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 [...]
Search Results for: Democratic Republic of the Congo
DR Congo reinstates death penalty after 21 years amid escalating violence and militant attacks
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 [...]
Breaking Barriers: A Global Review of Legislative Reform on Women's Rights
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 [...]
DRC prosecutor requests 20 year jail sentence for journalist
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 [...]
US appeals court dismisses DRC child labor case against Tesla, other tech companies
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed a child labor case Tuesday against technology companies and refused to hold them accountable for their alleged support of the use of children in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Former cobalt miners and their representatives filed a lawsuit against [...]
UN mission to DRC begins withdrawal by transferring control of first base of operations
The UN transferred control of its first base of operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday to the Congolese government. The move is a part of the UN’s plan to end its current humanitarian operations within the DRC by the end of the year. The UN made the decision to withdraw operations from [...]
ICC orders Uganda commander to pay $56 million in reparations to war crime victims
The International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered Dominic Ongwen, a former commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), to pay $56 million in reparations Wednesday to several thousand victims of crimes against humanity. Ongwen was charged with committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Northern Uganda between July 2002 and December 2005 as a commander [...]
Reporters Without Borders urges DR Congo authorities to protect press freedom and continue dialogue
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged the authorities in the Équateur region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday to continue dialogue with the media to address press freedom violations and ensure journalists can work without fear of reprisals. The dialogue commenced on February 17, 2024, when Équateur Governor Bobo Boloko Bolumbu invited journalists [...]
UN Security Council sanctions six individuals involved in DRC conflict
The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on six individuals affiliated with various armed factions in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday. Sanctioned individuals were allegedly involved in obstructing disarmament and repatriation efforts, committing human rights violations such as murder and sexual violence, recruiting child soldiers, orchestrating or carrying [...]
Italy court stops trial of UN staffers in ambassador to Congo murder case
An Italian judge ruled on Tuesday that two UN agency employees cannot be tried over the deaths of an Italian ambassador, his bodyguard and a driver in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to Rome daily newspaper Fatto Quotidiano. During a preliminary hearing, Judge Marisa Mosetti found that the UN agency employees have diplomatic [...]