Chairman Smith on the hearing: “The government of Joseph Kabila delayed the required 2016 presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in which he was forbidden by the constitution to run for reelection. Since then, his government has continued to bog down preparations for an election to replace him, which now is being predicted for no earlier than 2019. This hearing is intended to gather suggestions from the State Department, USAID and private sector witnesses on how to overcome the current transition stalemate in the DRC.”

Opening Statements

Full text of Chairman Ed Royce’s opening statement

Witnesses

Panel I

The Honorable Donald Yamamoto
Acting Assistant Secretary
Bureau of African Affairs
U.S. Department of State
[full text of statement]

Ms. Cheryl Anderson
Acting Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Africa
U.S. Agency for International Development
[full text of statement]

Panel II

Mr. Mvemba Dizolele
Professorial Lecturer in African Studies
School of Advanced International Studies
Johns Hopkins University
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Mr. Fred Bauma
Representative
La Lutte pour le Changement
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Ms. Severine Autesserre, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
Barnard College
Columbia University
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Ms. Ida Sawyer
Central Africa Director
Human Rights Watch
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

____________________________

Hearing transcript (PDF)