**Fatshimetrie: Clashes at the People’s Palace in Kinshasa between UDPS activists**
On August 8, the provincial police station of the national police in Kinshasa was the scene of an unexpected presentation. More than 200 individuals were in the dock for their alleged involvement in the unrest that broke out between UDPS activists at the People’s Palace. These clashes took place during the closing of the operation to receive applications for the election of members of the final bureau of the Senate.
A palpable tension reigned between the different camps of the presidential party during this major event. On the eve of the election, the provincial commissioner of the national police in Kinshasa, Blaise Kilimbalimba, had taken strict measures and had prohibited any unauthorized person from going to the People’s Palace.
In an unequivocal message, he warned the people of Kinshasa that only invited guests, voters and administrative staff would be allowed to pass through the highly secured gates of the Palais du Peuple. The PNC officer insisted that surveillance cameras were in place to identify anyone disturbing the peace.
“If you go there to cause trouble, you will be spotted and tracked down, even to your homes. Like those individuals we apprehended at home after the incidents in the hemicycle,” stressed the provincial commissioner, Blaise KilimbaLimba.
As the election approached, the UDPS had to deal with internal divisions, with some supporting the candidacy of Afana Idrissa and others that of Jonas Mukamba. At the same time, the Union sacrée de la nation, a platform that supports the head of state, presented Sama Lukonde, a former prime minister, as its candidate.
This incident once again raises the political tensions prevailing in the region, highlighting rivalries within the presidential party and behind-the-scenes power struggles. The issue of security and maintaining order during political events remains a major concern, requiring increased vigilance on the part of the authorities to ensure stability and democracy in the country.