DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: French President Francois Hollande stresses the promotion of democracy and human rights in the DRC while speaking at a Francophonie summit, where has had a 'frank and direct' meeting with President Joseph Kabila

Record ID: 752164

  • Title: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: French President Francois Hollande stresses the promotion of democracy and human rights in the DRC while speaking at a Francophonie summit, where has had a 'frank and direct' meeting with President Joseph Kabila
  • Date: 14th October 2012
  • Summary: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (OCTOBER 13, 2012) (REUTERS) CONFERENCE ROOM VARIOUS OF FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM, PEOPLE APPLAUDING DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM FLAGS IN CONFERENCE ROOM OFFICIALS IN CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SAYIN
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
  • Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADBSY2XSQ3TJHKP1RE4AVWNP6
  • Story Text: France and Canada urged leaders from the French-speaking world to reinforce democracy and human rights during a summit in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday (October 13), in comments that focused attention squarely on the host.
    Congo has been widely criticised for a flawed election last year that won President Joseph Kabila a second term, and for killings, rapes and other abuses committed by fighters in the rebel-plagued eastern province of North Kivu.
    "Democracy - the Francophonie will promote democracy, human rights, political pluralism, respect for freedom, the right of every person to choose their leaders, there you have the principles the Francophonie will promote," French President Francois Hollande told reporters after a meeting with civil society group leaders in Kinshasa.
    Hollande is the star invitee to this year's Francophonie summit - the first to be held in central Africa - but cast a pall over preparations last week by calling Congo's rights record "totally unacceptable".
    Representatives from more than 70 French-speaking countries have arrived in Kinshasa for the 14th Francophonie summit which runs until Oct 14, with Congo's M23 rebellion and the Islamist takeover of northern Mali topping the agenda.
    Hollande's criticism of Congo's rights record last week was seen as a major boost for the opposition, but was also used by Congo's rebels to justify their uprising, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.
    Congo has accused neighbouring Rwanda of backing the eastern rebellion in order to maintain control of a blackmarket trade in Congo's rich mineral deposits - a claim vehemently denied by Kigali.
    "Here in Kinshasa, I think about the people of Kivu, victims of repeated conflicts and hoards of civilian population being massacred, I think of its abused women, its child soldiers, yes, I reaffirm from this tribune that we must make sure the DRC borders are intangible," Hollande said at the summit.
    "The Francophone community supports all United Nations efforts so that it can be present here in DRC for the security in the east. I'm in favour of broadening of the mandate of the MONUSCO force," Hollande added.
    At the summit's opening ceremony Hollande greeted Kabila with the briefest of handshakes while warmly embracing Abdou Diouf, the former Senegalese president and current secretary general of the Francophonie.
    Members of Hollande's entourage said Hollande had earlier met privately with Kabila for a "frank and direct" discussion about human rights that lasted 30 minutes.
    A Congo government spokesman said Hollande's comments were 'unfair' and said the summit was a chance for Congo to bolster its legitimacy and close the book on a turbulent past, marked by a war that killed millions and decades of state-level graft that has left most of its people in poverty.
    Human rights group Amnesty International said it called on the Francophonie to condemn human rights violations and engage Congolese authorities to stop the rebellion.
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