Ambassador James Swan and the staff of the Embassy of the United States of America extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Congolese citizens who lost their lives as a consequence of civil unrest and violence in Kinshasa earlier this week. Our thoughts are also with those who were injured, and we wish them speedy recovery.
We condemn all acts of violence and call upon Congolese stakeholders to exercise restraint and avoid provocation. We call on both the government of the DRC and opposition leadership to strongly urge their supporters and the public to refrain from violence, and applaud those leaders who have already done so. We urge the government to protect human rights, including the right to peacefully assemble and speak freely, and we denounce excessive or unlawful use of force by security forces.
The events of this week underscore the need for a genuinely inclusive and credible dialogue process aimed at reaching consensus on holding presidential elections as soon as technically feasible.
