JWW’s Director of Advocacy and Programs Mike Brand speaks out in an interview with the International Business Times UK about how a bad situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could get worse with a change in foreign policy under the new US administration.
Note: This article originally appeared in the International Business Times.
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A United States atrocity prevention advocate has warned that Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila could “capitalise” on a change in foreign policy under US President Donald Trump.
Trump will take office next month on 20 January, 2017, a month after his Congolese counterpart Kabila’s final term expires. Kabila is due to stand down on 19 December, but he has been accused of political maneuvering to ensure he can remain in power indefinitely, and there are growing fears Kabila’s push to keep power will spark major violence.”
There are concerns political transition in the US will completely disrupt engagement in Congo, making the African country no longer a “top priority” for the world’s largest economy.
“One of the main concerns I have right now is with the change in power in the US government and the chasm that will be left in US foreign policy, with crucial positions like the special envoy being vacated at such a crucial time, it is unlikely there will be much action taken from the US government,” Mike Brand, director of policy and programs at JWW, a Los Angeles-based human rights organisation with expertise on mass atrocity prevention, told IBTimes UK.