In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the political party Ensemble pour la République, founded by Moïse Katumbi, strongly denounced this week the arrest of Salomon Kalonda, one of its close associates. The party said the charges were brought illegally, intended to harm its campaign and destabilize the party. Kalonda is accused of an attempted coup, which Ensemble members strongly deny.
Ensemble’s secretary general, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, pointed out that the regime in power sought to defame Kalonda by accusing him of collusion with Rwanda, which is a clear attempt to tarnish the reputation and legitimacy of the party. Bolengetenge also spoke of the population’s growing distrust of the army’s allegations “especially when it comes to the connivance of Salomon Kalonda with the Kigali regime.”
Salomon Kalonda was arrested at Ndjili airport in Kinshasa on his way to Lubumbashi after demonstrations organized by four opposition leaders, including Moïse Katumbi. This arrest was denounced by the international community, which called for a fair trial for Kalonda.
This situation comes six months before the presidential election in the DRC. It is urgent for the authorities to demonstrate transparency and strictly respect the rights of each candidate. For a peaceful transition to post-Kabila, it is important that the upcoming elections take place in accordance with international democratic standards