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UN rights official urges DR Congo to prosecute persons harming aid workers

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A UN human rights expert on Wednesday called on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to do more to protect human rights workers in the country, and to prosecute those who harm them. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Margaret Sekaggya issued a list of suggested improvements for the DRC government and the UN Organization Mission in DR Congo (MONUC), including taking concrete steps to legitimize the work of human rights defenders, translating the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders into local languages, and fully investigating and prosecuting offenses against human rights workers. Sekaggya said that: Human rights defenders ... face illegitimate restrictions of their right to core freedoms, i.e. freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association. Defenders, in particular journalists, who report on human rights abuses committed by State and non-State actors are killed, threatened, tortured or arbitrarily arrested and their offices are raided. The media are sometimes suspended, and journalists often censor themselves in fear of reprisals.Sekaggya also urged the Congolese National Assembly to pass a draft law establishing a human rights commission, which was has already been approved by the Senate.In January, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also urged participants in the DRC conflict, including Ugandan rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), to respect human rights and international law. ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced last May the launch of a new investigation against LRA leaders, including Joseph Kony. Moreno-Ocampo maintained that arrest warrants issued by the ICC for LRA leaders remain in effect, despite requests from Uganda that they be withdrawn. The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in December condemning human rights violations in the DRC.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on June 03, 2009 (boomark / email).