Congolese authorities released two staffers of the American-based international nongovernmental organization Clinton Health Access Initiative earlier this month. They had been held for three months at a military detention site.
Devex published an in-depth investigation in June looking into the opaque circumstances around their detainment. It’s a case that became high profile because the new director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jean Kaseya, was involved in discussions with Congolese authorities around their detention.
Kaseya formerly worked at CHAI as a senior country director but the organization chose to not renew his contract at the end of last year, which prompted him to take them to labor court.
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
