Tension is at its peak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This Friday, May 26, the opponent Matata Ponyo was prevented by the police from accessing the room of the fiftieth anniversary of the procure in Kenge, capital of the province of Kwango. However, activists and supporters of his party were present in large numbers for the long-planned rally.
Despite everything, the manager of the room took the public out on the pretext that he had “received the order of the provincial governor”. According to the spokesperson for the Kwango provincial government, the decision not to authorize Matata Ponyo to hold the meeting is justified by security reasons: indeed, the province is in the grip of the activism of the Mobondo militia and Matata Ponyo is accused of mismanaging several projects intended to benefit Kwango.
However, the opponent denounces new evidence of the dictatorship of the regime in place. According to him, the governor of the province received the instruction from Deputy Prime Minister Peter Kazadi.
Repression continues against opponents and political activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This week, an opposition march organized by Moïse Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Matata Ponyo and Delly Sesanga was violently repressed in Kinshasa by law enforcement and security forces. Faced with a chaotic electoral process, the four opposition leaders and their activists were also prevented from holding a sit-in in front of the CENI office.
This crisis once again reveals the political tensions and the pressure exerted on the opposition in the country. The situation is particularly tense in Kwango province, where the Mobondo militia continues its violent activities.
It is time for the government to put in place lasting solutions to ease the political tensions in the DRC. It is important to respect freedom of expression and assembly, as well as the rights of the political opposition