Last weekend, the city of Kinshasa was the scene of a demonstration organized by the Congolese opposition. The report provided by the Congolese National Police (PNC) reports more than 27 police officers injured, as well as about twenty arrests. The number of civilian victims has not been communicated, but the demonstrators denounce the police violence which took place.
Despite the recommendations of the harmonization meeting, the route chosen by the militants was changed, which led to acts of vandalism on the Kianza sub-police station. The PNC claims to have arrested the alleged perpetrators of these acts and also recovered bladed weapons from some demonstrators.
The governor of Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila, declared that a complaint will be filed against the organizers of the demonstration for failure to respect security indications. For their part, opposition activists denounce the brutality exercised by the police and announce a new demonstration for next Thursday.
This police violence is regularly reported in the DRC, where the police are still struggling to guarantee the safety of citizens. Civil society calls for strong action by the authorities to put an end to these abuses and protect the rights of citizens.
Faced with this climate of insecurity, several initiatives have been put in place to strengthen the country’s economic development. The African Development Bank supports the Congolese government in its financial decentralization strategy for local development. President Tshisekedi is also inspired by the Botswana economic model in order to stimulate Congolese economic growth.
In conclusion, this police violence must stop so that the DRC can move forward in a climate of peace and security conducive to economic and social development.