Félix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently made a declaration which provoked strong reactions within the socio-political agora of the DRC. In his speech, he said he has no lessons to learn from anyone in terms of democracy and respect for human rights. A statement that was crushed by the citizen movement “Filimbi”, which campaigns against bad governance and human rights violations.
In a scathing response, the citizens’ movement “Filimbi” accused President Tshisekedi of resorting to old ways to justify the “systematic repression” exerted on civil society activists and opponents. This pro-democracy movement, which demands respect for the constitution of the DRC, recalled that dictators have in common the particularity of using security as a pretext to justify systematic and state repression on their opponents.
Félix Tshisekedi’s statement also raised a debate on the attitude of the Catholic Church. The President recalled that the State and the Catholic Church have the obligation and the duty to collaborate and walk together. However, he pointed out that the Catholic Church must remain in its mission to preach peace and be in the midst of the Congolese. He also stressed that the church should preach love, unity and equality rather than meddling in politics.
Overall, “Filimbi’s” response and President Tshisekedi’s comments underscore the tension currently reigning in the DRC between power and civil society. It seems that the civil society movement continues to fight for democracy and human rights, while the government seeks to maintain order and consolidate its power