The acquittal of Jean-Pierre Bemba: lessons must be learned

The acquittal on appeal of Jean-Pierre Bemba by the International Criminal Court leaves several thousand victims in the Central African Republic without no proper response to the extreme violence committed against them during the armed conflict.

Human rights defenders: indispensable agents of democracy in DR Congo

Over the current election period, there have been many constraints on the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists in the DR Congo; this has been a source of political and social tension. Threats, arbitrary arrests, and unwarranted legal action have increased dramatically, indicating growing restrictions on the public sphere. ASF believes that…

[French] Study – Exercise and effectiveness of the rights and public freedoms of human rights defenders in the pre-electoral context of the DR Congo

DR Congo: diversifying ways of resolving conflicts

In a country like the Congo, making use of the formal legal mechanisms is not always the best method of peacefully resolving conflicts. That is why ASF gives support to local justice actors in the country: community and traditional leaders, civil society organisations, paralegals, etc. This approach is central to the organisation’s new five-year programme,…

[French] Study – Conflict management and access to justice in Central Kongo : challenges of legality and legitimacy of local mechanisms of legal aid

ASF in DR Congo: 15 years of commitment

ASF has come a long way since it started up its activities in Congo 15 years ago. Its aim, from the very beginning, has been to ensure that people become more aware of their rights and can enforce them. We opened our first office in Kinshasa on 12 March 2002. Since then, we’ve developed a…

Country: Congo (the Democratic Republic of the)