The u. S. Institute of peace. Thank you very much. Hello, everybody. Thank you very much for the commission and its cochairs, for hosting this very timely briefing on the political and security crisis in the democratic republic of congo, or drc. Congress is launching u. S. Policy toward drc and the wider Great Lakes Region of Central Africa using tools such as the foreign aid appropriations process, legislation on minerals, sexual violence, child soldiers, he met generally at international adoptions, oversight activities and direct engagement with regional leaders in Civil Society. Over the years many members of congress have paid particular attention to Human Rights Violations in eastern congo which is long been an epicenter of regional conflict. Perhaps in recognition of such engagement success against president s since the 1990s have appointed former members of congress to serve as highlevel special envoys and advisers on the Great Lakes Region, most recently as you all know senator Russ Feingold as special envoy as the in the obama admin stationed in the 114th Congress Congressional concerns about drc democratic trajectory grew at the end of president joseph second term came to became clear elections would not be held a schedule. What would be the countries first ever electoral transfer of power between administrations. Congressional committees of jurisdiction help regular hearings on developments in the Great Lakes Region and just policy responses and the senate and house each passed resolutions calling on executive branch to consider punitive actions against those responsible for Human Rights Violations, corruption or impeding the democratic process in drc. Todays conversation follows a a hearing before this Commission Last november at which point had already provoked significant domestic unrest with implications for regional stability. Despite the subsequent signing of a political agreement between the Ruling Coalition and opposition, a credible electoral count has yet to be issued. The security situation threat the country is badly deteriorated. Enduring conflict and needs to become more complex while new hotspots have emerged in areas such as south Eastern Province and the central region. We have an opportunity today to hear from a panel of two experts on the drc and the region about ways to address these myriad challenges. First, steve hege of the u. S. Institute for peace will lead us off with an update on the political situation, the links between electoral stalemate and the sacred situation, and the regional contact. Mike jobbins will describe current conflict dynamics in several locations. Adotei akwei of Amnesty International will address ongoing and emerging Human Rights Violations, and aditi gorur of the Stimson Center will discuss challenges facing the u. N. Peacekeeping operation minus go in the context of a larger debates over your support for u. N. Peacekeeping monusco. One final note will go to qnx after that and id like to make sure that theres an opportunity for Congressional Staff in the room to ask questions if they have any. So if youre a Congressional Staffer please prepare your question for the first round. Thanks very much and over to you, steve. Thank you very much, alexis. Cochairman, members of the commission and its staff, thank you for holding this important breaking on Current Development in the democratic republic of congo. Its a pleasure to be here to join you today and share some humble insights into the current political impasse. In line with the request of todays moderate i will try to focus my initial remarks on the current challenges related to the implementation of the december 31, 201 2016 global inclusive agreement as well as highlight some of the diminished legitimacy of the nearly all government institutions and how that has influenced the broader security situation. At the end of 2006 as alexis mentioned, the catholic bishops conference stepped in for an au led mediation process combined with a National Dialogue initiative which had initially established a partial agreement with Opposition Leader from the government. Though these efforts by did not necessarily halt the violence which took place marking the date of the end of the presence mandates the process culminated in a very successful and celebrate new years eve agreement. What is offered to as agreement the government signatories of the earlier au led agreement, the opposition coalitions around g7 agreed broadly to the following, transition of 12 months to organize elections, the maintenance of president kabila and other government institutions in the interest of preserving continuity in order to prepare for elections, the creation of a National Unity government led by Prime Minister from the opposition which will be given equal treatment throughout that period. The end of political prosecution, the release of Political Prisoners and reopening of media and equal access to public radio and television. The establishment as full of the committee responsible overseeing the implication of the agreement known as c nsa. Finally most important the provision of any constitutional change which would allow for president kabila to run for a third term. While the agreement has not resolution which endorsed it in late march 2017 nearly eight months from its achievement of limitation has been wracked with the challenges of the prospects for achieving its main goal of organizing election for the end of 2017 appear partially nonexistent. The february 1 death of a longstanding Opposition Leader and runner up of the 2011 election was the first and most important shock to the process of implement the sense of the agreement. He himself was supposed to lead the cnsa and as he left an enormous vacuum amongst opposition. Nevertheless, they continue to mediate talks to define the implication of the agreement which would eventually to enable tatian agreement known as the peoples house agreement of april 27. However, a month earlier they withdrew its mediation role and handed over responsibility to president kabila to definitively move forward with the implementation. Sadly the goodwill built up and its mediation role has disappeared and after shifted back towards more confrontational relationship. Civil society for its part has been divided throughout the process and the crisis had ramifications with numerous standoffs between assemblies and governors. While theres been that gentle detergent with a skewed situation of the elements have been widely viewed by the opposition is orchestrated attempt by the government to justify further delays in the electoral process with some actually dull process has become somewhat fraudulent. Nevertheless, the discretionary power of the presidency and his goodwill seem to be driving or the appearance of his goodwill seem be driving the process more than actual sense of the implementation. President kabila nominate opposition dissidence in early april with a you allow decision which was viewed as a consensual at the time. Furthermore mitchell control and balance of power within the government of National Unity have not been achieved, major post in the Transitional Government have remained within the president ial majority of the Ruling Coalition. Establishment of the cnsa for its part was severely delayed and nonconsensual. While is given a mandate at 12 months it took nearly eight months before it was actually, its members were named on july 22 with the president , presidency being given to another opposition dissidence. His position was vehemently rejected by the majority of Opposition Leaders. And so society for its part has strong criticize the cnsa as not being independent or impartial. As alexis pointed out another incredible Sticking Point has been the failure of the publication of electoral calendar which has been a point of contention for many of the participants in the process, though the head calendar would be public, publicized shortly. Nothing has followed. Unfortunately there needs to be clear benchmarks including when candidates will have to be submitted. This would be critical to clarify and would represent the president ial majority as well as the opposition coalitions. With regards to voter registration, there have been several important challenges. First enrollment of youth who are younger than the age required has been alleged by certain groups, serious obstacles for organizations to observe have been also identified and is also been certain challenges with regards to payment of stalking underground. The border rows are supposed be finished by the end of july, but as a stance now ten provinces are still under enrollment and 13 have not been completed. With regards to the opening of political space, it appears there also been selective application of key provisions with several activists including fred and christopher having been released, major cases including Opposition Leader having been completely blocked. Only certain tv channels as well have been reopened and does not necessarily equal access to public television. At the outset there appears to be context for political opposition as theres not one level of government which remains within its constitutional limited mandates. Senators and provincial deputies have overstated mandates now for over six years. Nevertheless, the president ial majority has surprisingly emerges stronger since the signing of the agreement. The Ruling Coalition has not suffered any further desertions and hasnt been able to bring certain amount of resources through money contracts in the meantime. Though the president future himself remains uncertain, some political elites around and continue to push for a third term while others see their own future of ascending as a candidate for the presidency in contrast to the president s aspirations. Furthermore, a longtime ally, has become increasing outspoken for the need for kabila to step down. As in the eyes of psalm, the perpetuation of instability and weak governance in the drc is much more favorable to the shortterm economic and longterm political objectives. For their partners are no visible signs of cracking within the security services, although there are concerns about the use of commando like units and efforts to militarize the police force with the recent naming of an army general as its head. Kabilas drink is due to the weakness of the political opposition which remains deeply divided. The political negotiations and the buying up a splinter groups of make up the majority of opposition post within the government has to large extent tainted many individuals opportunity and their affiliation with president kabila. I son was proposed to be Prime Minister but he has not seemed to reemerge under his leadership as strong as it was prior to the agreements. He has not shown himself to be a strong leader on the streets. For his part, he remains in exile where is trying to sustain his popularity but his ability to mobilize clinical support outside the drc remains to be seen. He has been able to halt the president s soninlaw who couldve been a major player, otherwise one person was sentenced to year in prison for real estate project in general terms most of the oppositely are speaking more to the International Community and are to the congolese people. Now theyre calling for kasai destefano and are unwilling to take part in the agreement as result of the as outlined. With frustration remain and what is perceived as an illegitimate government and a splintered opportunist political opposition, outburst of urban violence or the soiling of urban insurgencies are increasing and likelihood. One of these groups which is coded number of Violent Attacks on police posts, presence and Central Markets is the political religious cult of the dk be dk. Dating back to the 1960s, be dk has sought to reestablish the congo states which encompass part of drc, ankle and the public of the congo which a florist in precolonial times. Violent expression against bdk dates back to 2000 it became more so in 2008 when youre 200 buildings were burned at least two wha200 people were killed wn police opened fired on supporters. Its a leader created the Political Party in 2010, which eventually led to his election in the 2011 elections. Unfortunately it had been dormant for several years and reemerged recent with several Violent Attacks, eventually freeing him. In conclusion the publication of a realistic consensual electoral calendar is more critical than ever and certainly more important that meeting december deadline of the agreement. While rejected by the opposition, the recent declaration of the south African Development community is a realistic acknowledgment that alternatives are needed to make sure elections proceed forward. Given the potential perception by condition of Political Landscape for the president s majority are more favorable, a renewed push for Movement Towards organization of elections may find more success. President kabila establish an Election Preparations Committee within the majority, and told the senior Party Leadership to prepare to win them. Once underway in a more satisfaction from international to ensure a truly fair, transparent and credible enabling five for elections in which all candidates can participate and compete equitably. Thank you for your attention this morning. Thanks very much. Mike. Thanks, alexis. Takes to steve, thanks to congressman for calling this together one year after your hearing which two of a lot of attention to the crisis in congo last year. Its a privilege to me to give you an update on where, where the country is been and what weve seen over the last year. Im going to keep my remarks focused primarily on the local dynamics of violence, recent events in the kasai and the east of the country recognizing its a large area. I submit them a statement which will be online, by colleagues will distribute after this event and i will just touch on some of the biggest abuse you. In those three regions for document four of the key trends we see unless we take from that, of the three things were looking for from the u. S. Congress and where were looking for Youth Leadership to address some of these issues. So since the Commission Last discussed the drc, thousands of congolese civilians have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, many of whom have been displaced into all the conditions and as a direct result weve seen polio breakout for the first time in three years after declaring the country polio free. We now see risk of a cholera epidemic in tanganyika and we see a worsening humanitarian crisis at a time when the world is dealing with far too many. Congo is once again among the leading homes of displaced people 20 years after the war broke out in the first place. In central kasai, violence broke out over a dispute that steve alluded to around the chieftaincy, and political competition over the leadership of the chieftaincy, the chief at the time, the government opponent offered resistance through a series of events was killed, and that event, the killing of the chief triggered an insurgency that very quickly took on political tones, took on ethnic towns, in the context of a region that was strongly viewed as opposition bastion and weathers been a long history of strong sheets but also of sheets between committee and the states resolving them. At the moment i think perhaps others will talk about some of the grave human rights abuses weve seen in the kasai. But when i would say at the moment, what we can say is that although theres been a relative decrease over the last weeks, theres very little reason to think that anything is resolved. The grievances, the trauma between communities, the grievances over the past and current conflict are likely to remain for a foreseeable amount of time. Given the role the government has played in the violence and in repressing the militancy, the insurgency is difficult to see how either the government comes you of the parties to the conflict can gain credibility and lead up Peace Process without significant grassroots leadership and engagement. In tanganyika, about a year or more ago, we saw great awakening a political consciousness among the pygmy population who lived a long time in a situation of comparative disadvantage. Historically landless. Thats why i rarely have access to political power, red hat axis two School Systems and thus have lived in a subservient economic and political situation to their neighbors. That erupted into violence over the late 2016 and we see now have my displaced. We saw some very promising peace efforts at the beginning of this year that since languished. And as of violence has persisted, just earlier this month the governor of the province announced a new military campaign to resolve as a new strategy to address the situation in all of the humanitarian consequences that are likely to flow from that. Finally to touch briefly on the east, beginning from the northeastern border in south sudan all the way down to the border of tanganyika we see a resurgence of local insecurity and local tensions. Whether thats where we see spillover from the