities with the Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution (MPR). Tresor says that in addition to his political activities, he was as suspect because his mother is Angolan.

Especially since the presidential elections last autumn, the main opposition 'umbrella' for a number of these smaller opposition parties is the Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo (MLC), led by President Kabila's most serious opponent, Jean Pierre Bemba. Kabila has been settling scores with all opposition parties, large and small, perceived as one and the same enemy of his regime. Kabila's revenge measures against any opposition parties and civil groups has been reported by NGO's such as Human Rights Watch.

The president of Tresor's party, which seceded from the MPR, is Catherine Nzuzi Wa Mbombo; the only female presidential candidate in the recent presidential elections, and is therefore, in the eyes of the Kabila regime, an enemy of the state. Catherine Nzuzi Wa Mbomba has been assaulted, arrested and detained repeatedly, and Jean Pierre Bemba's headquarters in Kinshasa were attacked by the Congolese Defense Force.

With the leadership of his party being ruthlessly suppressed, and with widespread and violent revenge actions, Tresor would likely be at serious risk if he were returned to the DR Congo now.

"Impunity remains rife everywhere: Extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions, acts of torture or ill-treatment, and life-threatening prison conditions are being reported across the country. The security forces break up political protests without fail.. Ethnic tensions are still being manipulated for political ends in politically or militarily strategic areas, including Katanga and North-Kivu provinces. Insecurity persists in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where war crimes have been committed by Congolese armed factions and foreign armed groups from Rwanda and Uganda, including unlawful killings, rape, torture and the use of child soldiers"
Extract from the Home Office's own Country of Origin Report on the DR Congo of 14th February 2007, quoting Amnesty International
HRW has reported killings of returning Congolese in Bas-Congo province and criticised the continued use of child soldiers in Eastern Congo, driven by Ruandan military infiltration supporting Kabila opponents, on 14/04/07 and 18/04/07 respectively.

The UN Peacekeeping mission in DR Congo MONUC that was supposed to have left in February 2007, still remains and there have been so far three extensions to the mission and now it seems that there will be a fourth that will keep them in the DRC till December of this year.

Initially, Tresor and his little sister were accommodated with an uncle in London but Tresor was later dispersed by NASS to Doncaster where studied English and IT. He volunteered with the Red Cross International Tracing Service, working hard on their Tracing, Message, Attestation, Family Reunion and Destitution Project. Barbara King MBE has signed a letter of commendation for his contribution to the work there and recommended him for further work in Rotherham and Sheffield. Colleagues from other agencies, including Doncaster Asylum Support team, are concerned about Tresor and were sad to learn of his situation. It is clear that his presence in the community has been a positive outcome for all concerned. Tresor has been to be active in the Catholic Church and his intention is to become a pastor like his father.

Although his family in London have all been granted leave to remain in the UK, Tresor has been refused in spite of scars of torture. He has been treated by the Mental Health Team in Camden for depression and possible PTSD with referral to University College Hospital Psychology Department. He is awaiting an assessment by the Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture, which however requires him to be out of detention.......

He now has scars on his wrists where he alleges the guards twisted his handcuffs during a deportation attempt on the 7th April this year. His thumb and other fingers are deadened numbed by injury to the nerves.

Even if he were to survive possible interrogation on arrival in Kinshasa, Tresor would have no means or hope of safe travel from Kinshasa to Kasuvubu, over 1,000 kms away, where all his immediate family were killed.

His uncle, sister-in-law and sister are Tresor's last surviving family members. They are all in London. Please help stop this inhuman family separation.

What you can do to help:
The Tresor Must Stay Campaign is organising a letter writing and petition campaign to persuade the Minister for Immigration, Liam Byrne, to allow Tresor to stay in the UK with his family.

1. Fax/write to Liam Byrne, the Minister for Immigration. Please print off the model letter which you can copy/amend write your own version (please quote Tresor's Home Office ref. no. M1176574), and send to:

Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration
Home Office
3rd Floor
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Fax: 0207 035 4745 (+ 44 207 035 4745 from outside the UK)

1. Get signatures for a petition. Please print off the attached petition to allow Tresor to stay in the UK with his family and get signatures.

Please send copies of letters and signed petition sheets to the Tresor Must Stay Campaign ;

Ruth Appleton, Co-ordinator
Santé Refugee Mental Health Access Project
12 Salcombe Lodge
Lissenden Gds
London NW5 1LZ
020 7482 2903
 appletonruth@msn.com