AUGUST 2016
POLITICS | ARMED CONFLICT | ECONOMY/NATURAL RESOURCES | SOCIETY
SUMMARY. Opposition groups continue to call for President Joseph Kabila to end his 15-year rule this December as mandated by the country’s constitution, as the electoral commission has re-affirmed that DR Congo’s election will likely not take place until 2017. There was positive progress on the country’s freedom of expression as four notable Congolese activists – Fred Bauma, Yves Makwambala, Jean-Marie Kalonji, and Christopher Ngoyi – have been released form prison ‘as part of an effort to ease political tensions’ following their arbitrary 2015 arrests on politically-motivated charges. LUCHA continues its calls for the Kabila government to respect democracy, civil liberties and the rule of law.
Multiple incidents of ethnic conflict have been reported in August, with the highest frequency of violence and attacks in North Kivu province. Local and state activists question the effectiveness and organization of DR Congo security forces and MONUSCO, and members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are put on trial for a civilian massacre near Beni.
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