Programs and activities
Returning Parliamentarians Recount US Visit
Seven Congolese Parliamentarians who recently returned from a single country visitors’ program in the United States shared their impressions of the program during a roundtable at the Ambassador’s residence on Wednesday, May 27.
The visitors were all Senators and Representatives of the National Assembly who serve on security and defense committees. The program, titled “National Assembly Security and Defense Commission,” took place between April 6 and 29. Visiting Washington, Virginia, Texas and New York, the Parliamentarians met with professionals working in national security, defense, law enforcement, education, border control and human rights.
The roundtable was co-hosted by Embassy Kinshasa and AMICUS, the organization of U.S. visitor program alumni in the DRC. Guests included government officials, as well as other Congolese visitor program alumni and Embassy officers. After introductory remarks by DCM Sam Brock and Jean-Baptiste Otshudi, president of AMICUS, the returning Parliamentarians described the program, their impressions of the United States, and the lessons they hope to apply in the DRC.
During the roundtable, the Parliamentarians noted the importance of civilian control over the military, and limits to domestic military activity. “An army can’t be reformed without the presence of a parliament,” one visitor remarked.
The Parliamentarians appreciated the thematic organization of the program, as they were able to learn about issues ranging from global policy formation to local law enforcement. They came away with a greater understanding of American institutions and values, and ideas on how to adapt what they learned during the visit to meet their own country’s challenges.