Bintou Keïta, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), is currently engaged in consultations with the country’s various political forces . These consultations come as part of the preparation for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will focus on the theme “Restoring trust and reviving solidarity: accelerating action to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its goals of sustainable development in favor of peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.
During these consultations, the delegation of the Common Front for Congo (FCC) was represented by Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, Permanent Secretary of the PPRD, in the absence of Raymond Tshibanda, coordinator of the political platform of former president Joseph Kabila Kabange . The discussions covered several topics, including the security situation, the humanitarian situation, the human rights situation, the electoral process and the question of the mandate of MONUSCO.
The FCC strongly condemned the massacre perpetrated on August 30 in Goma against unarmed civilians. He also reaffirmed his position on the electoral process, emphasizing the need for an inclusive Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), a balanced Constitutional Court and a fairer electoral law. The FCC stressed that it would be regrettable to hold elections excluding certain populations from North Kivu, Ituri and Mai-Ndombe, where 14 million voters have not been registered.
Furthermore, the Common Front for Congo highlighted the issue of the security of political opponents, often threatened, persecuted or arbitrarily detained, thus expressing its concern about respect for democratic rights and freedom of expression in the country. .
This meeting between Bintou Keïta and the FCC takes place in a tense political context in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The opposition accuses Félix Tshisekedi’s regime of restricting political space and fears that the next elections scheduled for December 2023 will be marred by fraud.
It is important to emphasize that these consultations and discussions between Congolese political forces and representatives of the United Nations are of great importance to guarantee the transparency of the electoral process and promote stability and peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Clement MUAMBA