I am pleased to convene today’s hearing of the African Affairs Subcommittee and am honored to serve with my friend andcolleague, Senator Isakson. I would like to welcome members of the Foreign Relations Committee, and thank our distinguished witnesses: Ambassador Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Mark Schneider, Senior Vice President of the International Crisis Group; Mvemba Dizolele, Fellow at the Hoover Institution; and Anthony Gambino, Fellow at the Eastern Congo Initiative.
Today’s hearing on governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is both timely and important. Last month’s elections have been marred by reports of widespread irregularities that are symptomatic of greater challenges of governance. Today, we’ll consider steps that can be taken to improve governance in the DRC, looking at U.S. policy toward this country plagued by decades of conflict, poverty, and insecurity.
The recent presidential and legislativeelections have become the subject of intense international scrutiny. Election observers from the European Union (EU) and Carter Center have concluded that the results are lacking credibility. Reports have detailed mismanagement of the tabulation process, restricted access for observers, missing ballots, and voter turnout allegedly greater than 100 percent in some polling districts. This was clearly not a well-run election, and Congolese authorities must now engage in a thorough and transparent review of the results to address unanswered questions.
Now that the Congolese Independent National Election Commission (CENI) has released data from polling stations, there should be a thorough review of the results taking in account reports of irregularities from the observer missions. As the State Department said last night, the United States stands ready to provide technical assistance for such a review that will shed light on whether irregularitieswere caused by a lack of organization or fraud.
New questions surrounding the election are emerging each day, and I have received a steady flow of information from concerned Congolese Americans reporting fraud and post-election violence. Today, I call on President Kabila and Mr. Tshisekedi to urge their supporters to resolve their disagreements peacefully to avoid an escalation of violence. Unresolved issues surrounding the legitimacy of this election cannot be answered through violence in the streets. Instead, all sides should engage in dialogue about next steps and consider establishing a formal mediation process with the support of the United States and international community.
It has been the hope of many in the DRC and around the world that these elections would help to move the Congo toward peace and stability after a civil war that left more than 5 million dead between 1998 and 2003. The U.S. has invested significant resources and diplomatic capital into improving governance in the DRC, including nearly $13 million to support free and fair elections.
A stable and democratic DRC is in America’s interest because of its critical role in the region, its large population, and vast minerals and natural resources. It is also in America’s interest to promote fundamental values such as human rights, transparency, freedom of expression, and rule of law. Those values we hold dear are routinely trampled on in the DRC, where rape has been used as a weapon of war to punish and silence civilians — especially women and children.
As I said earlier, the problems with the election are indicative of the greater problems facing the DRC, rooted in alack of strong, democratic, transparent governance. Without government control over its territory and security forces, armed soldiers and militia members will continue to prey on civilians. Weak institutions prevent the DRC from upholding human rights and the rule of law, and successfully addressing issues surrounding conflict minerals and sexual violence. The recent elections presented an opportunity to build the foundation of a more effective and credible government, and I am concerned that this goal has not yet been achieved.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about what concrete action the U.S. can take to help resolve pressing and difficult questions about the conduct of the election in order to improve governance, mitigate post-election violence, and strengthen the rule of law in the DRC. We stand with the Congolese people in their attempt to advance democracy, and hope it can be achieved peacefully. I would like to now turn to Senator Isakson for his opening statement.