The news in the Democratic Republic of Congo is often marked by difficult events which testify to the political and social instability of the country. Recently, a viral video shocked Internet users and caused a wave of indignation within the judiciary. It shows the violent attack on a magistrate in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
According to judicial sources, the man attacked, named Ndonda, would be a judge at the prosecutor’s office at the High Court/Kikwit and employed as a legal adviser to the company IREC. His attack occurred while he intervened with the judicial police officers responsible for executing a warrant to bring against the boss of his company. Calling the agents counterfeiters, Ndonda kidnapped one of them with the assistance of a policeman before being arrested and presented as a magistrate at the High Court/Kikwit.
This case raises the question of the accumulation of functions for magistrates in the DRC and the need to improve the living and working conditions of these professionals. It also illustrates the importance of restoring order and justice in a country hard hit by conflicts and political tensions.
While it is important to note the seriousness of this act of violence, it should not be forgotten that it is an isolated case among many other problems facing the DRC. The security situation in the east of the country remains worrying, the elections are approaching and the health crisis linked to COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the Congolese population.
It is therefore essential that the DRC maintains its efforts to resolve these crucial problems in order to guarantee peace, security and long-term economic development.