Two United Nations human rights experts today urged the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to put an immediate end to the disproportionate use of force against the exercise of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression in the country.
According to information received, more than 80 people have been reportedly killed, hundreds injured, thousands arrested and at least 225 demonstrations have been squashed or banned since protests began in January 2015 against proposed reforms to the electoral law that could allow current President Joseph Kabila to stay in office beyond the constitutional limit of two terms. Details are still being verified and other sources report much higher figures.
Human rights defenders, journalists and opposition leaders have reportedly been particularly targeted by the Congolese National Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the Republican Guard and the armed forces.
“The DRC security forces have repeatedly used excessive force to quash protests related to proposed presidential elections, firing teargas and live ammunition into crowds of protestors and inflicting numerous casualties,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai.
- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20573&L...
Two United Nations human rights experts today urged the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to put an immediate end to the disproportionate use of force against the exercise of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression in the country.
According to information received, more than 80 people have been reportedly killed, hundreds injured, thousands arrested and at least 225 demonstrations have been squashed or banned since protests began in January 2015 against proposed reforms to the electoral law that could allow current President Joseph Kabila to stay in office beyond the constitutional limit of two terms. Details are still being verified and other sources report much higher figures.
Human rights defenders, journalists and opposition leaders have reportedly been particularly targeted by the Congolese National Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the Republican Guard and the armed forces.
“The DRC security forces have repeatedly used excessive force to quash protests related to proposed presidential elections, firing teargas and live ammunition into crowds of protestors and inflicting numerous casualties,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai.
- See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20573&Lang
CDHD strongly condemns the violence that occured on September 19th and 20th in Kinshasa and other cities of the D.R Congo. Independent investigations reveal that at least 50 people were killed. While CDHD promotes talks over violence, the current regime should understand the motivations of protesters to avoid the cycle of violence. CDHD is deeply concerned by the long-lasting crisis that is annihiling previous democratisation efforts. It is not possible to hold true elections if fundamental rights are violated. On September 23rd, the Office of the High Commissionner for Human rights (OHCHR) released a statement following an investigation by its experts. CDHD recommends the OHCHR to follow closely the human rights crisis in the DRC and take appropriate actions to dissuade politicians who are hijacking democracy.
