Search Results for: Democratic Republic of the Congo

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk declared in a statement that the number of children killed in international armed conflicts tripled in 2023, as he presented his global update to the 56th session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday. The UN human rights chief started his speech by stating that the [...]

Since the UN’s establishment in 1945, the body has been pivotal in maintaining global peace and security. A critical instrument in its arsenal is the ceasefire resolution, primarily used by the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a vehicle for showing the overriding will of the Council in times when tensions are high. These resolutions often [...]

Senior UN Officials decried the “plight of civilians” resulting from conflict in 2023 as “resoundingly dire” on Tuesday, pointing out civilian suffering and disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law around the world. Their remarks coincide with the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions (GC), which the international community created in the aftermath [...]

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) army on Sunday said it quashed a coup attempt comprising of Congolese and international fighters against President Felix Tshikedi in the country’s capital, Kinshasa. In a message broadcast on DRC national television, the spokesperson for the Congolese army, General Ekenge affirmed that the Congolese army foiled this coup attempt. [...]

Rwanda denied on Saturday claims made by US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller accusing its forces of an attack targeting the Mugunga camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) in Goma, a city in east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Rwandan government released a statement arguing the accusations, made without any investigation, are [...]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ratified Friday the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The DRC’s ratification of the Optional Protocol, which will enter into force on May 26, 2024, represents a significant step toward strengthening the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in [...]

Democratic Republic of Congo journalist Stanis Bujakera was freed from prison Tuesday after serving a six-month jail sentence for forgery and spreading false rumors for an article about a government intelligence agency’s involvement in the death of political opposition candidate Cherubin Okende. Bujakera’s lawyer Yana Ndikulu announced the news in a statement to the journalist’s employer [...]

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday revealed it was lifting a 21-year-moratorium on executions in response to escalating violence and militant attacks, to stop its citizens, as well as active duty military and police, from cooperating with M23 rebels in the country’s eastern regions. The decision to lift the moratorium and reinstate [...]

The plight of women’s rights in various countries reflects a complex interplay of legal, cultural and societal norms that significantly disenfranchise women and girls, threatening their human rights and dignity. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Nigeria present challenging environments where women’s rights [...]

A prosecutor in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) requested on Friday a 20-year sentence in prison for Stanis Bujakera, a journalist on trial for an article implicating military intelligence in the death of an opposition politician, Chérubin Okende. Bujakera was arrested last year on September 8 and is facing charges including spreading false information. Bujakera [...]