“As the political situation in the DRC remains very tense, the Federal Council decided to extend these sanctions” say the Swiss authorities. Here in Goma, a soldier warns the photographer not to take photos.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Following the lead of the European Union, Switzerland has extended its sanctions against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/sm
The measures, which took effect on Wednesday evening, include financial sanctions against 14 people – who are also banned from entering Switzerland.
The sanctions affect various incumbent and former DRC ministers and provincial governors, as well as high-ranking members of the Republican Guard, the Congolese military, the police and intelligence services. The 14 individuals are accused of hindering elections in the DRC through acts of violence, repression, incitement to violence and violation of the rule of law. They are also accused of serious human rights violations.
Their Swiss-based funds and other assets have been frozen. In addition, they may no longer enter Switzerland or travel through Switzerland.
In order to implement UN Security Council resolutions, the Swiss government already adopted sanctions against the DRC in June 2005. These included an arms embargo and financial and travel sanctions against the political and military leaders of foreign armed groups and Congolese militias, as well as against weapon smugglers.
“As the political situation in the DRC remains very tense, the Federal Council decided to extend these sanctions in line with the EU,” noted a government media statementExternal link on Wednesday.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Environment minister outlines Swiss efforts to limit global warming
This content was published on
Switzerland will do its part to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius, said Environment Minister Albert Rösti, who's attending COP29 in Baku.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Assisted suicide: Sarco inventor defends himself against killing rumours
This content was published on
Sarco inventor Philip Nitschke has defended himself against rumours that one of his colleagues assisted in the suicide of a woman in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland.
Too much attention paid to queer people, says Swiss survey
This content was published on
Most Swiss are well disposed towards LGBTQ people, according to a study. However, prejudice and intolerance persist in certain sectors of society, particularly towards transgender and intersex people.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Did Swiss refinery launder Congo conflict gold?
This content was published on
“After examining Trial’s criminal complaint, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has decided to open criminal proceedings against Argor-Heraeus over allegations of money laundering related to a war crime and complicity in war crimes,” Jacqueline Bühlmann, spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, told swissinfo.ch by email on Monday. Trial, a Geneva-based NGO, accuses Argor-Heraeus of having refined almost…
Switzerland releases CHF40 million in seized assets to Italy
This content was published on
Switzerland has returned CHF40 million to Italy in funds previously frozen due to investigations around Italian industry giants Parmalat and Ilva.
This content was published on
Switzerland, Nigeria and the World Bank have agreed on how the Swiss will return funds embezzled by former Nigerian leader Sani Abacha.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.