In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the former leader of the presidential party, Jean-Marc Kabund, faces a controversial 7-year prison sentence. Accused in particular of insulting the head of state, Kabund has become an opposition figure and represents a potentially dangerous candidacy in the presidential election scheduled for December 2023.
Kabund’s conviction sparked widespread anger within his party, the Alliance for Change. According to the party’s spokesperson, Ghislain Mwanji, this is political relentlessness aimed at removing Kabund from the electoral scene. Mwanji believes that the current regime, led by Félix Tshisekedi, fears Kabund’s candidacy because of his harsh criticism of the governance in place.
During a press conference a year ago, Kabund called Tshisekedi a “danger” to the state and exposed the flaws and abuses of power during his five-year term. According to Mwanji, since then, freedom of expression and the press have been reduced, with numerous arrests of journalists and protests violently repressed, as was the case during the recent demonstrations in Goma.
Mwanji affirms that Kabund, as a credible political figure, represents a real threat to the regime in place and that it is therefore necessary to exclude him from the 2023 presidential race. However, he insists on the unfair and disproportionate nature of the 7-year prison sentence imposed on Kabund.
Despite the Court of Cassation’s condemnation, Kabund’s opposition party plans to organize demonstrations to protest the decision. The situation therefore remains tense in the DRC, with political tensions which could increase as the presidential election approaches.
It should be noted that this conviction and the reactions it provokes highlight the issues of freedom of expression and democracy in the DRC. Citizens and international observers will be attentive to developments in the situation and the impact of this affair on the electoral process.