2006 Supporting Human Rights and Democracy in the DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a nominally centralized republic. Following five years of devastating civil war, the three-year transitional period drew to a close with multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections on July 30 and presidential runoff and provincial assembly elections October 29. The elections, which international observers considered credible, were the first democratic elections in more than 40 years and involved the participation of more than 17 million voters (out of 25 million registered). The transitional government continued to make moderate progress in unifying and stabilizing the country, but several armed groups continued to operate outside government control, primarily in the east, despite government efforts to disarm, detain, or integrate them. In all areas of the country, the human rights record remained poor, and numerous serious abuses were committed. Unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces increased during the year, and the transitional government took few actions to punish violators. Other serious problems were harsh and life-threatening conditions in prison and detention facilities; prolonged pretrial detention; lack of an independent and effective judiciary; and arbitrary interference with privacy, family, and home. Security forces continued to recruit and retain child soldiers and to compel forced labor by adults and children. They also continued to abuse press freedom, particularly during the election campaign. The transitional government continued to restrict freedom of assembly and movement, government corruption remained pervasive, and security forces restricted NGOs. In addition, societal discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, trafficking in persons, child labor, and lack of protection for workers' rights continued to be pervasive.

The US Government employed a multifold strategy to promote human rights and democracy. The US Government provided technical, logistical, and material support to the transitional government and the Independent Electoral Commission to promote free and fair elections. The strategy also advanced accountability for human rights abuses through support for legislation against trafficking in persons and sexual violence and for the development of a legal framework to end impunity. It worked to build government capacity to consolidate peace, deter conflict, and prepare for the transition to democratic governance. The US government also provided assistance to victims of human rights violations and training and education programs to combat the pervasive culture of impunity.

The United States undertook several efforts to strengthen the political process and promote democracy. The US Government continued to participate in the International Committee to Accompany the Transition and several multidonor commissions that guided the electoral process. The electoral law, drafted with assistance from US technical experts and adopted by the transitional parliament, established a legal framework for universal suffrage, vote secrecy, and the direct election of the president and members of the national and provincial assemblies.

The United States supported several initiatives to raise voter awareness of the democratic process. US programs reached more than two million voters nationwide through community seminars, workshops, and other civic education activities. More than 650,000 citizens benefited from a two-month voter outreach and training campaign conducted through riverboat stops along the Congo River.

US funding supported the electoral commission’s organization of nationwide elections in July and October. US assistance provided the commission with security surveillance systems, communications equipment, voter education materials, ballot boxes, and voting booths, in addition to facilitating transportation of materials to various locations in the country. US programs also helped train more than 40,000 local NGO election observers and more than 100,000 political party poll-watchers. Furthermore, the United States provided funding to many prominent international election observation missions that fielded more than 200 election monitors. During the July elections, 40 US officials served as observers around the country, and 20 US officials monitored polls in Kinshasa during the October vote.

To promote media freedom and independence, the United States held a series of workshops throughout the country to help journalists improve their political reporting. Twelve workshops in Kinshasa, as well as a computer/Internet training course in the interior, assisted nearly 500 journalists. The United States provided funding to the High Media Authority--the country’s quasi-governmental media watchdog--that enabled the organization to reconstitute archives that were destroyed after its headquarters was looted in July. One journalist traveled to the United States to attend the Edward R. Murrow International Visitor Leadership Program.

The United States assisted several local NGOs to promote the culture of democracy and human rights. One US-funded, Kinshasa-based organization produced educational skits on democratic principles for television broadcasts. Other groups supported by the United States developed radio broadcasts and other printed materials highlighting voter rights and the role of women and youth in society.

During the year an additional Democracy Resource Center opened in the central Kasais Region, bringing the number of such US-funded centers to six throughout the country. The centers became hubs for local NGOs to gain access to electoral information otherwise unavailable to them. In addition, US-supported NGOs mobilized civil society leaders to work toward reducing political tensions prior to national elections, encourage voter participation, and disregard messages of so-called election "spoilers" inciting hatred and violence.

The United States took several steps to facilitate strengthening the rule of law. US-sponsored technical experts contributed to the drafting of several key pieces of legislation ultimately passed by the transitional parliament. In addition to the Electoral Law, legislators passed the Law on Sexual Violence and the Law on the Independence of the Judiciary. These laws increase human rights protections, identify crimes of sexual violence punishable by law, and codify judicial independence. Other legislation drafted during the year with the help of US assistance included laws on the rights of the political opposition, the creation of the High Magistrates Council, and further legislation on the development of new court systems. These bills were expected to be introduced in the new parliament in 2007.

The United States supported training that provided logistical and technical assistance to local anticorruption committees that engaged civilian, judicial, religious, and military authorities in the anticorruption effort. Activities in this sector continued to reduce economic barriers to transport and commerce along the Congo River and sought to end the misuse of public resources and the culture of criminal impunity.

The United States focused much of its efforts on assisting the government and NGOs in addressing human rights abuses and aiding victims of those abuses. The United States participated in several multidonor commissions that addressed human rights abuses by the military. In addition, multiple US-funded NGOs provided legal support and other services for survivors of gender-based violence. US grantees expanded support to more than 10,000 female survivors of torture, rape, and abduction, particularly to assist victims in pursuing legal and judicial strategies. Other activities by US grantees included strengthening technical capacity among prosecutors, building public and official awareness of such crimes, and advocating an end to sexual and gender-based violence through policy reform. In Maniema Province, one US-funded NGO helped torture victims receive legal assistance during the year and organized workshops to disseminate copies of legislation and international agreements on human, women’s, and children’s rights. Another US-funded NGO in South Kivu Province aided 246 victims of sexual violence by providing medical help, trauma counseling, and training in human rights advocacy and education.

A variety of national and international NGOs received US technical assistance and training to deal with the growing problem of separated and abandoned children. Many of these youths were stigmatized and unable to reintegrate into their communities because they were once child soldiers, gang members, internally displaced, child laborers, accused of witchcraft, or have disabilities. The United States worked to prevent child abandonment by establishing Child Protection Networks, assisting economic development in at-risk areas, and rehabilitating schools.

The United States funded a regional initiative to demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers and reintegrate them into their communities. During the year approximately 7,000 former child combatants were demobilized, in part through this initiative. This program addressed the many needs of child soldiers through legislation and monitoring mechanisms and by strengthening the capacity of government institutions to help former child combatants. It also supported the economic reintegration of former child combatants through education, training, financial support, and community-strengthening.

Activities to enhance labor rights received support through US funding of initiatives that promoted industrial harmony and conflict resolution. One program worked with employers, the government, and unions to settle differences and disputes.