DRC: in North Kivu and Ituri, justice is difficult to resume
Aerial view of the urban center of Goma.
(Illustrative photo) Photo MONUSCO/Abel Kavanagh
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, magistrates, clerks and lawyers have been back to work for two months now, but only under certain conditions.
They can only instruct second-rate cases, the major cases remaining in the hands of military magistrates.
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With our correspondent back from Goma,
Coralie Pierret
On March 18, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi amended his ordinance imposing a
state of siege
to end the violence and bring peace to North Kivu and Ituri.
Previously, the military had regained all powers in these provinces, including the judiciary.
Two months later, in North Kivu, the civil courts are almost empty despite their official reopening on March 18.
Some files have not yet been transferred and are still blocked at the military prosecutor's office, explains Me Pépin Kavota, lawyer and representative of civil society in Beni, the second city of the province:
“
The thirst to continue to stay on certain files can remain between certain magistrates.
We must fight so that all files are transmitted to the level of the court or the civil justice so that the military magistrates do not rear up on it.
»
The transfer of jurisdiction should lighten the military courts.
But the delay has accumulated as the number of files has increased, underlines Me Marcelin Mushoko, lawyer at the bar of Goma, capital of the province of North Kivu:
“
There have been more arrests.
The soldiers educated like soldiers, and not like civilians, even for small benign facts.
Even for a $50 phone, you get thrown in jail.
That is why the prison house is full today.
»
According to the NGO Amnesty International, dozens of human rights activists have been placed in arbitrary detention since the start of the state of siege.
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ground floor
Felix Tshisekedi