A/HRC/45/50 8. Such visits have also provided an opportunity for advocacy, which most of the time, with every visit by the team of international experts, has facilitated progress. They are thus a tool for political and legal support for the activities carried out by the Government, MONUSCO, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office and others operating in the Kasai region. III. Cooperation between the team of international experts and the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 9. The team of international experts appreciated the spirit of cooperation and openness that marked its exchanges with the national and provincial authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo over the course of its missions. This cooperation was reflected in several actions, including the facilitation of the team’s two visits to the country through the issuance of courtesy visas and the organization of various meetings at the national and provincial levels and of working sessions organized with State services. In addition, the members of the secretariat based in Kananga had their work facilitated in the same way at the provincial and national levels. 10. The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were able to fully appreciate the contribution made by the team of international experts to the Kasai peace process. Thanks to this, the Minister for Human Rights expressed the wish, at the meeting of the Task Force on 20 January 2020, that the mandate of the team of international experts would eventually be extended to the other provinces affected by armed conflict, specifically Tanganyika, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Ituri and Mai-Ndombe. IV. Current situation in the Kasai region 11. The team of international experts has noted a relative lull in the violence in the Kasai region; the crisis related to the Kamuina Nsapu militia, in its original form, has all but disappeared. However, there has been an increase in crime, mainly attributable to acts by some members of the security forces, the fact that ex-militiamen have not been fully disarmed and the lack of a social and economic reintegration policy for those who have surrendered their weapons. Recently, there have been reports in the commune of Nganza and around the Kananga airport that former Kamuina Nsapu militiamen are reorganizing. This is alarming and calls for urgent measures to be taken to prevent the resurgence of militias and their redeployment in political, land or inter-communal conflicts. 12. In addition, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office has documented several cases of rape and sexual assault, mostly committed by armed men and certain elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the security forces. The impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these acts only makes the situation worse. There is thus an urgent need for the authorities responsible for security and justice to firmly combat this phenomenon. 13. Socioeconomically, the situation in the Kasai region has hardly improved at all. Poverty is still pervasive and the cost of living has worsened as a result of the depreciation of the Congolese franc against the United States dollar, which has led to an increase in the price of basic foodstuffs. 14. The situation is made worse by the fact that the Kasai region is heavily dependent on imports from Angola. With the closure of the borders under measures taken by the Congolese and Angolan authorities to combat the spread of COVID-19, several basic commodities are unavailable in the provinces of Kasai and Kasai Central; those that are still available are very expensive and thus beyond the means of the vast majority of people. 15. On the political front, the Kasai region is facing a series of crises marked by institutional changes and movements advancing political demands. 16. In Kasai Central Province, the Governor was removed from office on 24 June 2020 following a motion of censure put forward by a group of deputies. The same steps were undertaken in Kasai Province, but with no result. 4 GE.20-11095