UN Security Council Welcomes DRC Political Agreement
The UN Security Council said it expected “swift implementation” of a political deal mediated by the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo calling for President Joseph Kabila’s exit (Associated Press)
New Deal for Kabila to Step Down
A new agreement reached by some political parties and mediated by the Catholic Church sets Congolese President Joseph Kabila to step down before the end of 2017. The agreement, which has not been signed by Kabila, states that a transitional government, in place by March 2018, will appoint a prime minister from the opposition (Al Jazeera)
At Least Twenty-Six Protesters Killed in DRC
Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo opened fire (Reuters) on demonstrators, killing at least twenty-six people, according to Human Rights Watch. The protesters were calling on President Joseph Kabila, who has been in office since 2001, to step down after his mandate expired Monday
DRC Protesters Call for Kabila to Leave Office
Residents held protests (Africa News) and gunfire could be heard in Kinshasa as President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled since 2001, refused to step down from office before his mandate expired
DRC Blocks Social Networks Ahead of Protests
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo ordered social media platforms to be blocked ahead of planned protests on the day that President Joseph Kabila’s mandate expires (Al Jazeera)
Opposition Leader Vows to Return
Exiled opposition leader Moise Katumbi vowed to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo if President Joseph Kabila, whose term ends on December 19, does not step down (FT)
Several Dead in Democratic Republic of Congo Clashes
At least twenty people have been killed when fighters loyal to a local chief clashed with security forces. The fighting in Tshikapa, the capital of Kasai province, started on December 3 and continued into December 4, with the armed fighters taking control of three hills overlooking the town (Al Jazeera)
UN Rights Expert Criticizes Clampdown on Media in Congo
A UN expert on freedom of expression accused the Congolese government of violating international human rights law with jamming radio broadcasts and arresting journalists. David Kaye cited a decree on November 12 that bars international media from operating in Congo unless they sign an agreement with local media or set up an outlet under Congolese regulations. He said five journalists were arrested and the signals of three media outlets were jammed last month (Washington Post)
Opposition Figure Named Prime Minister in Power Sharing Deal
Samy Badibanga, a member of the DRC opposition, was named prime minister in a deal that allows President Joseph Kabila to remain in office after his term ends in December (New York Times)
DRC Prime Minister Resigns in Bid to Appease Opposition
Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo resigned on November 14, allowing an opposition member to take his post in a deal that would extend President Joseph Kabila’s term and postpone elections until 2018 (Africa News)
Grenade Blast Kills Two in Eastern Congo
A grenade detonated near a group of Indian peacekeepers in eastern Congo, killing a peacekeeper and an eight-year-old child. Thirty-one peacekeepers and three civilians were injured (New York Times)
Eight Democracy Advocates Arrested
Eight democracy advocates were arrested in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo before a planned demonstration against the delay of the presidential election, fellow activists said (Reuters)
Former Vice President Found Guilty of Bribing Witnesses
Former Democratic Republic of the Congo Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba was found guilty of bribing witnesses at the International Criminal Court (Africa News)
DRC Opposition Calls for General Strike
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s main opposition party called for a general strike to protest the postponement of elections due this year to April 2018. The delay would give President Joseph Kabila more than an extra year in office (Al Jazeera)
EU Threatens Sanctions Over Election Violence
The European Union will prepare economic sanctions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo unless it holds its delayed presidential and primary elections next year, foreign ministers agreed (Reuters)
DRC Delays Presidential Election to 2018
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that it would delay presidential elections due in November until April 2018 (Al Jazeera)
Opposition members decried this delay as a move to keep President Joseph Kabila in power after his term concludes in December
Wanted Warlord Surrendered Five Years After Escape from Prison
Gedeon Kyungu, a wanted warlord in southeastern DRC, has surrendered five years after he escaped from prison following a conviction for crimes against humanity, the provincial governor said (Reuters)
Opposition Leader Arrested for Anti-Government Demonstrations
An opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was arrested for his role in anti-government demonstrations in September in which more than fifty people died (Reuters)
Civilians Killed as Rebels Clash With Army
At least eight civilians have been killed during a firefight between the army and rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the town of Beni in North Kivu overnight, with eight civilians, a soldier, and an ADF fighter shot dead (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Senior DRC Officials After Election Delay
The United States has imposed sanctions on two senior officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo in an apparent warning to President Joseph Kabila to respect the constitution and call elections later this year. The decision to sanction followed “increasing indications that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to suppress political opposition in the country, often through violent means”, said the US Treasury (The Guardian)
Death Toll From Militia Clashes Higher Than Reported
At least forty-nine people were killed in militia clashes with security forces last week, more than three times the number originally reported (VOA)
Pope Francis II Meets with President Kabila in Private Audience
Pope Francis II and President Joseph Kabila met at the Vatican on Monday to discuss recent violence in the capital, Kinshasa, which followed protests over the upcoming presidential election (Africa News)
Seventeen Killed in DRC Protests
The United States and France threatened to impose sanctions on senior officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo after at least seventeen people were killed during protests to demand that President Joseph Kabila step down when his term runs out in December (Al Jazeera)
Opposition offices were also torched after the protests, leaving at least two dead inside (Al Jazeera)
Government Establishing Mining Defense Force
The government will create a paramilitary security force to protect mining assets, partially funded by the United States and the United Arab Emirates; it aims to deploy as many as 3,000 security officers by December and 20,000 by 2028 (Bloomberg)
The plans follow an order from DRC President Felix Tshisekedi to crack down on illegal mining in the country (Reuters)
DRC and M23 Sending Hundreds of Fighters to Frontlines
Their conflict has escalated in spite of mediation efforts by Qatar and the United States (Reuters)
In June, Washington and Doha brokered a deal between the DRC and Rwanda, which the UN says backs the rebels (CFR)
In July, Qatar brokered a deal between the DRC and the rebels, pledging to reach a peace agreement by August 18, but that deadline has come and gone (Reuters)