On December 10, Human Rights Minister Leonard She Okitundu...

On December 10, Human Rights Minister Leonard She Okitundu announced a moratorium on all executions to mark the 51st anniversary of the international human rights charter. "The moratorium is effective today," Okitundu said, adding that President Laurent Kabila's Government was considering freeing a "certain number" of political prisoners. The Court of Military Order, which also tries civilians on State security charges, has provoked widespread condemnation and allegations of human rights abuses. One local human rights organization, Toges Noirs, said that over 100 of the more than 200 people sentenced to death have already been executed.