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On 22 March 2021, at its 46th ordinary session, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) had its enhanced interactive dialogue on oral updates on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The HRC was updated about the human rights situation in the DRC by the High Commissioner on Human Rights, the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC and the International Team of Experts on the Kasai Region. 

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, delivered a statement during the interactive dialogue. The Centre called the attention of the HRC to the situation of human rights defenders in the DRC, particularly in the Eastern DRC, where there have been cases of extrajudicial killings of human rights defenders, which often end up not being properly investigated or prosecuted by the government. The Centre informed the HRC about the findings of the Human Rights Committee against the DRC in the case of Deborah Kitumaini and Others v the DRC, and the need for a prompt implementation of the Decision of the Human Rights Committee by the DRC. On 6 November 2020, the Human Rights Committee found that the DRC failed to investigate, prosecute and convict the alleged perpetrators of the assassination of Pascal Kabangulu, a prominent human rights defender in Bukavu, South Kivu province on 31 July 2005.

“The Centre for Human Rights calls on the HRC to urge the government of the DRC to swiftly reopen investigations and to prosecute and punish those responsible for the assassination and to submit a report on the implementation of the decision by 6 May 2021,” said Prof. Frans Viljoen, the Director of the Centre for Human Rights.

Enhanced ID: on the Democratic Republic of the Congo - 44th Meeting, 46th Regular Session Human Rights Council


For more information, please contact:

Foluso Adegalu
Porogramme Manager: Litigation and Implementation Unit


Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 3151
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
foluso.adegalu@up.ac.za

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