Antony Blinken's visit raises many expectations in the DRC

Antony Blinken and Félix Tshisekedi during a meeting on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly, in September 2021. AFP - EDUARDO MUNOZ

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Antony Blinken arrives in Kinshasa on Tuesday for a 48-hour stay.

The US Secretary of State will meet with Félix Tshisekedi and a few other Congolese political figures.

According to sources at the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security will play a major role in the discussions between the Congolese authorities and the American leader.

The DRC expects a lot from the United States, particularly regarding the activism of the M23 and the tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali.

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Relying in particular on the recent report by the group of United Nations experts who say they have proof of the Rwandan army's support for the M23, the Congolese authorities are waiting for Antony Blinken to openly condemn Rwanda, explains

.

.

Kinshasa considers that this armed group only resists thanks to the support of Kigali and therefore wants the American Secretary of State to put more pressure on Paul Kagame.

According to Félix Tshisekedi's entourage, the Congolese authorities also hope that the United States will place the M23 on their list of terrorist movements as they did in March 2021 with the ADF. 

Before leaving South Africa, Antony Blinken also expressed his “

” about this and said he feared that “

 ”.

He assured that Washington would "

" through diplomacy, hoping to help the DRC and Rwanda "

".

But the government is not the only one to expect a firm position from the United States on this file.

Civil society too.

Floribert Anzuluni, coordinator of Filimbi, the pro-democracy movement, encourages the American secretary of state “

” with other international partners “

”.

The problem of arms imports

Still in the security chapter, Kinshasa will also ask Antony Blinken to get involved so that the measures surrounding Congolese imports of arms and other war materials are lifted.

As a reminder, countries exporting to Congo-Kinshasa are required to notify the Sanctions Committee set up by the Security Council of all arms transactions to Congolese territory. 

Considered by Kinshasa as a form of embargo

, this system of notifications, say UN sources, makes it possible to ensure that the war material sent to the DRC is indeed delivered to the only authorized recipient, namely the Congolese government.

Apart from security issues, other sectors of bilateral cooperation such as economy, health and politics will be on the agenda.

Congolese authorities expect more from the Privileged Partnership for Peace, Prosperity, and Environmental Preservation entered into by the United States and the DRC in 2019.

Human rights and corruption

On the sidelines of this visit, Congolese civil society organizations, associated with American civil society organizations as well as researchers and specialists, jointly published a press release on Monday in which they reconsider what they expect from the visit of the US Secretary of State to the DRC.

Upcoming electoral process, human rights, corruption and conflict in the east of the country, the subjects are numerous. 

"

," said Thomas Fessy, senior DRC researcher at Human Rights Watch.

According to him, Antony Blinken should take advantage of this visit "

".

HRW is also concerned about the lack of progress in "

", particularly in the mining and forestry sectors.

" 

," said Thomas Fessy.

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