[{"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__301321__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"301321","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/301321","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__301321__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__301321__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__301321__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\u003EThis Saturday, Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state and government will meet in Swaziland. The subregional organization, which includes the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/africa\/democratic-republic-congo\u0022\u003EDemocratic Republic of Congo\u003C\/a\u003E, should use this meeting to help resolve the political and human rights crisis in Congo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOn February 24, SADC foreign ministers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2017\/02\/25\/rdc-la-sadc-insiste-sur-la-nomination-dun-nouveau-premier-ministre\/\u0022\u003Ecalled\u003C\/a\u003E for the urgent nomination of a new prime minister in Congo and for a rapid application of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/content\/298259\u0022\u003ENew Year\u2019s Eve deal\u003C\/a\u003E. With the appointment of the new government and implementation of the deal still largely stalled, regional heads of state and government should reiterate this call strongly and clearly.\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 embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable\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\/30627\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg 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 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\/rtx2w154_layout_comp.jpg?itok=8X27Ynbj\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022530\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 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 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\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThey should also call on the Congolese authorities to quickly and fully implement the confidence-building measures agreed upon in the deal. Those include releasing and dropping charges against political leaders and activists targeted because of their peaceful political views or activities and\u00a0opening barred media outlets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOn February 22, Congo\u2019s Roman Catholic bishops \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cenco.cd\/index.php\/voir-toutes-les-actualites\/149-non-au-blocage-face-aux-tribulations-du-moment-prenez-courage-car-le-christ-a-vaincu-le-monde-cf-jn-16-33\u0022\u003Ewarned\u003C\/a\u003E that the political deadlock coupled with the escalation of conflict in parts of Congo could \u201cplunge [the] country into an uncontrollable chaos.\u201d Violence has intensified across the country in recent months, leaving several hundred people dead, including in the\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2017\/02\/24\/dr-congo-ensure-justice-killings-kasais\u0022\u003EKasai\u003C\/a\u003E\u00a0provinces,\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2015\/08\/11\/dr-congo-ethnic-militias-attack-civilians-katanga\u0022\u003ETanganyika\u003C\/a\u003E,\u00a0\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/10\/07\/dr-congo-protect-civilians-beni-attack\u0022\u003ENorth Kivu\u003C\/a\u003E, and Kongo Central, as well as in the capital, Kinshasa. \u00a0\u201cIs it only by accident that this [intensified violence] occurs in this pre-electoral period?\u201d the bishops said, adding that they feared \u201ca design with the aim of delaying or preventing\u201d elections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EOn February 25, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/monusco.unmissions.org\/en\/members-security-council-strongly-condemned-violence-witnessed-kasa%C3%AF-region-over-recent-months\u0022\u003EUnited Nations Security Council\u003C\/a\u003E called on all stakeholders in Congo \u201cto redouble, in good faith, their efforts towards a speedy conclusion of the ongoing talks on the \u2018arrangements particuliers\u2019 of the agreement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe United States, which played a major role in pressing for elections and defending human rights during the Obama administration, has been rather silent on Congo under President Donald Trump. The US could, and should, be doing more, including a new round of targeted sanctions against abusive officials. As the \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/global-opinions\/trump-shouldnt-let-congos-leader-stomp-all-over-human-rights\/2017\/03\/10\/c19338ba-029a-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.0775d93feadf\u0022\u003EWashington Post\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/em\u003Erecently put it, \u201canother explosion of bloodshed in Central Africa\u201d is \u201csomething that even an \u2018America First\u2019 president should want to stop.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe European Union, meanwhile, made a strong call for urgent implementation of the New Year\u2019s Eve deal in its March 6 foreign affairs council conclusions on Congo. Foreign ministers also \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.consilium.europa.eu\/en\/press\/press-releases\/2017\/03\/06-conclusions-congo\/\u0022\u003Einstructed\u003C\/a\u003E High Representative Federica Mogherini to start the process for new targeted sanctions, looking at \u201cthose responsible for serious human rights violations or for incitement to violence and those who would obstruct a consensual and peaceful solution to the crisis.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is time for regional leaders to take a stand. Their engagement last year played a role in pressing President Joseph Kabila and others to accept the Catholic Church-mediated agreement. But continued, high-level engagement is needed to ensure that the agreement holds and that credible elections are organized, and to prevent an already explosive situation in Congo from deteriorating even further.\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}]