Corporate report

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) - country of concern: latest update 31 December 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Any incidents or events taking place after 31 December 2014 will be covered in future reports.

0.1 Latest update: 31 December 2014

We continued to have significant concerns about the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the period October to December. The general increase in human rights violations and abuses throughout the DRC sets a worrying tone. Of particular concern is the apparent shrinking of political space in which civil society groups can operate. Recent months have seen an increasing threat directed against human rights defenders (HRDs), including churches.

The UK continues to raise concerns about ongoing human rights violations and abuses to the Congolese authorities, and to highlight the need to offer greater support for HRDs. This has included, most recently, raising our profound concern at the expulsion of UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) Director and Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Scott Campbell, by the government of the DRC. A statement was issued by the EU on behalf of all member states expressing our concern.

The expulsion was in response to the publication of a report by the UNJHRO into “Likofi”, a Congolese National Police (PNC) operation aimed at combating violent street crime. The report, released on 15 October, documents serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances carried out by the PNC between November 2013 and February 2014. Embassy officials have raised concerns at high levels, including with the DRC Minister of the Interior, about the allegations made in the report, and the expulsion of Scott Campbell; we await the DRC government’s substantive reply.

Given the seriousness of the allegations, the UK suspended its bilateral police reform programme. We have pressed for a full and transparent investigation to be carried out and for wrongdoers to be brought to justice. The Department for International Development will continue to consider the shape and nature of future support. Efforts to stabilise the DRC require a reformed army, police and justice sector that can provide effective security across the whole country. It is crucial that the security sector operates under democratic control and follows the rule of law.

The recent rise in attacks on civilians by armed groups is deeply troubling. In this period, there were large attacks on villages in Vemba and Tepiomba in Beni territory in eastern DRC. The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, has subsequently significantly increased its presence in the Beni area in an attempt to protect civilians better. The FCO made a statement on 27 November condemning the attacks that have left almost 200 dead since mid-October, and calling for those responsible to be held to account.

Incidents of sexual- and gender-Based violence (SGBV) are still widespread in the DRC, and are perpetrated by both civilian and military actors. Key to tackling SGBV is to confront the culture of impunity which prevails in this area. On 15 December, Lieutenant-Colonel Engangela, also known as “Colonel 106”, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a military tribunal in South Kivu for crimes against humanity committed between 2005 and 2007 in eastern DRC. This included a sentence of 20 years for rape. A statement was issued by the EU on behalf of member states commending the DRC on progress made in the fight against impunity.

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