{"id":1285,"date":"2022-03-17T18:51:08","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T18:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panzifoundation.org\/?p=1285"},"modified":"2022-03-17T18:51:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-17T18:51:09","slug":"joint-declaration-calling-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panzifoundation.org\/joint-declaration-calling-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Kinshasa Declaration Today: 62 Congolese Groups, Activists, International NGOs Warn Elections in Jeopardy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>62 Congolese Civil Society Groups, Activists, and International NGOs Join in Kinshasa Declaration Today Calling for Clean National Elections in 2023<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Coalition Warns Democratic Elections in Jeopardy, Urges US and International Community to Support Civic Education and Electoral Observation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>March 17, 2022 (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Today at a press conference in Kinshasa, a coalition of leading Congolese civil society and human rights groups, joined by The Sentry, Human Rights Watch, Panzi Foundation, and other international NGOs, will present a jointly signed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thesentry.org\/2022\/03\/16\/6879\/civil-society-declaration-concerning-drc-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">declaration<\/a>\u00a0calling for the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s 2023 national elections to be free, credible, transparent, inclusive, and democratic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Signatories to the declaration:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ASADHO<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; La Ligue des Electeurs (LE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Agir pour des Elections Transparentes et Apais\u00e9es (AETA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Observatoire de la D\u00e9pense Publique (ODEP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; LUCHA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; FILIMBI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; AFREWATCH<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; UNIS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dynamique des Politologues (DYPOL)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; CDC ITURI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>11.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Initiative Bonne Gouvernance et Droits Humains<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; OEARSE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Justice Pour Tous<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>14.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; AFRIKKI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>15.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Solidarit\u00e9 (AJS) TAL-LAFI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>16.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; PAX<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>17.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R\u00e9seau d\u2019Organisations des Droits Humains et d\u2019Education Civique d\u2019Inspiration Chr\u00e9tienne (RHODECIC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>18.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Centre de Recherche sur l\u2019Environnement, la D\u00e9mocratie et les Droits de l\u2019Homme (CREDDHO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Alarme pour la Prise de Conscience aux Devoirs et Droits Humains (APCDDH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>20.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Association Congolaise pour le Droit de l\u2019Homme (ACDHO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>21.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Association des D\u00e9fenses des Droits de l\u2018Homme, des victimes des Violences sexuelles et d\u2019encadrement des enfants en rupture avec la famille (ADDHVER)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>22.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Centre d\u2019Etudes et de Formation Populaire pour les Droits de l\u2019Homme (CEFOP-DH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>23.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Centre de Recherche et de Promotion des Droits de l\u2019Homme (CRPDH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>24.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cercle National de R\u00e9flexion sur la Jeunesse en RDC (CNRJ-RDC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>25.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Collectif des Femmes Avocates pour la Promotion des Droits Humains (COFAP\/DH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>26.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Convention pour le D\u00e9veloppement du peuple autochtone Pygm\u00e9es (CPDA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>27.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Coordination des Personnes Handicap\u00e9es du Kasa\u00ef \u2013 Oriental (COPHAKOR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>28.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dynamique pour la d\u00e9fense des Droits des Vuln\u00e9rables (DDV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>29.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Espoir de Vie pour Tous (ESVIT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>30.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Groupe d\u2019actions pour les Jeunes N\u00e9cessiteux (GAJEN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>31.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Institut Congolaise pour le Droit de l\u2019Homme (ICDH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>32.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Juriste en Action (JURAC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>33.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; La voix des Opprim\u00e9s (VDO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>34.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; La voix Int\u00e8gre de Communaut\u00e9s Opprim\u00e9es (VICOP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>35.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; League of Youth for the Renaissance of Congo (LYREC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>36.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Les Amis de Nelson Mandela pour la d\u00e9fense des Droits Humains (ANMDH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>37.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Les Amis de Nelson Mandela pour les Droits Humains (ANMDH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>38.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Maman n\u2019a Nzela ya D\u00e9veloppement (MND)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>39.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nouvelle Dynamique de la Jeune Femme (NDJF)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>40.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Nouvelles Dynamiques pour le D\u00e9veloppement Rural Int\u00e9gral (NODRI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>41.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prot\u00e9gions la Vie Humaine (PVH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>42.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R\u00e9seau International des Activistes des Droits de l\u2019Homme (RIADH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>43.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R\u00e9seaux des Femmes pour la protection de Droit de l\u2019Enfant et de la Femme (REFEDEF)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>44.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Solidarit\u00e9 des Albinos du Kasa\u00ef-Oriental (SAKOR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>45.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Solidarit\u00e9 des Ongs pour la D\u00e9mocratie, Education civique et Droit de Homme (SOLIDEC-K\/DH)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>46.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Trois Rivi\u00e8res (TR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>47.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Vivre avec Handicap au Congo (VIHANDICO)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>48.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ABFEC \u2013 Action Congo asbl<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>49.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mr. Jean Claude Mputu<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>50.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mrs. Marie Madeleine Kalala<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>51.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Sentry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>52.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Panzi Foundation<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>53.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Human Rights Watch (HRW)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>54.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Action Kivu<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>55.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Never Again Coalition<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>56.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; American Jewish World Service<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>57.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jewish World Watch<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>58.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>59.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stop Genocide Now<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>60.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Elizabeth Barad, Member, NYC Bar Association<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>61.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Anthony W. Gambino, Former USAID Mission Director, DRC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>62.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stephen R. Weissman, Former Staff Director, US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The signatories warn that preparations for next year\u2019s national elections \u201chave been marred by irregularities and violations of fundamental procedures, all amid suspicions of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The declaration notes that the official results of the two previous elections, in 2011 and 2018, were widely questioned by domestic and international civil society, maintaining that \u201cthe international community had not sufficiently supported free and fair elections.\u201d The signatories underlined that the \u201ccrisis of legitimacy\u201d stemming from \u201cthe absence of credible and inclusive elections\u201d has been \u201cthe main source of the various conflicts the DRC is going through.\u201d Armed conflicts in the Eastern Congo took an estimated 2,347 lives in 2021 and have displaced over 5 million people, according to Human Rights Watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The statement calls upon the Congolese National Independent Election Commission, with backing from government institutions, to respect its commitments to operate in \u201ca transparent, independent and inclusive manner\u201d and fulfill its mandate to organize \u201cfree, credible, transparent, inclusive and democratic elections.\u201d And it urged Parliament to \u201ccarry out an inclusive and consensual review of the electoral law, taking care not to jeopardize the deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The declaration further appeals to the international community to use \u201ctargeted sanctions\u201d at each stage of the process against individuals or institutions threatening \u201cthe smooth running of the process.\u201d Emphasizing their willingness to play their role as \u201cguardians of this process\u201d by observing and reporting on the elections, they are requesting international peace and democracy institutions to \u201cprovide all the necessary support to civic education and electoral observation efforts.\u201d In addition, they welcome DRC President Felix Tshisekedi\u2019s call for \u201cinternational election observation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The US government helped finance a major domestic civic education and election observation effort by the Catholic Church before and during the 2018 elections but then failed to support its findings of election fraud. Thus far, the State Department and USAID have not announced a renewed large-scale program for 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Full text of the declaration (<em>Version fran\u00e7aise ci-dessous<\/em>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>Civil Society Declaration Concerning Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We, the undersigned members of civil society from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and around the world, are united in support for the rights of the Congolese people to freely and democratically elect their leaders in accordance with article 5 of the Congolese Constitution, which states: \u201cLa souverainet\u00e9 nationale appartient au peuple. Tout pouvoir \u00e9mane du peuple qui l\u2019exerce directement par voie de r\u00e9f\u00e9rendum ou d\u2019\u00e9lections et indirectement par ses repr\u00e9sentants.\u201d (\u201cNational sovereignty belongs to the people. All power emanates from the people who exercise it directly through referendum or elections and indirectly through their representatives.\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the preamble to the Congolese Constitution, the crisis of legitimacy is identified as the main source of the various conflicts that the DRC is going through. And the fundamental cause of this situation is the absence of credible and inclusive elections. It is, therefore, a fundamental responsibility of the Congolese government to fully support the organization of elections as set out by, and as required under, the Congolese Constitution and the government\u2019s program, which provides in particular \u201cto ensure and perpetuate the process of democratic alternation in summit of the State by respecting constitutional deadlines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2011, civil society, both in the DRC and internationally, questioned the legitimacy of the officially announced results. The most recent elections, which were due to be held in 2016, were postponed until 2018. The official results declared in January 2019 have also been questioned by civil society in the DRC and abroad. These two elections were marred by serious irregularities and violations of the fundamental requirements of the Constitution and Congolese laws. Unfortunately, the international community did not sufficiently support free and fair elections in these previous electoral processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We fear that the next elections are also going to be problematic. Already, initial preparations have been marred by irregularities and violations of fundamental procedures, all amid suspicions of corruption. In addition, it is critical to note the urgency to implement the recently published roadmap by the Congolese National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) in order to complete all the necessary steps to guarantee the respect of deadlines, transparency, and credibility of the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We call on the CENI to respect its commitments to operate in a transparent, independent, and inclusive manner, and to fulfil its crucial mandate to organize free, credible, transparent, inclusive, and democratic elections. There can be no question of linking this electoral process to others that could delay it. Thus, we ask the CENI to publish the final electoral calendar as soon as possible. We call on the President of the DRC, the Prime Minister, the Congolese Parliament, and other state actors to fulfil their duty by providing the CENI with all the necessary means for the achievement of these objectives, in order to use this process as an opportunity to restore trust between all parties involved. Along the same lines, we urge parliamentarians to carry out an inclusive and consensual review of the electoral law, taking care not to jeopardize the deadline. We also call on Justice, in particular the Constitutional Court and the Appeal Court, to fully play its role in guaranteeing that the democratic choices of the voters are respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We support the use, at each stage of the process, of targeted sanctions and other tools that would target any individual and\/or institution that threatens the smooth running of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are committed to play our role as guardians of this process. We believe that civil society observers, from both Congolese and international organizations, should have all the necessary approvals and freedom to observe and report on the upcoming elections. Therefore, we call on international institutions committed to peace and democracy to provide all the necessary support to civic education and electoral observation efforts. In this regard, we welcome the President of the DRC\u2019s call for international election observation, and we call for the mobilization of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the United States of America, and all the friends of the DRC to make it a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\"><strong>D\u00e9claration de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile concernant les \u00e9lections en R\u00e9publique d\u00e9mocratique du Congo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nous, soussign\u00e9s, membres de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile de la R\u00e9publique d\u00e9mocratique du Congo (RDC) et du monde entier, sommes unis pour soutenir les droits du peuple congolais \u00e0 \u00e9lire librement et d\u00e9mocratiquement ses dirigeants conform\u00e9ment \u00e0 l\u2019article 5 de la Constitution congolaise. C\u2019est pourquoi nous lan\u00e7ons cet appel solennel au gouvernement congolais et \u00e0 la communaut\u00e9 internationale pour veiller d\u00e8s maintenant \u00e0 ce que les prochaines \u00e9lections soient v\u00e9ritablement libres, inclusives, transparentes et d\u00e9mocratiques et que personne ne puisse travestir les r\u00e9sultats sortis des urnes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dans le pr\u00e9ambule de la Constitution congolaise, la crise de l\u00e9gitimit\u00e9 est identifi\u00e9e comme la source principale des diff\u00e9rents conflits que traverse la RDC. Et la cause fondamentale de cette situation est l\u2019absence d\u2019\u00e9lections cr\u00e9dibles et inclusives. C\u2019est donc une responsabilit\u00e9 fondamentale du gouvernement congolais de soutenir pleinement l\u2019organisation d\u2019\u00e9lections telles que pr\u00e9vues et requises par la Constitution congolaise et le programme du gouvernement, qui pr\u00e9voit notamment \u00ab d\u2019assurer et p\u00e9renniser le processus d\u2019alternance d\u00e9mocratique au sommet de l\u2019\u00c9tat par le respect des \u00e9ch\u00e9ances constitutionnelles \u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>En 2011, la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile, tant au Congo qu\u2019\u00e0 l\u2019international, a remis en cause la l\u00e9gitimit\u00e9 des r\u00e9sultats annonc\u00e9s officiellement. Les \u00e9lections les plus r\u00e9centes, qui devaient se tenir en 2016, ont \u00e9t\u00e9 report\u00e9es \u00e0 2018. Les r\u00e9sultats officiels d\u00e9clar\u00e9s en janvier 2019 ont \u00e9galement \u00e9t\u00e9 remis en question par la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile au Congo et \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9tranger. Ces deux \u00e9lections ont \u00e9t\u00e9 entach\u00e9es d\u2019importantes irr\u00e9gularit\u00e9s et violations des exigences fondamentales de la Constitution et des lois congolaises. Et malheureusement, la communaut\u00e9 internationale n\u2019a pas suffisamment soutenu des \u00e9lections libres et \u00e9quitables lors de ces pr\u00e9c\u00e9dents processus \u00e9lectoraux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nous craignons que les prochaines \u00e9lections nationales ne posent \u00e9galement des probl\u00e8mes si on ne fait pas attention. D\u00e9j\u00e0, les pr\u00e9paratifs initiaux ont \u00e9t\u00e9 entach\u00e9s d\u2019irr\u00e9gularit\u00e9s et de violations de proc\u00e9dure, le tout sur fond de soup\u00e7ons de corruption. En outre, il est important de relever l\u2019urgence \u00e0 ex\u00e9cuter la feuille de route r\u00e9cemment publi\u00e9e la Commission \u00e9lectorale nationale ind\u00e9pendante congolaise (CENI) afin d\u2019achever toutes les \u00e9tapes n\u00e9cessaires pour garantir le respect des d\u00e9lais, la transparence et la cr\u00e9dibilit\u00e9 des \u00e9lections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nous appelons la CENI \u00e0 respecter son engagement \u00e0 fonctionner de mani\u00e8re transparente, ind\u00e9pendante et inclusive, et \u00e0 remplir son mandat crucial d\u2019organiser des \u00e9lections libres, cr\u00e9dibles, transparentes, inclusives, et d\u00e9mocratiques. Il ne peut \u00eatre question de lier ce processus \u00e9lectoral \u00e0 d\u2019autres qui pourraient le retarder. Ainsi, nous demandons \u00e0 la CENI de publier au plus vite le calendrier \u00e9lectoral d\u00e9finitif. Nous appelons le Pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique, le Premier Ministre, le Parlement congolais et les autres acteurs \u00e9tatiques \u00e0 s\u2019acquitter de leur devoir en mettant \u00e0 la disposition de la CENI tous les moyens n\u00e9cessaires pour la r\u00e9alisation de ces objectifs, consid\u00e9rant ce processus comme une opportunit\u00e9 de r\u00e9tablir la confiance entre toutes les parties prenantes. Dans le m\u00eame ordre d\u2019id\u00e9es, nous exhortons les parlementaires \u00e0 proc\u00e9der \u00e0 une r\u00e9vision inclusive et consensuelle de la loi \u00e9lectorale en veillant \u00e0 ne pas mettre en danger le d\u00e9lai. Nous interpellons \u00e9galement la Justice, en particulier la cour constitutionnelle et la cour d\u2019appel, afin qu\u2019elle joue pleinement son r\u00f4le, notamment en garantissant que le choix d\u00e9mocratiques du peuple soit respect\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nous soutenons l\u2019utilisation, \u00e0 chaque \u00e9tape du processus, de sanctions cibl\u00e9es et d\u2019autres outils qui cibleraient tout individu ou institution qui menacerait le bon d\u00e9roulement du processus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nous nous engageons \u00e0 jouer notre r\u00f4le de gardiens de ce processus. Nous pensons que les observateurs de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 civile, tant des organisations congolaises qu\u2019internationales, doivent b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier de toutes les autorisations et libert\u00e9s n\u00e9cessaires pour observer les prochaines \u00e9lections et en rendre compte. C\u2019est pourquoi nous en appelons aux institutions internationales \u00e9prises de paix et de d\u00e9mocratie d\u2019apporter tout le soutien n\u00e9cessaire aux efforts d\u2019\u00e9ducation civique et d\u2019observation \u00e9lectorale. A cet \u00e9gard, nous saluons l\u2019appel du Pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique \u00e0 l\u2019observation \u00e9lectorale internationale et demandons la mobilisation des Nations-Unies, de l\u2019Union Africaine, de l\u2019Union Europ\u00e9enne, des \u00c9tats-Unis d\u2019Am\u00e9rique et de tous les amis du Congo pour en faire une r\u00e9alit\u00e9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>oday at a press conference in Kinshasa, a coalition of leading Congolese civil society and human rights groups, joined by The Sentry, Human Rights Watch, Panzi Foundation, and other international NGOs, will present a jointly signed\u00a0declaration\u00a0calling for the Democratic Republic of Congo\u2019s 2023 national elections to be free, credible, transparent, inclusive, and democratic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kinshasa Declaration Today: 62 Congolese Groups, Activists, International NGOs Warn Elections in Jeopardy | Panzi Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A coalition of leading Congolese civil society and human rights groups, joined by The Sentry, Human Rights Watch, Panzi Foundation, and other international NGOs, will present a jointly signed\u00a0declaration\u00a0calling for the DRC\u2019s 2023 national elections to be free, credible, transparent, inclusive, and democratic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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