[JURIST] A delegation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] traveled [press release] Sunday to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to initiate a five-day plan to discourage violent protests ignited by the nation’s postponed election. The DRC’s electoral commission [official website] announced [JURIST report] earlier this month that the election would be moved from November to late 2018 to properly address voter registration issues. Violent protests soon erupted in the capital as citizens began accusing President Joseph Kabila [BBC profile] of conspiring to extend his term in office. The prosecutors hope to raise awareness [Reuters report] that the ICC may hold citizens accountable for their recent violent crimes. They intend to communicate their message by meeting with national officials and politicians as well as citizens and the press.

The DRC and surrounding region has seen a high level of conflict in the past decades, and the extension of presidencies has been a contributing issue in many African nations. At the end of January UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged African leaders to avoid using loopholes and undemocratic constitutional changes to “cling to power” [JURIST report]. Last year protests and demonstrations [JURIST report] took place across the DRC to oppose the proposed changes in the law that would allow Kabila to extend his presidential term past the allotted two-year limit, and the government was accused of using excessive force against these protesters.