[{"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__297883__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"297883","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/297883","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297883__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__297883__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__297883__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\u003EToday should have been Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila\u2019s last day in office, when he would be handing over the reins to a newly elected president, marking the country\u2019s first peaceful transition of power from one democratically elected leader to another.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, he shows no signs of leaving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe last-minute Catholic Church-mediated \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-297247\u0022\u003Edialogue\u003C\/a\u003E between opposition political parties and the ruling coalition failed to reach an agreement, and the bishops left the country on Saturday for their end-of-the-year gathering with the pope in The Vatican, promising that the dialogue will resume after their return on December 21. The main obstacle: Kabila\u2019s refusal to commit to leaving office at the end of his second term in accordance with the constitution. Nor have the countless calls for him to do so by Congolese and international actors budged him.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EA group of 79 women\u2019s groups from Congo and around the world sent a public \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1AMrAN0nRM6730AP8Kgk95TyqbH1qE1IabhRgAJXdwbk\/edit\u0022\u003Eletter\u003C\/a\u003E to Kabila on December 15, calling on him to do just that in order to \u201cstop violence\u201d and \u201clead the country down the path of peace.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EHuman Rights Watch\u2019s Executive Director \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/about\/people\/kenneth-roth\u0022\u003EKenneth Roth\u003C\/a\u003E echoed their sentiments, saying in a December 16 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/12\/16\/dr-congo-kabila-should-commit-leave-office\u0022\u003Ereport\u003C\/a\u003E that President Kabila is the \u201cone person\u201d who could prevent \u201cwidespread violence and chaos in the coming days\u2026by making a clear, public commitment to step down and by ending the violent repression by those under his command.\u201d The report detailed the government\u2019s repression since September and issued recommendations for preventing large-scale violence in the coming days.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EBut government and security forces seem to be clamping down and preparing for heightened repression in the near future. Security forces were already heavily deployed this weekend in the capital, Kinshasa, as well as Goma and other cities. Additionally, the government \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2016\/12\/16\/actualite\/societe\/rdc-les-autorites-decident-une-restriction-des-reseaux-sociaux\u0022\u003Einstructed\u003C\/a\u003E telecommunications companies to block social media sites \u2013 a measure that went into effect with most networks in Congo soon after midnight last night.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022twitter-tweet\u0022 data-lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 lang=\u0022en\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022en\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003ESocial media crackdown in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Congo?src=hash\u0022\u003E#Congo\u003C\/a\u003E: First impressions of what app\/function is blocked depending on provider. Subject to change as day unfolds. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/mtaEcPPDNR\u0022\u003Epic.twitter.com\/mtaEcPPDNR\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2014 Timo Mueller (@MuellerTimo) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/MuellerTimo\/status\/810647406081609728\u0022\u003EDecember 19, 2016\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003Cscript async=\u0022\u0022 src=\u0022\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\u0022 charset=\u0022utf-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo members of pro-government youth leagues in Kinshasa told Human Rights Watch they were called to a meeting yesterday with senior security, intelligence, and government officials who instructed them to infiltrate the planned protests in the coming days and provoke looting and violence, in order to push security forces to fire on the demonstrators. They said they were divided into groups to target four areas of Kinshasa: Limete, Tshangu, Rond-point Ngaba, and Kintambo magasin. They were promised 120,000 Congolese francs (around US$100) each. The recruits said that some soldiers were mixed in among the members of youth leagues, and that the person responsible for each of the four groups was given a revolver.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\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\/30530\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/image-1.png?itok=goHvFeUi 391w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2016\/image-1.png?itok=I_nSz2SJ 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\/image-1.png?itok=I_nSz2SJ\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u00221513\u0022 alt=\u0022\u200bLUCHA activist Gloria Sengha has been missing in Kinshasa since Friday, December 16, 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\u003ELUCHA activist\u00a0Gloria Sengha has been missing in Kinshasa since Friday, December 16, 2016.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2016 Private\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EMembers of the youth leagues were given similar \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/12\/16\/dr-congo-kabila-should-commit-leave-office\u0022\u003Einstructions\u003C\/a\u003E to infiltrate protests in September.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EMeanwhile, more activists and opposition members have been arrested or gone missing: LUCHA activists Gloria Sengha and Musasa Tshibanda have been missing in Kinshasa since Friday. And on Saturday evening, two members of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development (ECIDE) opposition political party, Christian Badose and Andre Bismwa, were arrested by men in uniform in Goma and taken to an unknown location. Five Belgian journalists were \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rtbf.be\/info\/monde\/afrique\/detail_les-journalistes-belges-expulses-du-congo-ont-ete-victimes-d-un-piege?id=9483419\u0022\u003Eexpelled\u003C\/a\u003E on Friday, and the authorities \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.lalibre.be\/actu\/belgique\/le-congo-interdit-a-un-c130-et-une-equipe-d-evacuation-belges-de-penetrer-sur-son-territoire-5855127dcd70fa7e37c4d20b#.WFWCnDV34LF.twitter\u0022\u003Eforced\u003C\/a\u003E a Belgian government transport plane to leave Kinshasa.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EA flurry of declarations were published over the past few days: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/FR\/NewsEvents\/Pages\/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21046\u0026amp;LangID=E\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E on the Congolese \u201cgovernment, and especially its security forces, to take all necessary measures to guarantee the rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly.\u201d The pope \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2016\/12\/18\/le-pape-francois-appelle-a-prier-pour-le-dialogue-en-rdc\/\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E on people to pray for the success of the dialogue, and the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2016\/12\/18\/actualite\/politique\/rdc-les-nations-unies-appellent-au-calme-et-la-retenue\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E for calm and for all sides to respect human rights. The European Union\u2019s High Representative \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eeas.europa.eu\/headquarters\/headquarters-homepage_en\/17484\/D\u00e9claration\u0022\u003Esaid\u003C\/a\u003E that \u201cnow, more than ever,\u201d the EU calls on Congolese authorities to ensure \u201cthe strict respect of fundamental freedoms, and to show maximum restraint and refrain from a disproportionate use of force in their reaction to demonstrations\u201d and on civil society and opposition actors to ensure that their actions remain non-violent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite the rising tensions, Congolese government officials have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2016\/12\/17\/mende-attendons-retour-eveques-entre-temps-vie-continue\/\u0022\u003Edeclared\u003C\/a\u003E that December 19 and 20 will be normal days and \u201clife with continue,\u201d while the police \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2016\/12\/18\/actualite\/securite\/colonel-mwana-mputu-tout-rassemblement-de-plus-de-dix-personnes-sera\u0022\u003Esay\u003C\/a\u003E that any group of 10 people or more gathered together will be dispersed. Opposition \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/fatshi13\/status\/810133373352083457\u0022\u003Eleaders\u003C\/a\u003E have \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2016\/12\/18\/lumeya-deputedynamique-19-decembre-devons-etre-sapeurs-pompiers\/\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E on the population to \u201cassume their responsibilities\u201d and on security forces to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/moise_katumbi\/status\/810561887842824192\u0022\u003Erefrain\u003C\/a\u003E from firing on the population.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pro-democracy youth movement LUCHA \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/luchaRDC\/status\/810534770740445184\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E on all Congolese to \u201cdescend massively\u201d on the streets and to \u201cuse all legitimate means\u201d to \u201ctake sovereignty back from the hands of Kabila.\u201d They urge the population to refrain from any acts of violence, and the security forces to show they are \u201con the side of the people.\u201d They say the demonstrations will start on Monday \u201cand continue until the effective departure of Kabila, no matter how long it will take.\u201d LUCHA also made their \u201cfinal call\u201d to Kabila to announce his resignation before midnight Monday, and to leave the presidency \u201chonorably.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EKabila should abide by the constitution and heed this call, and all sides should respect the pleas for non-violence. \u00a0\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}]