Concerned over Congolese President Joseph Kabila’s apparent attempts to cling to power, U.S. officials are pushing for sanctions against his inner circle but running into opposition from European powers wary of moving too quickly, Reuters reports:
Senior Kabila ally Henri Mova Sakani on Saturday raised the possibility of a constitutional referendum on the number of terms he can serve. Any such move risks triggering further violence in Congo, which has never had a peaceful transition of power. Donors worry about a repeat of the regional conflict in eastern Congo between 1996 and 2003, when millions of people died and more than a half-dozen countries were sucked into the fighting.
“This is an historic moment because Congo is such an important part of Africa,” Senator Edward Markey, the Africa subcommittee ranking Democrat, told Reuters. “They are going to be looked to for leadership or a failure of leadership.”
U.S. Sanctions Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa will be the subject of discussion on Capitol Hill this week at the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. Witnesses
The Honorable Sue E. Eckert
Senior Fellow, Watson Institute International And Public Affairs
Brown University
Providence , RI
Dr. Todd Moss
Chief Operating Officer And Senior Fellow
Center for Global Development
Washington , D.C.
The Honorable Princeton N. Lyman [a board member of the National Endowment for Democracy]
Senior Advisor To The President
United States Institute of Peace
Washington , D.C.
Mr. Brad Books-Rubin
Director Of Policy
Enough Project
Washington , D.C
Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Add to my Calendar Time: 02:15 PM Location: Senate Dirksen 419 Presiding: Senator Flake
