declaring his detention as arbitrary. He was sentenced in 2018 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the same crime of “undermining the internal security of the State and illegal possession of weapons and munitions of war”. RIGHT TO HEALTH In June an epidemic of shigellosis, cholera and typhoid spread across the south of the country. According to the WHO, as of 29 August a total of 2,389 suspected cases had been reported, including 52 deaths in the five departments of Niari, Pointe-Noire, Bouenza, Kouilou and Brazzaville. More than 90% of cases were concentrated in Dolisie, capital of Niari department. On 26 July, the artist “DSP Malakay”, who had criticized the poor management of the epidemic by the local authorities in Dolisie – in particular the lack of medical resources to treat patients – was arrested by the police in Dolisie and detained before being released without charge on 2 August. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT The residents of Vindoulou, a district of Pointe-Noire, launched legal proceedings in June to shut down a lead recycling plant located near their homes and a school. According to information provided by the residents’ collective, lead tests were carried out on at least 15 residents, all of whom had levels 10 times higher than the limits recommended by the WHO. Residents also denounced the lack of an environmental impact assessment for the plant, which has been in operation since 2013. In April, the NGO the Centre d’Actions pour le Développement published a report on the management of the Ntokou-Pikounda national park. According to the NGO, the Indigenous population had been the victim of several forced evictions, excessive use of force and arbitrary detention by eco-guards. Congo participated in the One Forest Summit, held in Libreville in Gabon in March. Among the summit’s recommendations were the creation of a €100 million fund to finance “biodiversity credits” for countries that had The State of the World’s Human Rights safeguarded their forests and biodiversity, and the creation of 10 million jobs in green industries. The NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire denounced in a statement what it considered potential “greenwashing” and highlighted the absence of the voice of local populations at the summit. At the conclusion of the Three Basins Summit in October, participants committed to preserving their forests while also insisting on the need for greater international cooperation to protect the forests. WOMEN’S RIGHTS A World Bank report published in March, titled Women, Business and the Law 2023, welcomed the adoption of the 2022 Mouebera law on combating violence against women. It noted, however, that women do not receive the equivalent of full pay from their employer while on maternity leave and recommended reform of the labour code and the social security code to end discrimination, including the dismissal of workers due to pregnancy. CÔTE D’IVOIRE Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Opposition party supporters were arbitrarily arrested for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Courts declared illegal the forced evictions of hundreds of families in Abidjan. Over 7 million people were enrolled in the universal health coverage programme although concerns remained that some treatments were ineligible for reimbursement. The government took measures to contain the rising cost of essential consumer products. While cocoa cultivation continued to contribute to deforestation, a government-led project sought to conserve and increase forest stock. Child labour persisted in various sectors of the economy. 139