Restrictions of the democratic space in the province of Kasaï-Central: LUCHA denounces and calls for urgent measures
In a press release dated July 7, 2023, the citizen movement Lutte pour leChange (LUCHA) sounded the alarm about the restrictions of the democratic space observed in the province of Kasaï-Central in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to LUCHA, since Governor John Kabeya Shikeyi came to power, numerous acts of political intolerance have been recorded, such as vandalism, physical attacks, torture, intimidation, arbitrary arrests and programs inciting hatred. The citizen movement claims that these acts are perpetrated by militants of a well-identified political party, the UDPS and its allies.
LUCHA strongly condemns this decline in democracy and the establishment of totalitarian power in the province of Kasaï-Central. She insists on the importance of Governor John Kabeya respecting democratic standards and calls on the national Minister of the Interior to transfer the commander of the Congolese National Police (PNC) in the city, Colonel John Mbela, for his incapacity and his alleged complicity.
Faced with this worrying situation, LUCHA announces that it will undertake large-scale actions if its recommendations are not taken into account. This citizen movement, known for its activism in favor of the rule of law and human rights, has already been the victim of violence. In December 2022, its activists as well as those of the Civil Society of Congo were violently attacked when they demanded the start of work on the road linking Kananga to Kalambambuji.
It is essential to emphasize that the reduced democratic space in the province of Kasaï-Central constitutes an attack on the fundamental rights of citizens and compromises the consolidation of the rule of law in the Democratic Republic of Congo