[{"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__306813__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"306813","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/306813","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306813__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__306813__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306813__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\u003EAbout 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 14, a dozen or so young men sporting red headbands and armed with guns, knives, machetes, and wooden sticks attacked Kinshasa\u2019s bustling main market known as the \u201cGrand March\u00e9.\u201d The assailants burned two police stations near the market before vanishing into the crowd of shoppers and sellers fleeing the commotion. The market\u2019s administrator, 50-year-old \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2017\/07\/16\/etait-chantal-mboyo-administratrice-marche-central-de-kinshasa-tuee-lors-de-lattaque-de-vendredi-portrait\/\u0022\u003EChantal Mboyo\u003C\/a\u003E, and two police officers were killed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\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\/32739\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_market_1.jpg?itok=s8DtuI1S 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_market_1.jpg?itok=ax-dhEgs 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\/201707africa_drc_market_1.jpg?itok=ax-dhEgs\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022People gather outside the office of the administrator of Kinshasa\u2019s central market, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 15, 2017, one day after she was killed.\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\u003EPeople gather outside the office of the administrator of Kinshasa\u2019s central market, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 15, 2017, one day after she was killed.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 Radio Okapi\/Billy Ivan Lutumba\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\nGen. C\u00e9lestin Kanyama, who until Monday was Kinshasa\u2019s police commissioner, immediately \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.radiookapi.net\/2017\/07\/15\/actualite\/securite\/rdc-au-moins-un-mort-dans-une-attaque-au-marche-central-de-kinshasa\u0022\u003Eblamed the attack on \u201ca group of thieves and criminals\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d But many observers in the Democratic Republic of Congo question whether assailants could have pulled off such a brazen attack in the middle of the day in the capital \u2013 and then manage to get away \u2013 without a degree of government complicity. Others \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/afrique.lalibre.be\/6047\/rdc-lattaque-au-grand-marche-de-kinshasa-annonce-letat-durgence\/\u0022\u003Especulated that the market attack would be used to justify a \u0027state of emergency\u003C\/a\u003E\u0027\u00a0that could be used as another excuse to delay elections and crack down further on political protests and free speech.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tSo unsurprisingly, the day after the attack, Patrick Nkanga, youth league president of the People\u2019s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), the main party of President Joseph Kabila\u2019s ruling coalition, issued a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/PatrickNkanga2\/status\/886282111224868869\u0022\u003Ecommuniqu\u00e9 calling for additional security measures\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 \u201ceven if\u201d that means imposing a \u0022state of emergency\u0022\u00a0\u2013 to respond to the \u201cterrorist acts\u201d perpetrated in Congo\u2019s central Kasai region and now Kinshasa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tOn Monday evening, presidential decrees were read out on state media, announcing new police and military nominations. Among the new appointments: National police commissioner Gen. Charles Bisengimana was replaced by Gen. Dieudonn\u00e9 Amuli Bahigwa, the former deputy chief of staff of the army in charge of operations. This changing of the guard raises questions over whether it signals a further militarization of the police, the security force primarily charged with protecting the population and maintaining public order.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\n\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\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\/32740\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_market2.jpg?itok=POorHcGK 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_market2.jpg?itok=Oqo2l9st 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\/201707africa_drc_market2.jpg?itok=Oqo2l9st\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u0022638\u0022 alt=\u0022Kinshasa\u2019s central market, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 15, 2017, the day after the market was attacked. \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\u003EKinshasa\u2019s central market, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 15, 2017, the day after the market was attacked.\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 Radio Okapi\/Billy Ivan Lutumba \u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\n\nThe Kinshasa market attack came a week after the president of the national electoral commission, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/actualite.cd\/2017\/07\/07\/rdc-ny-aura-delections-2017-corneille-nangaa\/\u0022\u003ECorneille Nangaa, announced elections could not be organized before the end of the year\u003C\/a\u003E, as called for by the Catholic Church-mediated power sharing deal signed late last year, after Kabila\u2019s second and last term, according to the constitution, expired on December 19. Nangaa blamed the delay on violence in the Kasai region, which he said has made voter registration impossible in some areas. More than \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2017-06-20\/fighting-in-congo-kills-more-than-3-000-people-since-october\u0022\u003E3,300 people have been killed\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/democratic-republic-congo\/urgence-complexe-dans-la-r-gion-des-kasa-rd-congo-rapport-de-3\u0022\u003E1.4 million displaced\u003C\/a\u003E from their homes since violence broke out last August, and as security forces used excessive force to eliminate local militias.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tCritics of the government expressed outrage at Nangaa\u2019s announcement. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/fatshi13\/status\/883844700331008000\u0022\u003EOpposition leader Felix Tshisekedi said\u003C\/a\u003E Nangaa had \u201cdeclared war on the Congolese people.\u201d The citizens\u2019 movement \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/luchaRDC\/status\/887006084711546882\u0022\u003ELUCHA (Struggle for Change) called for nationwide protests on July 31\u003C\/a\u003E, the date when the electoral commission was supposed to have finalized the voter roll for elections to be held by the end of 2017. Earlier, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/content\/305775\u0022\u003Ethe Catholic Church\u2019s bishops\u2019 conference had called on Congolese to \u201cstand up\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E and protest the government\u2019s failure to organize elections in accordance with the constitution.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026#13;\n\tThe Congolese people have a right under their constitution and international law to hold genuine periodic elections \u2013 and to freely express their views about them. These rights cannot be taken away by a state of emergency or other measures that would deprive them of a credible, democratic process.\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}]