SDIR Committee News Release
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Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development |  | Sous-comité des droits internationaux de la personne du Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
The Human Rights Situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ottawa, June 15, 2018 -
Having endured decades of conflict and corruption, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has never experienced a peaceful transition of power. Now, a year and a half past the expiration of President Joseph Kabila’s constitutional term limit, the Congolese people are questioning whether elections will be held as planned in December 2018, and whether those elections will be free or fair. This political crisis follows over 25 years of conflict and instability. During that time, almost six million Congolese people were killed due to violence as well as malnutrition and disease fuelled by mass displacement. In the absence of meaningful reconciliation, accountability, or strong institutions, distrust of the central government prevails. Local militias prosper, acquiring territory and with it, natural resource wealth. They are motivated by shifting political alliances and ethnic divisions, in some cases with the support of regional actors.
Over the course of four meetings in May 2018, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs (the Subcommittee) heard compelling testimony by Dr. Yolande Bouka, an expert on conflict in the DRC; Ms. Tshala Kalambay and Mr. Aimé Kabuya, members of the Congolese diaspora in Canada; the Honourable L.Gen (Ret’d) Roméo Dallaire, founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative; Ms. Rachel Pulfer, Executive Director of Journalists for Human Rights; and Félix Tshisekedi, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, a Congolese opposition party. These witnesses described fundamental weaknesses in the DRC’s democratic institutions, and the dramatic toll that instability has taken on the Congolese people. With one voice, they told the Subcommittee that the international community must urgently prioritize the situation in the DRC.
Local militias have proliferated since 2016 in the eastern DRC and in the previously-stable Kasaï region, an opposition stronghold. Heightened violence has led to a massive humanitarian crisis, including the displacement of over four million Congolese people, who are once again vulnerable to malnutrition and disease, and who could be politically disenfranchised. Humanitarian actors operating in conflict-affected regions have themselves become targets of armed groups.
In a country where over 50% of the population is under the age of 18, the activities of militias depend on the recruitment of child soldiers. General Dallaire described a “generational war,” where the children of girls who were recruited are now themselves fighting as child soldiers, having known no other life. He warned, “unless you break the back of the whole of the security scenario in which children are being used as instruments of war, you will not end the war.” Ms. Pulfer and General Dallaire emphasized that women’s participation is key to building a lasting peace, noting that women have demonstrated that they use their authority to address issues such as education or development, rather than engaging in political gamesmanship.
The national election commission has named security as a precondition for holding elections. This has led some witnesses to conclude that President Kabila is using insecurity and political chaos as a pretext to delay elections. Some told the Subcommittee that President Kabila was instigating violence between militia groups, particularly in the Kasaï region.
Doubts cast about elections have led to unprecedented protests in Kinshasa and across the country. The central government has responded with violence, blanket prohibitions on protests, and restricting access to social media, a primary news source. Witnesses stated that there are concerns that the voter registration process – carried out at a time of mass displacement—was flawed and unfair. No census has been taken in the DRC in over 30 years. The central government’s announcement that it would use electronic voting machines that have been found to be highly susceptible to tampering has also raised alarm. The international community is already too late to observe the critical process of voter registration, but witnesses emphasized that intervention without delay is necessary to build trust in this election’s outcome.
The Government of Canada has made strong public statements expressing commitment to promoting democratic transitions of power and respect for human rights. It has committed funding to organizations focused on civic education, local media and ending the use of child soldiers. Ms. Pulfer emphasized that Canada can play a unique role in the DRC as the Congolese do not regard Canada as an imperial presence. Ms. Kalambay and Mr. Kabuya emphasized the strength of the Congolese diaspora in Canada, and their continued involvement in their native country. Building on these strengths, we must redouble our efforts, immediately and over the long-run.
The situation in the DRC requires the urgent attention of the international community. In light of the testimony received, it is the firm conviction of this Subcommittee that,
1. President Kabila must abide by his country’s constitution and unambiguously remove himself from consideration for the presidency. The Government of Canada should encourage its partners, including international and relevant regional organizations, as well as states, to exert their influence in the DRC in favour of a genuine and peaceful transition of power.
2. The Government of Canada should work with its international partners to urge the Congolese Government to accept international election monitoring efforts as soon as possible. Independent observers must evaluate all aspects of election preparation, including the training of scrutineers. It is vital that an impartial investigation and oversight be conducted into the security and accuracy of the electronic voting machines which the DRC’s national election commission has chosen to use.
3. Without faith in democratic values and grassroots civic engagement, elections only cause further division. The people of the DRC must be empowered and free to peacefully advocate for their interests. The Congolese media, for example, must be free to report on local issues, including human rights, and to hold the government accountable. The Government of Canada should work to support freedom of expression in the DRC.
4. The Government of Canada should consider placing targeted sanctions in concert with its international partners on Congolese individuals responsible for gross human rights violations.
5. The humanitarian needs of Congolese people, particularly those who have gone through multiple displacements, must be addressed. The international community must continue to push for consistent humanitarian access to those most in need.
The Subcommittee lends its support to the Congolese people and will remain seized of the situation.
QUOTES
“The failure to hold constitutionally required elections in the agreed timeline has increased uncertainty and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with tragic human consequences. This situation requires immediate and sustained international attention, starting with election observation, as well as a long-term commitment to encourage civic engagement and promote international human rights.”- Michael Levitt, M.P., Chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights
“Canada and the international community must act not only to ensure that the Congolese people can vote in a free and transparent election, but also to guarantee that there is a meaningful transition of power. President Kabila must unambiguously reject participating in the next election.”
- David Sweet, M.P., Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights
“After decades of instability, political brinksmanship, corruption and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue unabated. The natural wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been stolen from the Congolese people, and is used instead to fuel conflict. Canada, along with our international partners, must act immediately to ensure that the DRC experiences its first-ever peaceful transition of power in December 2018, aided by the enhanced participation of women and independent media in this important process.”
- Cheryl Hardcastle, M.P., Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights
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