US urges DR Congo to lift ban on human rights group

The United States has urged the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to lift the ban it imposed last Friday on the country's main human rights organisation, AZADHO.

A statement by the State Department in Washington criticised the Kabila government for its recent requirement that all human rights groups should register with the authorities.

The statement said such actions have had a chilling effect on political debate and civil society.

The banning of AZADHO has already led to a diplomatic row between the Kinshasa government and Belgium, the former colonial power.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service