Congo Bans Political Protests Following Violence

After a wave of recent violence resulting in several injuries and the death of one person, authorities in Kinshahsa— a state in the Democratic Republic of Congo— have imposed a five-day ban on political protests.  Police used tear gas and gunfire to silence protests related to the upcoming November election, targeting in particular supporters of opposition party the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). UDPS’ headquarters were attacked on September 13 by supporters of President Joseph Kabila’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy –PPRD accused UDPS of previously setting fire to its headquarters.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is not an electoral democracy, and problems have remained despite the country holding its first formal election in 2006. The election resulted in no change in rule, as President Joseph Kabila, who gained power in 2001, won the election despite opposition groups’ claims that the voting process was flawed. Freedom of assembly, association and expression are limited in the context of “protecting public order.” The mounting pressure on opposition figures has raised concerns that Kabila is leading the DRC back toward a highly centralized presidential system that allows for no more than the formalities of representative governance. Opposition politicians, particularly those from the UDPS, have faced violence and harassment, oftentimes at the hands of PPRD members.  In 2010, police beat and arrested UDPS members for participating in “unauthorized protests”.

Freedom House is increasingly concerned with the violence and brutality against protestors in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and calls on authorities to lift its ban on protests in an effort to protect freedom of assembly and expression.