Letter to DRC President Joseph Kabila Urging Progress Toward Peaceful Transfer of Power

SUMMARY

With input from the African Affairs Committee (Elizabeth Barad, Chair), International Human Rights Committee (Anil Kalhan, Chair) and the Vance Center (Alexander Papachristou, Executive Director), the City Bar sent a letter to President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The letter expresses support for the December peace deal, agreed to by the government of the DRC and opposition parties, pursuant to which Kabila agreed to leave power by the end of 2017 and not seek a constitutional amendment to stand for a third term.  It also urges the government to stop the harassment, arrest and killing of opposition protestors, lift the ban on protests, and allow the use of social media.