{"id":148334,"date":"2023-05-29T19:27:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T17:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/central-africa\/dr-congo\/democratic-republic-of-congo-peaceful-protests-violently-repressed\/"},"modified":"2023-05-29T19:27:04","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T17:27:04","slug":"democratic-republic-of-congo-peaceful-protests-violently-repressed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/central-africa\/dr-congo\/democratic-republic-of-congo-peaceful-protests-violently-repressed\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Republic of Congo: Peaceful Protests Violently Repressed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Police violently dispersed peaceful protesters in Kinshasa, the capital of the\u00a0Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>, on May 20, 2023, arresting dozens of people and seriously injuring at least 30, Human Rights Watch said today. The police\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0they have opened an investigation into the violence against the protesters and announced that they had arrested three policemen for beating a child.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

On May 22, President Felix Tshisekedi publicly\u00a0congratulated<\/a>\u00a0the police chief who oversaw the police operations, in which police beat protesters in Ngaba commune and dispersed them with tear gas: \u201cYou are a very good citizen, you deserve to rise in rank and you will rise again, you are a true professional,\u201d he said. \u201cBravo for the work you have done, zero deaths … the thugs have been controlled, it\u2019s very good.\u201d Tshisekedi’s comments raise serious concerns that the police investigation into the violence will not be impartial, and that the government is encouraging excessive use of force by the police in future demonstrations.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Congolese police\u2019s brutality against protesters is an attempt to silence dissent and deter future demonstrations,\u201d said\u00a0Carine Kaneza Nantulya<\/a>, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. \u201cThe president should not be rewarding senior officers when demonstrators are violently repressed, but instead ensuring that investigations are credible and fair and that all found responsible for abuse are appropriately sanctioned or prosecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

A coalition of opposition political parties\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0the march on May 12\u00a0to denounce<\/a>\u00a0the high cost of living, the opacity of the electoral process, and the persistent insecurity in eastern Congo. Participants included Martin Fayulu of Commitment to Citizenship and Development (Ecide), Moise Katumbi of Together for the Republic, Matata Ponyo of Leadership and Governance for Development (LGD), and Delly Sesanga of Set of Volunteers for the Recovery of the DRC (Envol).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Bienvenu Matumo, an activist and member of the citizen movement La Lucha, said: \u201cA dozen police officers came to disperse us. I resisted because I wanted to participate in the march, so they\u00a0punched<\/a>\u00a0me. They then took me to a police cell where I was held for more than five hours.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Several videos<\/a>\u00a0that went viral on social networks show police officers alongside people in civilian clothes beating peaceful demonstrators, including a\u00a0child<\/a>, with wooden sticks, which have sparked\u00a0an outcry<\/a>\u00a0throughout the country. In Ngaba neighborhoods, police dispersed protesters by firing tear gas. Some demonstrators, reacting to the police violence, threw stones and projectiles at the police officers.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Kinshasa provincial police commissioner\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0that 30 police officers were injured, including 27 by demonstrators and 3 by gang members; 20 people were arrested for vandalizing a police bureau, and 3 police officers were arrested for brutalizing demonstrators and a minor.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Several authorities commented on the crackdown. The minister of human rights, Albert Fabrice Puela,\u00a0issued<\/a>\u00a0a statement on the same day, condemning the violence and calling for an urgent investigation to establish responsibility for the rights violations and \u201cend the cycle of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Members<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0civil society<\/span>\u00a0groups, the\u00a0European Union<\/a>, the\u00a0United Nations<\/a>\u00a0Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO), the US\u00a0Embassy<\/a>, and the Roman Catholic\u00a0Church<\/a>\u00a0all condemned the violent crackdown and called for the respect of civil liberties in the period leading up to the election, expected in December 2023.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

At the same time, the governor of Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila, said that protesters did not abide by the government\u2019s rules and failed to follow the authorized itinerary for their demonstration. Ngobila said he would file a\u00a0complaint<\/a>\u00a0against the organizers of the march for alleged acts of vandalism by political party militants. The Congolese government is obligated under the\u00a0constitution<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0international human rights law<\/a>\u00a0to respect and uphold the right to peaceful protest.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Congolese authorities should direct security forces to abide by the UN\u00a0Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials<\/a>, Human Rights Watch said. The Basic Principles state that security forces shall \u201capply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force and firearms.\u201d Whenever the lawful use of force and firearms is unavoidable, law enforcement officials should exercise restraint and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offense and the legitimate objective to be achieved, minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life. The Basic Principles also provide that in case of death or serious injury, \u201ca detailed report shall be sent properly to the competent authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Congo prepares for elections later this year, the government should take all necessary steps to ensure that everyone is able to peacefully express their views without fear of being arrested or beaten by the security forces,\u201d Kaneza Nantulya said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).<\/i><\/p>\n