“Self-defence” plan violates peace accord, group charges

The Congolese human rights group Voix des sans voix (VSV) has said the government’s distribution of weapons to newly-created civilian “popular self defence” units in Kinshasa was a dangerous measure that would contribute to scuttle current peace efforts in the country. In a statement received by IRIN on Thursday, VSV said it feared that the distribution of weapons “to a population living in dehumanising misery and abandoned to its own fate will only exacerbate the already very precarious security situation and complicate national reconciliation.” It recommended that the government find other “appropriate” ways to improve security, noting that the arms distribution constituted a violation of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement.