Clinging to Power in Congo

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/opinion/clinging-to-power-in-congo.html

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Under the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Constitution, President Joseph Kabila’s second and final term of office ended at midnight on Monday. But, Mr. Kabila did not step down, plunging Congo into chaos.

Mr. Kabila and his family have looted the nation’s resources, including diamonds, to amass a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars while doing little to alleviate widespread poverty. This has not been lost on Congo’s citizens. Protesters hit the streets in September, when they first suspected that Mr. Kabila had no intention of stepping down. Mr. Kabila responded with a crackdown that left more than 50 people dead. In October, he announced that elections would be delayed until April 2018, presumably so that millions of additional voters could be registered, and that he would head an interim government.

In response to the unrest, Mr. Kabila’s government has blocked radio, television and social media sites. Despite the blackout, demonstrations erupted on Tuesday in Kinshasa and other cities. True to form, Mr. Kabila unleashed his security forces. Human Rights Watch reported that at least 34 people were killed and at least 275 people were arrested in one day.

Mr. Kabila’s power grab could have repercussions beyond Congo. There are dozens of armed rebel groups operating across a portion of the country, and a political crisis could empower them, threatening stability in the surrounding region.

In an attempt to send a message to Mr. Kabila, on Dec. 12 the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions, including the freezing of assets and travel bans, on senior Congolese officials. More pressure will be needed. The European Union says it is considering sanctions on Mr. Kabila himself. Europe and Washington could both take a hard look at the web of people behind the mining concessions and financial schemes, who appear to be behind much of his wealth. And all parties need to participate in good faith in the negotiations being mediated by the Roman Catholic Church to get elections back on track.

The most urgent goal is to force Mr. Kabila to call off his security forces and step down as head of the interim government.