Reply To: The UN shoot on civilians in the east of the DRC

[Congo]

Members of the International Support Group Facilitation Tshisekedi returned home with a long list of political prisoners or detainees whose Rally demands release. They are also left with the prerequisites of the Opposition tshisekediste unresolved. Meanwhile, Etienne Tshisekedi reiterated, once again, his disavowal against Edem Kodjo. The negotiations are continuing.

Nearly a week after the beginning of August, there is still no new timetable for National Dialogue’s work on view. The DRC is still suspended from the intense negotiations that lead for over forty-eight hours, the members of the International Support Group for Dialogue Facilitation to persuade the different parties to sit around a table. Yesterday, Thursday, August 4, a delegation from the support group was received by Limete Etienne Tshisekedi, President of the Rally of Forces Political and Social Change acquired. Before making the move Limete, members of the Support Group, consisting of UN diplomats, African Union, European Union, the OIF, the ICGLR and SADC, will interviewed more than two hours, with the Facilitator Edem Kodjo. It was a question of assessing its action since his appointment in early April by Madam Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Zuma. The work was, of course, to identify the causes of blockage and, above all, the objectives of the Dialogue. Such a meeting could not end without being evoked the question Kodjo of the challenge by the opposition pro-Tshisekedi. The Support Group, which is not intended to substitute for the Facilitation, he will manage to change his mind the Rally and all the political forces who reject openly Edem Kodjo, accusing him of bias? The different catches for his continued position expressed by the President of the Commission of the African Union, the African Ambassadors accredited to Kinshasa or MONUSCO are they sufficient to allow Kodjo retain his seat despite the disallowance Opposition? Pending the outcome of what looks like a showdown, one wonders about the consequences that may ensue. If Kodjo was leaving, some politicians fear that his successor designation process takes time. Time, too, for the newcomer to master the essence of the complexity of the political spectrum where Congolese members of the government claim the quota of the Opposition and opponents defend theses of power. Any loss of time will, without fail, have implications for the coming elections. But if there is delay in organizing elections, can be completely attributed to the replacement procedure of a Dialogue Facilitator? Certainly not. INEC, the body empowered to organize elections in the DRC, admit its failure to respect the constitutional limits. Moreover, INEC did not wait for the opening of the Dialogue’s work to start the renewal process of the electoral register in Nord-Ubangi District. According to estimates of the political and administrative authorities, about one million voters are to enlist in three months in this province arose from the dismemberment of the great province of Ecuador. The Chairman of INEC, Cornelius Nangaa, needs a minimum of sixteen months to produce a new electoral register. If he spends three months enlist voters in North Ubangi, while the country has 26 provinces, add to that the fact that the registration period will not happen simultaneously, not to mention the lack of financial resources, absence of an electoral calendar and a time chart showing the different sequences, we would be gone for an eternity. INEC, to her alone, can she afford it while opponents claim the elections within the constitutional deadline? With such a chaotic decor, calls are multiplying Dialogue. Absolutely, there must be a consensus on the best options for constitution of the electoral roll and election ballots to organize first. Things are not as simple as some would believe.