Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoGENEVA / DRC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: GENEVA / DRC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
TRT: 2:10
SOURCE: CH UNTV / UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 9 NOVEMBER 2011, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / RECENT
1. Cut a way, exterior, Palais Wilson, Geneva
2. Various shots, Shamdasani at desk
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“We are very worried about security in the upcoming election and this is why we are sounding an alarm bell at this point. To try and prevent the kind of violence that accompanied the previous election in 2006.”
RECENT - UNICEF - 11 OCTOBER 2011, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
4. Various shots, street of Kinshasa with heavy traffic
5. Med shot, car driving in front of the Union for the Congolese Nation party
CH UNTV – 9 NOVEMBER 2011, GENEVA
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“There are a whole host of violations that were documented. We have documented 188 but this is certainly just the tip of the iceberg. Essentially the violations include arbitrary restrictions on the freedom of expression and the freedom of association and I don't need to stress how important these two rights are in the context of the right to vote."
RECENT - UNICEF - 11 OCTOBER 2011, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
7. Various shots, crowd of people walking
CH UNTV – 9 NOVEMBER 2011, GENEVA
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“We've seen people destroy voting cards of citizens of the DRC so that they will not be able to vote. We've seen police prevent demonstrations from taking place; prevent press conferences from taking place from opposition political leaders. This has to stop and the Government has to send a clear message that there will be accountability for such violations. We call also on political parties to ensure that there is no incitement to violence and we call on the international community to do its part to ensure the elections are monitored to ensure that they are carried out in as free and fair a manner as possible."
RECENT – UNICEF - 14 OCTOBER 2011, MALUKU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
9. Various shots, people in village
CH UNTV – 9 NOVEMBER 2011, GENEVA
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The human rights intimidation is being conducted by the police, by security forces, by the national intelligence agency and to some extent by rebel groups and by political parties themselves as well.”
RECENT - UNICEF - 11 OCTOBER 2011, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
11. Various shots, crowds of people walking
A United Nations (UN) report released today (9 Nov) reveals a worrying number of human rights violations during the pre-electoral period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that such incidents could endanger the democratic process and lead to post-electoral violence as well.
Between 1 November 2010 and 30 September 2011, the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 188 human rights violations apparently linked to the electoral process.
The violations most frequently infringed individuals’ freedom of expression, the right to physical integrity and the right to liberty and security of the person, as well as the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. There have also been instances of violence and disturbance of public order committed by supporters of political parties.
Most of the violations committed directly involved elements of the Congolese National Police, or of the National Intelligence Services. The report says civilians were threatened, beaten and arrested on several occasions by Congolese National Police agents simply for wearing t-shirts of opposition parties.
The report notes that the situation in the East of the country is of particular concern. Political parties have reportedly been targeted and their members detained, ill-treated and threatened.
Most of the violations have targeted members or supporters of the opposition parties, in particular the Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS) and the Union pour la Nation Congolaise (UNC).
In the report, the UNJHRO urges the Congolese Government to intensify cooperation with civil society, to issue public messages calling for state agents - particularly members of the security forces - to promote and respect human rights, and to fight impunity of state agents who are perpetrators of human rights violations.
It also urges political parties to issue public statements promoting peaceful participation in the electoral process and calling upon supporters – particularly the youth – to refrain from violence and to respect national laws and the public order.
The report calls upon the international community to step up its support to the Government, civil society and other stakeholders in their efforts to train security forces and judicial officers, and to promote free and fair elections and monitoring of such elections.
The national elections are due to be held on 28 November 2011 and will mark only the second time since its independence in 1960 that the DRC will be holding democratic elections.
