The fight against corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo: an urgent necessity
In a context where corruption continues to be a worrying scourge in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption (APLC) resolutely pleads in favor of the adoption of a special anti-corruption law. Beny-Laure Kamwiziku, Deputy Coordinator in charge of detection, prevention and administration of the APLC, points out that the current criminal legislation does not sufficiently take into account certain essential aspects of the fight against corruption, which weakens the efforts made in this domain.
According to the APLC, one of the major problems is the existence of a category of people considered untouchable, benefiting from certain immunities which protect them from legal proceedings. As part of the anti-corruption law it is drafting, the APLC wishes to put an end to this privileged category and allow the prosecution of all those accused of corruption, regardless of their status. This desire of the APLC is also reflected in the proposal to make the corruption offense imprescriptible in the future anti-corruption law.
The actions carried out by the APLC have already produced significant results. Thanks to the missions carried out in the provinces, in particular in Lualaba, more than 300 million American dollars have been recovered by the Public Treasury. In addition, more than 150 looted public real estate assets have been identified, and steps are underway to restore the rights of the Congolese state.
To further strengthen the fight against corruption, Francis Lusakueno, Deputy Coordinator in charge of prosecutions and the follow-up of cases set in court, underlines the importance of the digitization of the country’s institutions. Indeed, digitization can play a decisive role in the transparency of administrative processes and the traceability of transactions, thus limiting the possibilities of corruption.
It is important to emphasize that the Democratic Republic of Congo still has significant progress to make in the fight against corruption. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index ranking, the country is in 166th place out of 180 countries and territories. Although the score of 20 out of 100 represents a slight improvement over the previous year, it is clear that more stringent and effective measures need to be put in place to significantly reduce the level of corruption in the country.
In conclusion, the fight against corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains an absolute priority. The creation of a special anti-corruption law, with appropriate sanctions and the removal of immunities, would strengthen the measures in place and send a strong message that no one is above the law. It is also essential to accelerate the digitization of institutions in order to ensure greater transparency and integrity in the management of public affairs. Only resolute and coordinated action will effectively combat corruption and promote fair and sustainable economic development for all Congolese.