The Violations of Human Rights in DRC Have Continued

As usual, the UN weekly press conference held Wednesday, April 13, 2016, simultaneously in Kinshasa and Goma. During this, the traditional issues were discussed, including information on the activities of the components of MONUSCO and the UN Country Team, as well as the security situation that prevailed in the country power last week.

A session of questions and answers was crowned yesterday’s conference, hosted by the spokesman for MONUSCO, Felix Prosper Basse. Jose Maria Arnaz, director of the Joint Office of the United Nations for Human Rights (UNJHRO) in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expressed yesterday to journalists in Kinshasa and those of Goma, the latest report released on UNJHRO the main trends of violations of human rights observed in March 2016. to this end, he noted that during this month, the UNJHRO recorded 410 acts of violations of human rights throughout the territory of the DR Congo. This represents an increase over February.

The most affected provinces are those of the Eastern Republic (North Kivu, Ituri, Tshopo Haut-Uélé and South Kivu) with 301 acts of violations and 427 victims. The western provinces of the DRC recorded 108 acts of violations of human rights, has caused at least 161 victims.

The types most violations reported in March 2016, indicates the information note of UNJHRO, are violations of the right to freedom and personal security; violations of the right to physical integrity; violations of property rights; and violations of the right to life (3 cases); of which 22 violations and 29 victims of extra judicial and summary executions by state agents.

State agents (police, military, ANR and other administrative authorities) are thus responsible for the majority of these human rights violations have been 265 388 victims (65 percent). Among the authors it is in the top 3, elements of the Congolese National Police (PNC) with 114 acts of violations and 223 victims; FARDC with 110 acts of violations and 130 victims; and ANR agents with 13 acts of violations.

As for the armed groups, Jose Maria Arnaz, the FRPI and the FDLR continue to be the authors of the majority of acts of violations of human rights in the eastern DRC. They were responsible for 145 acts of violations of human rights reported in March that made the month 200 victims.

Members of civil society victims of violations

In March 2016, the UNJHRO documented 46 acts of violations of human rights related to the restriction of democratic space throughout the Congolese territory. Most reported are violations of the freedom of peaceful assembly, followed by attacks on freedom of opinion and expression and those with the right to liberty and security of person.

Which were mainly committed in the provinces of Tanganyika (13 cases), followed by the provinces of North Kivu (9 cases), Haut-Katanga (6 cases), and Tshopo Kongo-central (5 cases). This brings to 429 the total acts of violations of human rights in connection with the restriction of the democratic space documented since 1 January 2015. The members of the civil society and those of the political parties are the main victims says the UNJHRO information note.

“Like the previous month, the UNJHRO remains deeply concerned about the restrictions on freedom of expression in the country and the safety of those who express differing views on the Government’s actions or willingness loaned to President of the Republic to revise the Constitution, “informs the source.

The UNJHRO also documented during the month of March, 18 adult victims of sexual violence “as the previous month,” mainly perpetrated by State agents and armed groups (FRPI and the Mai-Mai) in the provinces Upper Lomami and North Kivu.Le UNJHRO welcomes the efforts of the Congolese authorities in the fight against impunity, said Jose Maria Arnaz. Especially since it notes with satisfaction that in March, at least 14 FARDC soldiers and four PNC officers were convicted for acts constituting violations of human rights throughout the territory of the ground floor.

The UNJHRO recorded five cases of death in detention in prisons in the provinces of central-Kongo, Kasai Oriental, Haut Katanga and North Kivu, caused by malnutrition lack of access to proper medical care for inmates.