[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__295636__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"295636","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/295636","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__295636__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__295636__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__295636__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EA new United Nations report paints an ugly picture of the September violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo: more than 50 killings, disappeared bodies, and arbitrary arrests and detention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/29929\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-10-drc-africa-protest-election.jpg?itok=ehrpha73 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-10-drc-africa-protest-election.jpg?itok=SqY8YXq9 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-10-drc-africa-protest-election.jpg?itok=SqY8YXq9\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022543\u0022 alt=\u0022Congolese demonstrators chant slogans during a march to press President Joseph Kabila to step down in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u0027s capital Kinshasa, September 19, 2016. \u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003ECongolese demonstrators chant slogans during a march to press President Joseph Kabila to step down in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u0027s capital Kinshasa, September 19, 2016.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2016 Reuters\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/Documents\/Countries\/CD\/UNJHROSeptember2016_en.pdf\u0022\u003Epreliminary report\u003C\/a\u003E of the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented human rights violations committed in the capital, Kinshasa, between September 19 and 21, during protests against election delays. The office found that these violations were \u201ca result of a disproportionate and excessive use of force, including lethal force, by the Congolese authorities.\u201d \u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EHere are some of their main findings:\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0More than 422 victims of human rights violations in Kinshasa by state agents.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0At least 53 people killed, including seven women, two children, and four police agents \u2013 of whom 48 were killed by state actors; the perpetrators in the other cases were not identified. Among those killed by state actors, 38 were killed by gunfire, 7 were burned to death by Republican Guard soldiers (including during an attack against the opposition UDPS party headquarters), a woman was killed by machete by Republican Guard soldiers, and police beat a man to death and fatally stabbed another.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Bodies of victims, as well as several of the wounded, were reportedly taken away by the authorities, often rapidly and sometimes by force and against the will of the victims\u2019 families.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0143 people were injured, including 13 women and 11 children. UNJHRO received reports that some gunshot victims were thrown into the Ndjili River by the security forces.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0At least 299 people were arbitrarily arrested and detained.\u00a0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Eight journalists covering the events were harassed, robbed, beaten, and detained by the authorities for several hours before being released.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0UNJHRO teams were denied access to detention facilities upon instructions from senior Ministry of Defense officials, and had difficulty accessing morgues. Security forces prevented two UN vehicles from reaching the location of demonstrations. A police agent shot tear gas at one UN vehicle, and a sniper on top of an anti-riot police truck shot twice at a UN vehicle but missed its target.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Authorities distributed machetes and money to approximately 100 young men, with a view to disrupting the demonstrations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Five opposition party headquarters were attacked and set on fire. The attacks were either perpetrated by state agents directly, or state agents were present at the scene and did not intervene.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The National Operations Center overseeing the response by the security forces to the demonstrations reportedly authorized the use of force including firearms against demonstrators. Witnesses reported hearing the following order, given in the Lingala language via VHF radio: \u201cThey are determined, shoot!\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0There were also many cases reported of violence by demonstrators, including the killings of four police agents. Demonstrators erected barricades, and threw stones during clashes with security forces. Demonstrators also destroyed and looted the headquarters of three political parties linked to the presidential majority, as well as public buildings and other facilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EHuman Rights Watch\u2019s initial findings on the violence during the week of September 19 in Kinshasa are similar to those of the UN. A summary can be found here here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/10\/13\/eu-impose-targeted-sanctions-against-senior-officials-democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/10\/13\/eu-impose-targeted-sanctions-against-senior-officials-democratic-republic-congo.\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EA more detailed report from Human Rights Watch on these events is forthcoming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]