France Urges EU to Review Ties With DR Congo Amid Violence – Foreign Ministry

France calls on the European Union to reexamine its relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo after the recent flare-up of violence in the country, the French Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Violence erupted in the Central African country after Congolese President Joseph Kabila decided to stay in power after his mandate expired last midnight, prompting opposition protests in the capital Kinshasa and the second-largest city of Lubumbashi.

"As the constitutional mandate of the DR Congo’s president has ended, France is concerned by reports of arrests and violence in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi… The gravity of the situation justifies reexamination of EU’s relations with the DR Congo," the ministry’s statement read.

France has urged the African state's authorities and government-controlled security forces to respect human rights and warned them about individual responsibility for crimes against humanity.

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