RDC: Conference de Presse du President du Rassemblement (05.09.2017)

RDC: Communique du Rassamblement (01.09.2017)

RDC: CENI – “Pour l’Evaluation du Processus Electoral Kanaga, 31 Aout 2017 – Communique Final” (31.08.2017)

US: State Department plan shelving Special Envoys to the Great Lakes, South Sudan and Sudan!

The Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as part of the Trump Administration has clearly been working hard. Since the revamp of the Department of State, the Secretary has letter explaining cuts in the Department to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations at the United States Congress, Bob Corker. The United States government has clearly shifted their foreign policy and care for former allies. Their engagement are moving, but not as ready-made policy!

Tillerson wrote in his letter about this shift in African diplomacy or foreign relations:

The titles for following positions will be removed and the functions and staff assumed by the Bureau of African Affairs (AF):

U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa & Democratic Republic of Congo. The Special Envoy position currently is organized in AF, however the authorized staff positions and associated funding are currently in the Office of the Secretary and will be reprogrammed to AF. This will involve realigning 4 positions and $957,000 in support costs within D&CP from the Office of the Secretary to the Bureau of African Affairs (AF).

U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan. This will involve realigning 6 positions and $4,408,000 in support costs within D&CP from the Office of the Secretary to the Bureau of African Affairs (AF). We intend to request that Congress repeal the statutory provision for this special envoy position, since a deputy assistant secretary in AF already fulfills the responsibilities” (Rex Tillerson to Bob Corker on ‘Special Envoys and Special Representatives’).

So the Department of State will remove the Special Envoys to the Great Lakes and Democratic Republic Congo, also to the Sudan and South Sudan. These are all nations where the United States has been involved and been important part of the development. Their sanctions and acts within these republics has been vital. That is why the opposition in the DRC has asked for stronger sanctions and travel bans on the Kabila government.

The others are the South Sudan, where the US are parts of the Troika, who is also major donors to the South Sudanese government. The newly independent republic, that got massive help from the Americans for their independence from Khartoum and Sudan. The Sudan has also been important for the Americans as they have tried to solve the crisis in Darfur and it has also worked well with them for their oil. The reasons for why usually the Americans has involved itself in foreign countries.

The US now clearly doesn’t see the value in Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the other countries of Great Lakes. These are now undervalued, as the Special Envoys and their functions are now moved to others. The African Affairs staff gets more functions, as the Special Envoys will not create relationship it used to have.

The Envoy will have the same close work with Burundi, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. All of these Republic will not be represented in a fashion that the United States has done before. This proves that the American government doesn’t care about the state of affairs or wanting to engage in the conflicts, the internal problems and the totalitarian governments. The US neglects its place and purpose in these republics.

So when the United States comes to the crisis in South Sudan and other places. They will not have the same connections or understanding of the republics. This will second-sourced information, instead of getting it directly.

The United States are downgrading their diplomatic leadership to all these nations, as the Special Envoys will be shelved by the force of the State Department. The Americans are clearly not caring or bothered by the conflict, the refugee crisis or the oppressive behavior against opposition. The United States are now distant and not engaged there. They will be far away and only there when it fits their interests. Peace.

Rumors: President Kabila plans to hold Presidential Elections in 2019 or 2020!

President Joseph Kabila Kabange who has been president since 21st January 2001. Kabila has been elected twice and last in December 2011, also his term ended in November 2016. The Democratic Republic of Congo government has now been 252 days since the last date of the term. There was supposed to be an election, but that never happen.

President Kabila has been registered twice, the United Kingdom and other states has supported aid and donor funds to the Commission Electorale Nationale Independante (CENI) who has also postponed the elections. Kabila has used any sort of problem and militias for his own gain. Even the rebels who are using force to export minerals for weapons, these are bloody cobalt and rare earth minerals.

The Kabila government are afraid of stepping down because of the businesses it owns. The family who are entailed in all sorts of schemes and has made a vast fortune. Kabila doesn’t want it to be taken away and also lose it all. So many other Presidents who has stepped down has lost their fortunes and businesses as the power will go away.

There are reports that Kabila the CENI planning the new date for the election in April 2019, the other estimates are already put into April 2020. The Congolese Authorities are really planning to let the Kabila government be on at least be 833 days of overtime, if the polls are on 1st April 2019. But if it is on the 1st April 2020, the 1199 days overtime are really extreme.

The President is clearly long over his mandate, just like he waited from 2001 to 2006, before he was elected into his first term. So it is not like the President or CENI really cares about the citizens or their rights to be represented by their elected official. Right now, they are hostages to the authorities being in the hands of Kabila. Without an election or polls, without any succession, without honoring the CENCO Agreement of 31st December 2016. The CENCO agreement that states the DRC government was supposed to organize an election during the 2017. An install a new government before 31st December 2017.

The Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Democratie (PPRD), the ruling party of the President, are clearly not interested holding the election in 2017, as the President hasn’t signed the CENCO agreement. Therefore, the President will use anyway possible to postpone the election. Kabila wil not hold the election this year. The rumors of either 2019 or 2020 seems likely. It will be like the President get two free terms without elections, as it was with “first” term from 2001 to 2006. Instead, he got elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2011. So the term ended on 20th December 2016.

Still, President Kabila are not elected anymore, he is using the military and the government to his personal gain, instead of being a representative of the people. He is sole president, who should not have the office and has no rights to it. The Congolese people deserves better and also he has no rights to stay over 1199 days without being elected. Peace.

RDC: CENI – Communique de Presse (24.08.2017)

RDC: CASC – “A l’intention de l’opinion nationale et internationale” (24.08.2017)

Uganda: Letter – “Re: Heightened Index of Suspicion for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Your District” (21.08.2017)

RDC – Communique du Rassemblement (21.08.2017)

RDC: Manifeste du Citoyen Congolais (18.08.2017)