Joseph Kabila has served as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2001, after his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabilla was assassinated. In 2005, a new post-war constitution has been voted, and occording to it, a presidential election must be held every five years, with a non–renewable presidential limit of two terms.
We still have to wait to know if the elections commission to announce if presidential elections will be held; if so and until a transitional government is appointed, Kabila indicated he will still be president of the interim administration. Although Kabila is banned by the constitution from running again, he has not made any move to schedule elections.
Opponents fear he is planning to extend his rule unconstitutionally, and over the past few days we alerted our followers on Twitter about the situation in the country. According to the DRC opposition, the two days of violent protests against President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa left over 100 people dead.
We are deeply concerned by the situation in #DRC after the arrest this morning of pro-democracy #UJCC President @barhmukenge and Past Remy
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) September 16, 2016
Live bullets and excessive force used on protesters during anti-#Kabila demonstration this morning in #Kinshasa #DRC https://t.co/UWITZvIxIF
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) September 19, 2016
'Red September' in #DRC – Up to 50 killed after anti-#Kabila demonstration in #Kinshasa via @LeCongolaisCD https://t.co/EfYnpi8DQH
— MagkaSama Project (@MagkaSama) September 20, 2016
This weekend, Human Rights Watch published a report: Democratic Republic of Congo at a Precipice. It summarizes Human Rights Watch research over the past two years in which the government cracked down on activists and opposition party leaders and members who have opposed extending Joseph Kabila’s presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two-term limit, which ends on December 19, 2016:
To help deter violence, government officials and security forces should respect people’s right to freedom of expression and assembly and allow peaceful demonstrations and political meetings to go forward.
The decisions President Kabila and his government will make in the coming weeks can make all the difference for Congo’s future,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “This is a critical opportunity for the country to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and human rights for its own future and for the entire region.
Yesterday Ban Ki-Moon condemned the ongoing violence:
Ban Ki-moon condemns violence in #DRC; urges political leaders/supporters to refrain from further violence https://t.co/wUGj0SP304
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) September 19, 2016
A report from UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has been published today:
We are deeply worried at the latest round of violence in the DRC.
Violent clashes between demonstrators and police forces took place yesterday in the capital Kinshasa. According to Government figures, 17 people, including three police officers, were killed and an unknown number of people were injured. Other sources report much higher figures, which are still being verified. Close to 200 people are believed to have been arrested.
Violence continued last night and the headquarters of five opposition political parties were attacked and set on fire. According to our team on the ground, at least two more people lost their lives and three others were injured. We have just heard that riots have erupted this morning and shots have been heard.
We have received reports of excessive use of force by some elements of the security forces as well as reports that some demonstrators resorted to violence. We call on all sides to show restraint and urge the authorities to ensure that existing national and international standards* on the appropriate use of force are fully respected by all security personnel.
We call for a credible and impartial investigation to bring those responsible for human rights violations and criminal acts to justice and stand ready to support such an inquiry. This latest round of violence highlights the urgent need for a meaningful and inclusive dialogue on the electoral process.
Will Kabila refuse to hold an election and cede power? Or will he respect the constitution of his country and to follow democratic rules? Congolese citizens and civil society is mobilized and fight for their rights, they should not be victims of violence, nor killed.
More info on Kabila’s decision regarding the elections in the coming days.
