In a press release issued on 16 June 2017, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, reiterated her call for an independent probe into the atrocities being committed in the Kasaïs for months now. Earlier this month, the US diplomat made the same call, urging the UN to investigate these atrocities.
The press release notes that the United States has recently been made aware of new reports of the DRC government engaging in severe human rights violations in the Kasai regions, including increased human rights violations, summary executions of women and children and mass rape. These atrocities, according to reports, are being committed by Congolese security and army personnel.
Nikki has urged the Human Rights Commission to take immediate action and investigate the atrocities being committed in the Kasaïs.
“Reports of the Congolese government’s campaign of murder and rape of women and children should shock us into action. These allegations must be investigated and those responsible held accountable. It is past time for the Human Rights Council to take decisive action and launch an independent investigation into the human rights violations and abuses in the DRC. This is the core mission of the HRC. If they can’t act in a situation this horrifying, why bother having one,” said Ambassador Haley.
Violence has prevailed in Kasaï for more than eight months now has claimed scores lives and caused massive population displacement, including into neighbouring Angola. Two UN investigators sent to the region to shed light on the atrocities and possibly bring perpetrators to account have been also assassinated.
The US laments HRC’s inaction in shouldering its core mission.
“Over the last year, the Human Rights Council has failed to take any serious action against the human rights violations and abuses committed by the DRC and armed groups in the Kasais”, says the statement.
HRC’s attempts to investigate the atrocities in the Kasaïs risk being crippled by diverging interests from member-states. While the US and the EU support an international investigation, most African Union states are of the view that the investigation should be conducted under the auspices of the DRC government, with the UN merely availing its logistical support to Congolese authorities.
The final decision will be taken during the HRC council session slated for next week.