{"id":154704,"date":"2023-08-22T19:17:12","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T17:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/central-africa\/dr-congo\/democratic-republic-of-congo-crackdown-on-opposition-ahead-of-elections\/"},"modified":"2023-08-22T19:17:12","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T17:17:12","slug":"democratic-republic-of-congo-crackdown-on-opposition-ahead-of-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/africa-news\/central-africa\/dr-congo\/democratic-republic-of-congo-crackdown-on-opposition-ahead-of-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Republic of Congo: Crackdown on Opposition Ahead of Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The authorities in the\u00a0Democratic Republic of Congo<\/a>\u00a0have targeted leaders of opposition political parties, restricting their fundamental liberties and arresting party officials since May 2023, Human Rights Watch said today.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The crackdown is taking place amid heightened political tension ahead of the formal presidential election campaign, which begins on November 19. The general election is scheduled for December 20. Congolese authorities are obligated under\u00a0regional<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0international<\/a>\u00a0human rights law to ensure the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and movement. The authorities should end arbitrary arrests and fully respect the due process and fair trial rights of those detained.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Congolese authorities’ recent wave of arrests and restrictions on fundamental liberties is targeting opposition presidential candidates and their top officials,\u201d said\u00a0Thomas Fessy<\/a>, senior Congo researcher at Human Rights Watch. \u201cThe government should urgently ensure that opposition candidates, their supporters, and all Congolese are freely able to express their views and hold peaceful demonstrations ahead of the December election.\u201d<\/p>\n

On May 23,\u00a0police prevented the convoy<\/a>\u00a0of Mo\u00efse Katumbi, leader of the opposition party Ensemble pour la R\u00e9publique (Together for the Republic), from entering Kongo-Central province, just south of Kinshasa, where he planned to hold several political meetings and rallies. Police officers blocked Katumbi\u2019s and his associates\u2019 vehicles on instructions from the provincial governor, Guy Bandu Ndungidi. Citing security reasons, Ndungidi had earlier told Katumbi to postpone his plans and organize a one-day trip to a single location instead of a provincial tour, which he rejected.<\/p>\n

On May 25, police blocked opposition candidates Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Delly Sesanga, Matata Ponyo, and their supporters from gathering outside the National Independent Electoral Commission. The authorities had earlier ordered them not to hold a sit-in there to protest what they described as \u201cthe chaotic electoral process<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police used tear gas\u00a0to disperse the crowd<\/a>\u00a0and beat some of the demonstrators. In response, some protesters hurled rocks and projectiles at security forces. Two days later, authorities\u00a0banned another opposition demonstration<\/a>\u00a0in the southern city of Lubumbashi, and police blocked streets to prevent demonstrators from gathering.<\/p>\n

Human Rights Watch\u00a0previously documented<\/a>\u00a0the violent repression of a peaceful demonstration by several opposition parties on May 20. Police arrested dozens of people and seriously injured at least 30, including a child.<\/p>\n

On May 30,\u00a0military intelligence agents arrested<\/a>\u00a0Katumbi\u2019s top adviser, Salomon Kalonda, on the tarmac of Kinshasa\u2019s N\u2019djili airport while he was boarding a flight with Katumbi and his associates. Kalonda was detained at the military intelligence headquarters until June 10, then transferred to Kinshasa\u2019s Ndolo military prison.\u00a0Speaking to the media on June 5<\/a>, the military intelligence legal counsel, Col. Kangoli Ngoli, said Kalonda was accused of illegal possession of a weapon and undermining state security. He alleged that Kalonda had been in contact with\u00a0the M23 armed group<\/a>\u00a0and its Rwandan backers \u201cto overthrow the administration in place in [Congo] by all means.\u201d<\/p>\n

On June 8, government ministers and military intelligence\u00a0hosted a meeting<\/a>\u00a0with several foreign ambassadors to present what officials said was evidence supporting their claims. On August 14, Kalonda was formally charged with treason as well as receiving classified documents and inciting military personnel \u201cto commit acts contrary to their duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalonda\u2019s brother, Mo\u00efse Della, told Human Rights Watch that after the arrest, the police searched Kalonda\u2019s residences in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi and some of his family members\u2019 properties, including their 85-year-old mother\u2019s house. \u201cThey broke her bed and her bedroom windows as well as wardrobes and a dresser,\u201d Della said. \u201cShe is really traumatized. She is Muslim but that Friday she couldn\u2019t go pray at the mosque \u2026 They ransacked her home and took her video tapes of the Qur\u2019an.\u201d Military intelligence agents\u00a0also searched Katumbi\u2019s residence<\/a>\u00a0in Kinshasa.<\/p>\n

Kalonda\u2019s arrest, detention, and\u00a0the apparently abusive searches<\/a>\u00a0of family members\u2019 homes raise serious concerns of politically motivated efforts to intimidate the political opposition, Human Rights Watch said. United Nations and diplomatic sources told Human Rights Watch that they are concerned that Kalonda\u2019s arrest may be politically motivated.<\/p>\n

On June 20, members of the\u00a0Republican Guard<\/a>, a military unit that protects the president, arrested another opposition presidential candidate,\u00a0Franck Diongo<\/a>, in Kinshasa, accusing him of illegal possession of a weapon. He was detained at the military intelligence headquarters, then transferred to Ndolo military prison on July 8 following a hearing with a military prosecutor. He was\u00a0released<\/a>\u00a0without charge on July 15.<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e9rubin Okende, a 61-year-old member of parliament and spokesman for Katumbi\u2019s political party,\u00a0was found dead<\/a>\u00a0with gunshot wounds in his car in Kinshasa on July 13. The Congolese government quickly made two arrests,\u00a0denounced<\/a>\u00a0the \u201cassassination,\u201d and\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0an inquiry involving \u201cforeign services of friendly countries\u201d to ensure transparency.<\/p>\n

Forensic experts from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) as well as UN police officers and South African and Belgian experts appear to\u00a0be providing assistance<\/a>\u00a0to Congolese investigators, said a relative of Okende and UN and diplomatic sources. The investigation into Okende\u2019s killing should be credible, impartial, and transparent, and all those responsible should be appropriately prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said.<\/p>\n

In several recent cases, Congo\u2019s justice system and state security agencies \u2013 including the intelligence services, police, and Republican Guard \u2013 have acted in a partisan manner, Human Rights Watch said. In a memorandum to the National Commission for Human Rights on July 15, several Congolese\u00a0civil society\u00a0groups\u00a0called on<\/a>\u00a0the government to end the intelligence service\u2019s arbitrary arrests and detentions.<\/p>\n

The government crackdown is also having an impact on media coverage of opposition political parties, Human Rights Watch said. The press freedom group\u00a0Journalists in Danger (JED) said<\/a>\u00a0on July 31 that it was deeply concerned about \u201cthe increase in acts of intolerance and physical violence against journalists by supporters of political parties\u201d while covering political events. For instance,\u00a0on July 29 in Kananga<\/a>, alleged ruling party supporters threw rocks that struck at least four journalists and six cameramen covering Sesanga, who was also hit.<\/p>\n

The UN Joint Human Rights Office reported in August that \u201cthe pre-electoral environment in [Congo] is increasingly characterized by a narrowing of civic space and political and electoral violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, abductions and threats targeting political opponents, excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators, and hate speech and incitement to violence.\u201d The office warned that such abuses \u201crisk damaging the credibility of the electoral process\u201d and \u201cincrease the risk of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a joint statement, the United States, the European Union delegation, several EU member countries, Japan, and the United Kingdom\u00a0recently raised concerns<\/a>\u00a0about \u201cthe excessive use of force in response to recent demonstrations, restrictions imposed on freedom of movement as well as arbitrary arrests.\u201d<\/p>\n

President F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi, who is running for a second term, has demonstrated little apparent interest in ensuring that all political parties can function freely, Human Rights Watch said. On June 25,\u00a0in a speech<\/a>\u00a0in Kasa\u00ef-Oriental province, Tshisekedi said he would \u201ctarget without hesitation nor regret any Congolese who would endanger [the] country\u2019s security and stability \u2026 No matter what people say: human rights violation, deprivation of freedoms, I will not give up because I am a democrat and will remain a democrat. I have no lesson to learn from anyone in these areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Congolese government has an international legal obligation to ensure that its security forces do not violate the fundamental freedoms necessary for free and fair elections, including the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and movement. The authorities should investigate and take appropriate action against government officials, regardless of position or rank, who violate those rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cArresting those close to opposition leaders and preventing them from moving around the country or from organizing demonstrations and rallies sends a frightening message ahead of the electoral campaign,\u201d Fessy said. \u201cThe government should urgently reverse course or risk escalating an already extremely tense situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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