US imposes visa bans on several unnamed Congo officials

DAKAR, Senegal – The United States has announced visa bans on several senior Congolese officials and family members for their involvement in “significant corruption” related to Congo’s electoral process.

The State Department says it is not obligated to publicly reveal the identities of those targeted, but that the designation sends an important message that corruption is unacceptable and will have consequences.

The U.S. says credible, transparent and timely elections in December are essential. The presidential election has been postponed since late 2016. President Joseph Kabila has remained in power. While the opposition reached an agreement that Kabila must not run in upcoming elections, concerns remain.

The U.S. has warned Congo against using electronic voting machines that watchdog groups say could be prone to manipulation.