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Democratic Deadlock and Security Concerns in DR Congo: Where to Now for the European Union

  • When
  • December 7, 2016
    5:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (EST)
  • Where
  • Egmont Palace, Place du Petit Sablon, 8 bis, Brussels, Belgium
  • Speakers
  • Marta Martinelli, Valerie Arnould, Koen Vervaeke, Renier Nijskens, José Maria Aranaz, Abbé Donatien Nshole, Bob Ngutu, and Donatella Rostagno
  • In partnership with
  • EurAc, Egmont Institute

In the current pre-electoral deadlock, political and security tensions are on the rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Worrying attempts to undermine democratic change, shrinking democratic space, and a dramatic increase in human rights violations pose an acute threat to a credible and peaceful transfer of power in Congo’s young democracy.

Twelve days before the end of President Kabila’s constitutional mandate, the Open Society European Policy Institute, together with the European Network for Central Africa and Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations, will bring together institutional and civil society actors to discuss the role and responsibility of the European Union to support a credible democratic process—and to help prevent an escalation of violence and abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Speakers

  • Marta Martinelli

    Moderator

    Until February 2022, Marta Martinelli was head of the EU external relations team for the Open Society European Policy Institute.

  • Valerie Arnould

    Moderator

    Valerie Arnould is senior research fellow at the Egmont Institute.

  • Koen Vervaeke

    Speaker

    Koen Vervaeke is Africa director at European External Action Service (TBC).

  • Renier Nijskens

    Speaker

    Renier Nijskens is Belgian special envoy for the Great Lakes region.

  • José Maria Aranaz

    Speaker

    José Maria Aranaz is representative of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights in DRC and director of the UN Joint Human Rights Office.

  • Abbé Donatien Nshole

    Speaker

    Abbé Donatien Nshole is deputy executive secretary of Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO).

  • Bob Ngutu

    Speaker

    Bob Ngutu is national coordinator at Bureau De Formation et De Recherches pour un Développement Intégré (BUFORDI).

  • Donatella Rostagno

    Speaker

    Donatella Rostagno is executive secretary at the European Network for Central Africa (EurAc).

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