On 29 April 2008, the Carter Centre human rights house in Kinshasa organised an exchange forum between Mr. Steven Kenoyer, political attaché for the United States embassy in the DRC, and representatives of Congolese civil society and human rights organisations. During the forum, Mr. Kenoyer explained the role of the US in the defense of human rights and the development of democracy in the DRC.

"We contribute to national NGOs and we think that civil society has a very important role in the reinforcement of democracy, and the development of the Congolese economy," Mr. Kenoyer said.

Furthermore, he indicated the engagement of the United States in the field of human rights.

"Human rights are part of our culture and we are your partner in this field."

Mr. Kenoyer expressed the United States concern on war crimes, sexual violence, and the recruitment of children by armed forces and groups in the DRC.

He reiterated that each year, the American State Department publishes a report on human rights in the DRC on its website, with one published last month. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100475.htm)

Mr. Kenoyer also recalled the support of the United States at the time of the Goma Peace Conference last January.

"We are here to help the DRC. We have programmes of good governance, the fight against corruption, public health, the training of Congolese soldiers and especially the programmes for the training of prosecutors and Congolese military magistrates to investigate crimes of sexual violence."

The American diplomat was also worried about the lack of personal freedom.

"We are in dialogue with the Congolese government to encourage them to vote a new law on personal freedom, in line of the Constitution. For the moment, there is a vacuum between what the Constitution states, and the actual Congolese law," he said.

"We are in favour of reform, but because the DRC is a sovereign and independent country, we can only make recommendations, and it is up to the Congolese government to set up these reforms."

Questioned on why the United States did not ratify the Statute of Rome, which set up the International Criminal Court, Mr. Kenoyer explained that there would be no guarantee and no mechanism to avoid possible legal action against American soldiers, who are engaged in certain military actions throughout the world.

When questioned on the role of the United States in the death of former Congolese president Patrice Lumumba in 1961. Mr. Kenoyer explained that "there were faults and errors," and the political context and mentalities were different, as it occurred during the cold war.

He invited the Congolese to focus on the present, which is characterised by the engagement of the United States in favour of human rights and support to democracy in the DRC.

On the responsibility of the United States in the emergence of terrorism, with allegations that's its policy represses weak countries, Mr. Kenoyer said that the United States is not responsible for the terrorism in the world.

"It is rather necessary to see the situation in relation to poverty and the manipulation of religion in political systems which are not always liberal."

The Embassy of the United States allocates each year the sum of $100,000 to promote the actions of Congolese NGOs in the defence of human rights and the development of democracy.

This conference was one of a number of periodic activities in the Carter Centre Human Rights House, which have the aim of putting Congolese civil society in contact with foreign diplomatic representatives in Kinshasa.

The Carter Centre House, inaugurated in Kinshasa on 11 March 2008, was financed by the Dutch government in collaboration with the Carter Centre. It's a human rights resource and information centre for civil society, human rights organisations and the general public, to reinforce the organisational, institutional and operational capacities of human rights NGOs and civil society.