[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJxLzSvJLKmMT81NSk3RT04sKMnMz9Mpy0wtL9YHk3qJWYkVKAK5-SmlOakAd1UWCw","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297247__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"297247","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/297247","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297247__en","pager_element":0}}},"csp":{"nonce":"JW2K_qbgxPHCiGLZCDwwyA"},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"bc8921424f39d39c64af84232b603fadae46f840a8176c1b2436a5ee00791ac5"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_ttdgUoxkB-pbINT5dW1cMh3IgYOCVTjCJ6Cp-XWwa0k.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNFLzEqs0EnNK8ksqYxPzU1KTdFPTiwoyczP0ynLTC0v1geTern5KaU5qQBrXRXg"}]},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VAWKYxPX4vFoyXs0iEPUrnc99CjyNLIu_pZawjEz9i8.js?scope=footer\u0026delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=hrw_design\u0026include=eJwry0wtL9YvA5F6iVmJFQA22wZe"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297247__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297247__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\u003EAfter a month of diplomacy by the Catholic Church to overcome the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s political impasse, President Joseph Kabila\u2019s ruling coalition today dismissed the effort as a \u201cfailure.\u201d This could block any chance of an inclusive agreement before the December 19 deadline, when Kabila\u2019s constitutionally mandated two-term limit will be up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\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 xmlns:xlink=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center info \u0022\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/30360\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-12-drc-congo-africa-cenco-church-catholic-bishops.jpg?itok=uTA3DKlr 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-12-drc-congo-africa-cenco-church-catholic-bishops.jpg?itok=sgrdIsnv 946w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 width=\u0022946\u0022 height=\u0022710\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/2016-12-drc-congo-africa-cenco-church-catholic-bishops.jpg?itok=sgrdIsnv\u0022 alt=\u0022Archbishops of the Catholic Church\u2019s Conference of Episcopal Bishops in Congo (CENCO) during a press conference in Kinshasa on December 2, 2016.\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n \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\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\n \u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=250315#sprite-expand\u0022 \/\u003E\n \u003C\/svg\u003E\n\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\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EArchbishops of the Catholic Church\u2019s Conference of Episcopal Bishops in Congo (CENCO) during a press conference in Kinshasa on December 2, 2016.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2016 Human Rights Watch\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n \u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDuring a press conference today in Kinshasa attended by Human Rights Watch, archbishops of the Catholic Church\u2019s Conference of Episcopal Bishops in Congo (CENCO) noted that many of the most contentious issues remain unresolved. The archbishops also called for direct talks between the main parties. The disagreements, they said, are regarding the constitution and how it should be respected; the sequencing, timing, and financing of elections; the independence of the electoral commission; how institutions will function during the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-295565\u0022\u003Etransition period\u003C\/a\u003E; and measures that will be taken to ease political tensions.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tIf all parties \u201ctake initiative and show good will,\u201d the archbishops said, a political compromise is still within reach. Warning that \u201cthe hour is grave\u201d and that \u201cwithout an agreement, anything can happen,\u201d CENCO called on all sides to act responsibly to \u201cprevent our country from plunging into an uncontrollable situation.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tHours after the press conference, the ruling coalition published a statement calling CENCO\u2019s efforts a \u201cfailure.\u201d The coalition blamed the opposition for \u201cflagrant contradictions\u201d and \u201cdemands harmful to the spirit and text of the constitution,\u201d and regretting the \u201ctime unnecessarily lost.\u201d They then called on the president to implement the \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-295340\u0022\u003Enational dialogue\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d agreement, which would allow Kabila to stay in power at least until April 2018, and which most main opposition parties did not sign.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tThe Rassemblement opposition coalition \u201cnoted with satisfaction\u201d the continued commitment of the archbishops to search for an \u201cappropriate solution\u201d to the crisis \u201cwhich could end in chaos.\u201d It reiterated its commitment and willingness to participate in a \u201ctruly inclusive dialogue\u201d and supported the call for direct talks between the parties to find a peaceful solution to the crisis before the end of Kabila\u2019s second term.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tAt the request of President Kabila, Catholic bishops \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-296080\u0022\u003Ehad begun\u003C\/a\u003E consultations in early November with opposition and civil society groups, seeking, as one of the bishops told us, a consensus that would prevent the country from collapsing into violence after December 19.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tIn other news, Rodrigue Bintene Mimbo, a researcher with the Congolese polling institute Bureau d\u2019Etude de Recherche et de Consulting International was released from detention yesterday. Intelligence agents \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-295884\u0022\u003Earrested\u003C\/a\u003E him on June 26, 2016, after he had spent two weeks conducting research in Congo\u2019s central Sankuru province for a nationwide opinion \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/congoresearchgroup.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Final-Poll-CRG-BERCI.pdf\u0022\u003Esurvey\u003C\/a\u003E, which found that three-quarters of those polled wanted President Kabila to step down on December 19. Mimbo was never charged with a crime.\u003C\/p\u003E\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},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297247__en","data":"","settings":null}]