Title: Opposition march in the DRC: Martin Fayulu challenges the governor of Kinshasa
Martin Fayulu, the president of the Commitment for Citizenship and Development (Ecidé) decided not to follow the decision of the governor of the city of Kinshasa to postpone the opposition march scheduled for May 13, 2023, saying that will take place as planned. This decision follows the announcement of the provincial Minister of the Interior, Gratien Nsakala, who justified the postponement of the march because of the “security situation” in Kinshasa.
In a tweet posted on his account, Martin Fayulu said: “For the Congo, we will march this Saturday, May 13. We must save the Congo, saying no to balkanization, growing insecurity, high cost of living and to a chaotic electoral process”. The march was planned to denounce the bad governance of the power in place and demand consensus on the composition of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) for the holding of peaceful elections in December 2023.
The governor of Kinshasa had taken the decision to postpone the march despite the opposition of the organizers, who insisted on their constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully. The move risks angering opposition activists who are already frustrated by delays in setting up the CENI and organizing elections.
The DRC is going through a difficult political and economic period, marked by chronic instability and a violent insurgency in the east of the country. The opposition march is an indicator of the Congolese population’s growing frustration with the country’s political and economic stagnation