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Mapping Report could affect Country Risk in Six African Nations
FROM A
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW by Monte Friesner
2 October 2010
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has released the final version of the mapping exercise documenting of the most serious human rights violations that occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], which has resulted in the filing of denials and denunciations by diplomats acting on behalf of neighboring countries that dispute the facts and conclusions of the UN report.
Will the report result in an increase in country risk in some or all of the five nations named?
The countries whose nationals, regular armed forces, insurgent and irregular forces, and other non-state actors, are implicated in the report are:
- Angola
- The DRC
- Rwanda
- Burundi
- Uganda
The 617 specific criminal acts alleged in the 550-page report, which was the result of interviews conducted with 1280 witnesses, and a review of 1500 documents, constitute:
- War Crimes
- Crimes against Humanity
- Genocide
It is unknown whether this report will result in the indictment of any individuals, or the designation of any entity or group as human rights violators by international organizations, or civil litigation, but the fact that the report's conclusions are hotly disputed by the governments of neighboring countries means that compliance officers should consider whether it is sufficient grounds to rise country risk for those nations whose nationals are alleged to have engaged in these criminal acts.
It also raises the risk that certain PEPs in these countries, whether government officials or senior military officers, could find themselves charged with criminal conduct in the future; All of this impacts country risk.
Readers who wish to review the complete text of the report, can access it here* in the unofficial English translation of the original French, which is also available.
The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of WANTED SA. WANTED SA does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article; does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.
