DRC: a repressed opposition march in Kinshasa
Police near the Céni headquarters in Kinshasa, January 10.
(Illustrative image) REUTERS / Baz Ratner
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
The opposition Lamuka coalition had planned to come together to denounce the politicization of the Electoral Commission, while the standoff continues over the nomination of the president of the Ceni.
This march was prohibited by the authorities, and this Wednesday morning, the police prevented the rally.
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There were people early this Wednesday, September 15 on Pascal Square, in the Masina district, in the east of the capital. Shortly before 8 a.m., on his arrival, Martin Fayulu was prevented from joining his supporters.
The leader of Lamuka
claims to have suffered violence, which the police tried to take him away, before he could get back into his vehicle and take Boulevard Lumumba, followed by a cohort of activists.
At the same time, tear gas was fired at the demonstrators.
The police also attacked the journalists present: theft of equipment, batons.
Violence which more particularly targeted our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi, who was going to interview Martin Fayulu.
Arrested, he was beaten, molested, several police officers sat on him in the back of their vehicle before taking him away.
Informed of the situation, the police chief Sylvano Kasongo and the Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya put an end to this situation.
Patient Ligodi was released before going to hospital for tests.
#RDC #Kinshasa: all my support for my colleague @ligodipatient.
This is very serious.
Police boss Sylvano Kasongo promises that the officers involved will be punished and speaks of a serious education problem.
@RFI and @actualitecd are sure to follow https://t.co/Vub3DM1h2R
- Sonia Rolley (@soniarolley) September 15, 2021
Many convictions
The Minister of Communication then intervened a little later to discuss the situation.
He appeared in a video in which he recognizes and condemns "
police blunders
", promises investigations and sanctions against those at fault.
RFI of course denounces these acts, as does the actualité.cd site of which Patient Ligodi is one of the founders.
Condemnation also on the part of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Association of Online Information Media of the DRC, the organization Journalists in Danger (JED), the UN mission in the country ( Monusco), the joint United Nations office in Kinshasa or the ambassadors of the European Union and the United States in the DRC.
The crackdown on Lamuka protests resulted in arrests in several cities across the country on Wednesday.
According to one of the movement's spokespersons, around twenty activists were arrested in Kinshasa, Mbandaka, Mbuji-Mayi and Bumba.
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