[{"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__300124__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"300124","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/300124","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__300124__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__300124__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__300124__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\u003ELast weekend, tens of thousands of people came together and reveled in the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s eastern city of Goma for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amanifestival.com\/fr\/\u0022\u003EAmani Festival\u003C\/a\u003E, a three-day outdoor concert. Now in its \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2017\/02\/10\/actualite\/culture\/debut-de-la-4e-edition-du-festival-amani-goma\u0022\u003Efourth year\u003C\/a\u003E, the music festival tapped into the city\u2019s rich cultural life. It featured a line-up of national and international stars who performed amidst exhibits and workshops set up by local businesses, human rights groups, humanitarian agencies, and embassies. In a region \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Eplagued by conflict\u003C\/a\u003E for the past 20 years, the festival offers a rare reprieve.\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\/31037\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/2017-02-drc-congo-africa-amani.jpg?itok=UMuksK3R 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/2017-02-drc-congo-africa-amani.jpg?itok=2Hn3B42o 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_2017\/2017-02-drc-congo-africa-amani.jpg?itok=2Hn3B42o\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022Stage at the Amani Festival in Goma.\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\u003EStage at the Amani Festival in Goma.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 Radio Okapi\/Alain Wandimoyi\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\u003EYet the festival\u2019s main slogans \u2013 \u201cplaying for change\u201d and \u201csinging for peace\u201d \u2013 seemed to be undermined when police took signs away from members of the youth movement Struggle for Change (LUCHA), and when the festival\u2019s organizers later told them to stop chanting. The young activists were calling for peace in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/10\/07\/dr-congo-protect-civilians-beni-attack\u0022\u003EBeni\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2015\/08\/11\/dr-congo-ethnic-militias-attack-civilians-katanga\u0022\u003ETanganyika\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/NewsEvents\/Pages\/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21175\u0026amp;LangID=E\u0022\u003EKasai Central\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0\u2013 conflict-ridden areas in Congo where hundreds of people have been killed in recent months. They were also calling for the release of their colleague Fabrice Mutsiirwa, who was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/blog-feed\/democratic-republic-congo-crisis#blog-297983\u0022\u003Earrested\u003C\/a\u003E during a peaceful protest in Goma on December 19, the last day of President Joseph Kabila\u2019s constitutionally mandated two-term limit. Over the past two years, dozens of other LUCHA activists have been \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Earrested\u003C\/a\u003E and detained for participating in similar peaceful activities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the police took their signs away on Sunday, the LUCHA activists held hands and danced together in a circle opposite a closed-off area for VIPs, including North Kivu Governor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/julienpalukucom\/status\/830759038812045312\u0022\u003EJulien Paluku\u003C\/a\u003E. The activists chanted that Paluku and other political leaders were staying in power past the constitutional limits. While the message was strong, their dance was festive and non-confrontational.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EPaluku was seated next to the provincial police chief Vital\u00a0Awashango\u00a0and Goma\u2019s mayor, Dieudonn\u00e9 Malere. The three have been among the principal enforcers of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Ewidespread political repression\u003C\/a\u003E in the city over the past two years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter several minutes, in an incident filmed by Human Rights Watch, one of the Amani Festival organizers approached the activists and told them to stop chanting, saying that they risked ruining the festival. In what has now become the LUCHA activists\u2019 typical response to repression, they initially refused to leave and crouched down on the dusty ground for a moment of silence. They dispersed moments later, without disrupting the festival. An Amani organizer later told us that LUCHA is a \u201cpolitical\u201d movement that could cause \u201ctrouble.\u201d He said the festival is meant to promote \u201creconciliation\u201d and has \u201cno space for a political movement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022twitter-video\u0022 data-lang=\u0022fr\u0022\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 lang=\u0022en\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022en\u0022 xml:lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/DRC?src=hash\u0022\u003E#DRC\u003C\/a\u003E: LUCHA activists silenced at Goma\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmaniFestival\u0022\u003E@AmaniFestival\u003C\/a\u003E, which should have been a safe space for peaceful expression \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/EVUyTtFG6a\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/EVUyTtFG6a\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/cJVPlpJJWb\u0022\u003Epic.twitter.com\/cJVPlpJJWb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u2014 Timo Mueller (@MuellerTimo) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/MuellerTimo\/status\/832235351385190400\u0022\u003E16 f\u00e9vrier 2017\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\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\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\u003EWhile seemingly insignificant in the context of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003Ebroader repression\u003C\/a\u003E in the country, the Amani Festival incident reinforced the notion that these young activists are but troublemakers \u2013 false allegations that authorities have used repeatedly in their attempts to quash dissent.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EIf the Amani Festival is committed to bringing change and peace to eastern Congo, then it should also be a safe space for youth activists to express themselves freely and peacefully. With their commitment to civic engagement, human rights, and democratic principles, they could be the change-makers for the country\u2019s future. Their voices should not be silenced.\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}]