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But despite the tireless efforts of Congo\u2019s Catholic bishops, the January 28 deadline for an agreement on how the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-298259\u0022\u003Edeal\u003C\/a\u003E should be implemented passed with many issues unresolved.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tPresident Joseph Kabila and the country\u2019s political elite have a lot of work to do if they want to salvage the deal and convince the population they are committed to organizing elections. Serious engagement from Congo\u2019s international and regional partners is also critical \u2013 including technical support during the negotiations and in planning elections, and continued pressure on Kabila to support implementation of the deal and reverse the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog\u0022\u003Eclimate of repression\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tOne of the main points of disagreement concerns how the new prime minister will be appointed. Many in the opposition contend that Kabila should nominate the individual chosen by the Rassemblement opposition coalition, citing language in the deal that says that the Rassemblement will choose the new prime minister. Those in Kabila\u2019s majority coalition say that the president should be given a choice of several names from which to choose.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tThe composition of the new government also remains a point of contention. While delegates to the talks finally came to an agreement on the size of the new government \u2013 and how many ministerial and vice-ministerial positions each coalition would get \u2013 there is still no agreement on who gets which posts, especially the more important positions like the budget, defense, justice, and interior ministries. There\u2019s now agreement on the structure of the national council charged with following-up on implementation of the agreement and the electoral process, but disagreements persist regarding who will hold which posts within the council.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\t\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed\u0022 data-type=\u0022image\u0022\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-left embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--left\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\/30627\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_2017\/rtx2w154_layout_comp.jpg?itok=CbM9AOBf 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/rtx2w154_layout_comp.jpg?itok=8X27Ynbj 946w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 width=\u0022946\u0022 height=\u0022590\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/rtx2w154_layout_comp.jpg?itok=8X27Ynbj\u0022 alt=\u0022Congolese Catholic Church (CENCO) Bishops Fidele Nsielele (left), Marcel Utembi (center), and Fridolin Ambongo (right) arrive to mediate talks between the opposition and the government of President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u0027s capit\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\u003ECongolese Catholic Church (CENCO) Bishops Fidele Nsielele (left), Marcel Utembi (center), and Fridolin Ambongo (right) arrive to mediate talks between the opposition and the government of President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u0027s capital Kinshasa, December 21, 2016.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2016 Reuters\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\t\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tThere\u2019s also disagreement on the role the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-296080\u0022\u003ECatholic Church\u003C\/a\u003E should play during the transition, with the opposition calling for bishops to continue to play a robust role until elections are held, and the majority saying the president needs to first clarify this point.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tWhile the current prime minister, Samy Badibanga, has yet to sign the deal, most other holdouts have now come on board, and on January 28, the majority coalition officially backed the deal and removed their earlier \u201creservations.\u201d Kabila himself has not signed the agreement, although he\u2019s reportedly said in meetings that he supports the deal and gave the go-ahead for his representatives to sign.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tAnd while delegates have been busy debating these other issues, no progress has been made on establishing a new electoral calendar.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tProgress has also been slow regarding \u003Cem\u003E\u201c\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-298918\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ed\u00e9crispation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u201d \u003C\/em\u003Eor confidence-building measures. While some political prisoners and activists have been released, dozens are still in detention.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tMoni Della from the opposition Conservateurs de la Nature et D\u00e9mocrates (CONADE) political party \u2013 one of the seven \u201cemblematic\u201d cases discussed during the dialogue \u2013 was provisionally released on January 28, but charges against him have not been dropped. Della was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/11\/16\/dr-congo-political-prisoners-detention\u0022\u003Earrested\u003C\/a\u003E more than four months earlier and accused of inciting the population to pillage during demonstrations in Kinshasa on September 19. Roger Lumbala has returned to Kinshasa from exile, but the five other \u201cemblematic cases\u201d have not been released or officially cleared of charges, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/05\/09\/dr-congo-crackdown-presidential-aspirant\u0022\u003EMo\u00efse Katumbi\u003C\/a\u003E, Jean-Claude Muyambo, Eug\u00e8ne Diomi Ndongala, Floribert Anzuluni, and Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tTwo LUCHA youth activists in Mbuji-Mayi, Jean-Paul Mualaba Biaya and Nicolas Mbiya Kabeya, were acquitted today. They remain in prison but are expected to be released in the coming days. Eight other pro-democracy activists are also still in detention, including the four LUCHA activists in Goma: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-297983\u0022\u003EFabrice Mutsirwa\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-297506\u0022\u003EJacques Muhindo, Fiston Dunia, and Glody Ntambwe\u003C\/a\u003E; the LUCHA activist in Kinshasa: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-297883\u0022\u003EMusasa Tshibanda\u003C\/a\u003E; and three activists from Compte \u00e0 Rembours in Kinshasa: Chris Shematsi, John Ngandu, and Samuel Bosasele. They\u2019ve all been held since before the deal was signed.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tAnother activist from Compte \u00e0 Rembours, Bobo Mpolesha, was arrested in Kinshasa on January 7 and taken to a military intelligence prison where he was badly beaten. He was released on January 21 and is recovering from wounds inflicted on him during his detention.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tOne arbitrarily closed media outlet close to the opposition, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2016\/12\/19\/actualite\/societe\/rdc-le-signal-de-cctv-et-radio-liberte-coupe\u0022\u003ECanal Congo T\u00e9l\u00e9vison\u003C\/a\u003E (CCTV), was allowed back on the air. But at least six other outlets are still blocked: Radio Lisanga T\u00e9l\u00e9vision (RLTV), Radiot\u00e9l\u00e9vision Lubumbashi JUA (RTLJ), Nyota T\u00e9l\u00e9vision, Radiot\u00e9l\u00e9vision Mapendo, La Voix du Katanga, and Congo News. The signal for Radio France Internationale (RFI) has now been blocked for nearly three months in Kinshasa and neighboring Brazzaville, despite \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.politico.cd\/actualite\/2017\/01\/31\/france-demande-retablissement-signal-de-rfi-a-kinshasa.html\u0022\u003Ecalls\u003C\/a\u003E by the French government and others for Congo\u2019s most important international news outlet to be allowed back on the air.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\tAnd there is still no justice for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Escores of people killed\u003C\/a\u003E last year by state security forces during protests against Kabila\u2019s attempts to stay in power beyond the end of his constitutionally mandated two-term limit on December 19.\u003C\/div\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__299587__en","data":"","settings":null}]