Highlights: DRC: “The question of human rights is subject to serious setback”, according to the panel of civil society experts. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), civil society is worried and affirms that a climate of “ terror ” has set in with arbitrary arrests and detentions of activists. This is “unacceptable under the regime of a personality with whom we fought a few years ago against these practices,” say the civil society organizations meeting in Kinshasa.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the panel of civil society experts held a press conference on February 21, 2024 in Kinshasa during which it considered that “the question of…

DRC: “The question of human rights is subject to serious setback”, according to the panel of civil society experts

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the panel of civil society experts held a press conference on February 21, 2024 in Kinshasa during which it considered that “

the question of human rights, for the moment, is the subject of a serious setback

” in the country.

Listen - 01:03

Dieudonné Mushagalusa, from the panel of Congolese civil society experts, during a press conference in Kinshasa, February 22, 2024. © Pascal Mulegwa/RFI

By: RFI Follow

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (

DRC

), civil society is worried and affirms that a climate of “

terror

” has set in with arbitrary arrests and detentions of activists.

This is “

unacceptable under the regime of a personality with whom we fought a few years ago against these practices

”, say the civil society organizations meeting on February 21, 2024 in Kinshasa.

Civil society says it is not “

intimidated

” and warns those in power against any muzzling.

Read alsoThe UN warns of the increase in human rights violations in the DRC

“

The question of human rights, for the moment, is the subject of a serious setback

,” estimates Dieudonné Mushagalusa, from the panel of civil society experts, in comments collected by our correspondent

Pascal Mulegwa

We don't have to hide our faces, we don't have to say it in roundabout words: it is unimaginable that we could have a regime that fought for the issues of human rights, for freedom of demonstration, for freedom of expression and that it is the same regime which excels in repression... It is unimaginable, it is incomprehensible.”

Dieudonné Mushagalusa then returns to the arrest, on February 3,

of two activists, released after two days of detention

: “

Our colleagues Bienvenu Matumo and Fred Bauma, who were just providing a reminder of the 600-day occupation of Bunagana, were hunted down like thugs, humiliated.
It is unimaginable that someone like

Stanis Bujakera
[

renowned journalist in the DRC, arrested on September 8, 2024, Editor's note

] could continue to languish in prison.
»

The official concludes: “

We would like to send a clear message to those who lead us not to believe that they can suffocate us, not to believe that by carrying out tracking, extrajudicial detentions, torture, we will keep our mouths shut .
If we had to be new (

Floribert) Chebeya
[

Congolese human rights activist killed in 2010, Editor's note

] for this country, we are ready to be, but for human dignity and for respect human rights.

DRC: “The question of human rights is subject to serious setback”, according to the panel of civil society experts

DRC: “The question of human rights is subject to serious setback”, according to the panel of civil society experts

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