



RDC: Declaration des Organisations Non-Gouvernementales des Droits de l’Homme relative a la manifestation du 19 decembre 2016 et aux comportements des forces de l’ordre et de securite de la Republique Democratique du Congo (27.12.2016)












No matter if it is local politics, if it international or trade, the most important backbone to policies in the next year will be polarization. That is not Polar Bears dancing on the dwindling ice, if so the U.S. TV station would have better ratings. No, this is the importance of local and national industries, while stressing ignorance towards immigration and imports to add more GDP value and also stop inflation. A balance that is hard to carry as the trust in local currency and local production doesn’t change overnight. That has to happen with steady policies and ability to trade products and create market for the ones that we’re in the past produced far away.
“Definition of polarization
1: the action of polarizing or state of being or becoming polarized: as
a (1) : the action or process of affecting radiation and especially light so that the vibrations of the wave assume a definite form (2) : the state of radiation affected by this process
b : an increase in the resistance of an electrolytic cell often caused by the deposition of gas on one or both electrodes” (…) “2 a : division into two opposites b : concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum” (Merriam-Webster – Polarization, link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polarization).
We are dividing ourselves while the world is into more conflicts that need assistance and securities to secure peace. There internal conflicts in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Where the conflict is bloody, where people are detained for the political affiliation, where innocent dies in the streets and where guns are imported to silence the ones who is not succumbing to the regimes who hold power.
We are living in a time where opposition victors doesn’t get into power, because the leaders of old are not allowing and keeping power by the gun, are using the police force and army to monitor the opposition and even rigs the election to secure the “validation” of their rule. This has happen in many Republics and Nations this year and proves that progress of governance and accountability is dying, like innocence and justice is impartial and only for the elites. The rest of us just have to be lucky to see just systems and laws for the common folk.
Like Adama Barrow is the President-Elect in Gambia, Jean Ping should have become the President in Gabon, Dr. Kizza Besigye in Uganda and Moise Katumbi should have risen to power in DRC if there we’re any justice and transition of Power in the Republic. But the big-man and long ruling Presidents of these nations doesn’t give-in or leave office. They continue to stay without any fear or without any mercy as the monarchs they acts of. Instead keep polarising the political elites and societies with paying the elites and silencing the ones who stand in their path. Also, by forging alliances with nations to make sure justice doesn’t prevail in their path.
While these tragedies are appearing in front of our eyes in our times, the borders and the helping hands are not appearing, the funds and allocations of necessary funds to the refugee camps, the direct food aid and agents of humanitarian actions are not sufficient. The reality of these missing steps should boggle our mind and should freeze our hearts out, as the news of burning convoys into Aleppo, lack of food into refugee camps in Adjumani in Uganda and the lacking rations of food in refugee camps in Tanzania. These should all be a reminder of the fate we have put our world in. The steps of lost grace and mercy on the weakest of humanity, where hospitals and humanitarians are put in the lines of bullets and grenades in between the battlefield as the soldiers fight for keeping merciless tyrants to stay in power.
While the superpowers are claiming the fight for justice, the innocent dies, the towns are battlefields and turns into dust, the graves are not cleared and the lives are lost in vain. This while UN cannot impose arms-embargoes or create a possible cease-fire to get civilians into safety, this while Italian and Greece authorities are working and trying to find ways to impose fleeing civilians on Turkey, because the rich European states fears that fleeing civilians could be terrorists. The humanity and just behaviour is dying while the states are flogging their responsibility to the ones in need.
We can question ourselves if this is right, if we can sleep knowing the indebtedness we have in riches. In the time of peace in our states, where we have possible houses and shelter for the ones fleeing possible genocides and acts against humanity; Europe impose stricter rules on immigration and Brexit proves the fear of Polish and other ethnic groups as they want to secure their borders as key argument to stop being an EU Member State.
We can wonder why the world has come to this that polarization of between ourselves the ones who see the innocent die and the ones who want to keep their own by any means. That the own nationals are going against each other and seeing it as only fit, instead of thinking for instance for a hot minute, what if the war came to our shores and to our homes, wouldn’t we flee? Wouldn’t we do what we could to leave our wealth, our riches to save our own?
Why shouldn’t the Syrians and all other who are in conflicts leave grenades, tanks and bombs, would we live on the streets with daily shooting and killing if we had an option to flee? Would we stay and risk everyday our lives to get a loaf of bread? I doubt that. We would travel to safety and to places where we could resettle and rehash the future of ourselves and our kids. If not we would be risking ourselves and the future of our kin. That is because it’s natural.
Still, the Europeans and citizens of fellow states don’t see it this way with fear-mongering politics and internal polarization of demagoguery, which is out of proportion. This will continue as these conflicts leads to more hurt and damage of lives, where more shelter and more merciless killings to stay in power, where more rigging of elections and more police-states are controlling the civil society. Where the states are more totalitarian and the power controlled by a little elite, while the average citizens are struggling, they will seek fortunes other places instead of in their birth-nations. Just as we would do if our destiny we’re in the limbo, if our homes were shacks and our sockets could electrocute us.
So the world of 2017, will be inflicted with the unfinished business of past, like all years has been, with as much uncertainty as the start of 2016, but with new issues and new struggles, with new people behind bars because of political affiliation, more families lost loved ones because of demonstrations, more people fleeing as the machetes and burning villages for land-grabbing, foreign investors taking land while locals cannot get deeds, as the central government are getting needed funds to supply the army with equipment and salaries, civil servants are left behind with reunification and it is happening so many places. Nobody confess nobody impose on it or even sanction this. We should question the economic challenges and the way they allocate funds, especially when many of these states get based government loans from the IMF and World Bank to basically could function; together with the reasonable taxation they can be able get from their citizens.
We shouldn’t silent on the merciless acts of men, we shouldn’t be ignorant of the world of oppression and fear, as the grand masters of our times are destroying and depleting lands for fortunes, as the multi-national companies see only profits and not see the populations they are forcing into unjust working conditions to trade resources into high profits abroad. These acts shouldn’t be forgotten, as industries and the trade are made for the international companies to gain and not all locals, therefore the polarization are created in these, create more havoc and even more injustice, as the unfair world we live in doesn’t give hands to ones in need. The rich can get it all, while the poor is lucky if they have enough for a jerry-can to buy water. That isn’t justice, that isn’t right when others are only drinking imported expensive French Water.
We should questions the systems and revise them for more balanced between the rich and poor, for more functioning United Nations, for more diplomatic efforts and for stronger laws that cannot make Presidents into Emperors! The reality is that 2017 will start where 2016 and that is not in positive looks into the future, because the powers we have, the armies and police are targeting fellow citizens who deserves better. We all deserve better and we all should know better. Peace.

GENEVA (23 December 2016) – Reports that dozens of people have been killed by police and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past few days are deeply troubling and point to growing instability in the country, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Friday.
Over the past week, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO) has documented at least 40 killings of civilians in Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi, Boma and Matadi, mainly of people protesting against President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down at the official end of his mandate on 19 December. Some 107 people have been injured or ill-treated and there have been at least 460 arrests.
“Such high casualty figures suggest a serious disregard by the various police, defence and security forces of the need to exercise restraint in policing demonstrations. Not only are soldiers participating in law enforcement operations, but all the forces involved are heavily armed and using live ammunition,” Zeid said.
The High Commissioner recalled that law enforcement officials, including the military acting in that capacity, must never use firearms except against someone representing an imminent threat to life or of serious injury and only when less extreme means are insufficient.
“The failure by the DRC authorities and the security forces, to abide by their international obligations to guarantee people’s right to freedoms of expression and of association and assembly is to be deplored,” he stressed.
The violence of the past few days has not been limited to Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi and the east but has also been reported in several regions, which indicates that the political crisis is leading to wider destabilisation, Zeid noted.
“Violent repression of dissenting voices and a heavy-handed and irresponsible response to demonstrations risk provoking violence in return by demonstrators and possibly even tipping the constitutional crisis over the president’s future into further conflict across the country,” the High Commissioner warned.
The High Commissioner noted that to date no one has been held accountable for the deaths of 54 people in Kinshasa in September when the defence and security forces used excessive force against demonstrators calling for constitutional deadlines to be respected and for President Kabila to step down at the end of his second and final mandate.
“Such impunity for past violence appears to have fostered a belief among security personnel that they can open fire against demonstrators without being held accountable for their actions,” Zeid said.
The High Commissioner reiterated calls by, among others, the National Episcopal Conference (CENCO) which has been trying to mediate an accord between the opposition and the ruling party, for an independent and transparent inquiry into the recent violence.
“It is essential that all those, at whatever level, who are responsible for human rights violations are held accountable. Without such a credible response from the government, the risk is that violent situations or ongoing conflict, including between communities over resources, could degenerate further,” Zeid said.
Among the violations documented by UNJHRO:
ENDS

Over the past week, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO) has documented at least 40 killings of civilians in Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi, Boma and Matadi.
GENEVA, Switzerland, December 23, 2016 –
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell
Location: Geneva
Subject: DRC
Reports that dozens of people have been killed by police and soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the past few days are deeply troubling and point to growing instability in the country, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Friday.
Over the past week, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO) has documented at least 40 killings of civilians in Kinshasa, Lumbumbashi, Boma and Matadi, mainly of people protesting against President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down at the official end of his mandate on 19 December. Some 107 people have been injured or ill-treated and there have been at least 460 arrests.

“I won’t stop nor be discouraged by the noise and insults peddled by a few individuals because we know that every market has its own mad man” – Uhuru Kenyatta (21.12.2016 on Twitter).
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto are the ones in charge together with Speaker Justin Muturi who today held a blocked Plenary Session from the Media and Internet at the National Assembly at 22nd December 2016. This proves the alleged acts of misfortune as this set the precedence for the General Election 2017. None can say anything else, that all broadcast, all journalist are kept outside as the Members of Parliament and the Cabinet Secretaries are enacting a law.
Because of that matter, because of the tear-gas outside and the blocked Parliament, a disgrace to any nation and to the will of dialogue between the ruling regime and opposition is now broken, the trust between the National Assembly with the Jubilee Party under President Kenyatta does not trust their own. They do not trust the people understanding the ramifications of the law or the basic understanding of transparent acts of Parliament as they represent the people of Kenya. The Kenyans are supposed to be representing there and get people who will make the greater good for their constituency, but with this act they are hiding from the Kenyan citizens and the Republic!
“Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo has been kicked out as chairperson of Kenya Women Parliamentary Association after she insulted President” (Kenya Parliament, 22.12.2016)

You should also worry when the MPs from Jubilee we’re carrying guns inside the chambers and there we’re 200 plain-clothed police officers presiding the events that followed in Parliament. So when they needed that much security and close of the session they had to have something powerful inside the law here is some exceptions:
Outtakes from today’s session, the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016:
BVR regulations:
Section 5: 6A “The Commission shall, not later than ninety days before the date of a general election, open the Register of Voters for verification of biometric data by members of the public at their respective polling stations for a period of thirty days” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
New rules for Polling Stations:
Section 24: 38A “For the efficient and effective conduct of elections, the Commission shall determine the number of voters per polling station but such number shall not exceed five hundred voters” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
Section 39: “(1C) For purposes of a presidential election the Commission shall-
(a) electronically transmit, in the prescribed form, the tabulated results of an election for the President from a polling
station to the constituency tallying centre and to the national tallying centre;
(b) tally and verify the results received at the national tallying centre; and
(c) publish the polling result forms on an online public portal maintained by the Commission” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
48 Hours deadline to Declare Presidential Election Results:
Section 12: 39.2 “The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall, within a period of forty-eight hours from the date of the service of a presidential election petition, submit to the Supreme Court certified copies of the documents used to declare the results of the presidential election, including the forms used to announce the results of the election at the polling station and the constituency tallying centre and to declare the result at the national tallying centre” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
DPP take control over investigate after the Election:
“Clause 30 of the Bill seeks to amend section 4 of the Independent Electoral Commission and Boundaries Act, 2011 to remove the investigative and prosecutorial powers previously granted to the Commission which are proposed to be exercised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).
When you just see this pieces and not the whole law you see the possible reaches of the IEBC and the DPP to control the BVR technology that will come shortly before the General Election, as much as they have to revise the Polling Stations as the numbers of voters are getting bound and they need more manpower to secure the amounts of polling stations during the General Election. For a new Committee it must be a headache to secure enough locations to have only 500 eligible voters in an area. Just imagine districts and parts of Nairobi County that has to revise electoral borders for each Polling Station alone and this is close to coming election. This together with the electronic biometric voting data and the generated levels of ID material that can be backlogged by the IEBC; so that can be a measure for future elections, but in the first one; it’s more of validating the results as they has such a short time to deliver the declared results to the Supreme Court to be Announced.
Still, 48 hours can buy lot of time since the die is cast and the ability to start rigging the result. We should also question the change from the independent committee to the DPP to have the power to investigate and powers of prosecution of the ones breaking the Electoral Law. That means that the Jubilee has centralized it to somebody they have also nominated and has the loyalty towards the Central Government. The DPP Keriako Tobiko will now be in charge of the investigations of election petitions and look into possible frauds and rigging. Instead of the IEBC who had the ability to do so.
If these measures we’re fine and splendid, if they we’re made to make the Government to account and make sure the Jubilee, the IEBC and the citizens who should put the trust in the Government; A government making sure for free and fair election, so the right representatives are elected by the people and for the people, to represent them and make sure the needs are met for citizens who vote for these representatives. Still, now we can see that these representatives try to fix the Electoral laws so they can fix the results with sophisticated means. It is so much more insulting, how close they try to amend the electoral laws to the General Elections of 2017. It’s like President Kenyatta following the crash-courses in governance from President Museveni, as he has done the same right before, again and again. So Jubilee government we’re scrupulous for doing it now! Peace.




The Secretary-General deplores the reported loss of life in confrontations between the security forces and protesters, including in Kinshasa.
NEW YORK, United States of America, December 22, 2016 – The Secretary-General is closely monitoring developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the mediation led by the Conférence épiscopale nationale des églises du Congo (CENCO) resumed today.
He urges all parties involved in the CENCO-led mediation to work constructively and in good faith the outstanding issues related to transitional arrangements leading to the elections, in keeping with the Congolese Constitution. He calls on Congolese political leaders to place the interests of the country and the people above partisan and personal considerations. He urges them to de-escalate tensions and create an environment conducive to the successful completion of the CENCO-facilitated dialogue and the holding of timely, credible and transparent elections. The Secretary-General encourages the new government led by Prime Minister Samy Badibanga to take concrete steps, in line with the 18 October political agreement.
The Secretary-General deplores the reported loss of life in confrontations between the security forces and protesters, including in Kinshasa. He stresses the need for the national security forces to exercise the utmost restraint in the maintenance of public order. He calls on the DRC authorities to investigate any acts of violence and ensure the perpetrators are held accountable.
The Secretary-General calls on all political actors, including the opposition, to exercise maximum restraint in their actions and statements and urge their supporters to refrain from violence. He urges the authorities, once again, to promote and protect human rights and to uphold the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.
