From Human Rights Watch

(Kinshasa) – Government security forces across the Democratic Republic of Congo have forcibly dispersed opposition campaign rallies ahead of the December 23, 2018 national elections. Security forces killed at least 7 opposition supporters, wounded more than 50 people, and arbitrarily detained scores of others from December 9 to 13.

The United Nations mission in Congo, MONUSCO, should deploy peacekeepers to predictable flash points in cities where there are risks of violence during campaign events and on election day. Concerned governments should increase pressure on the Congolese government, which bears primary responsibility for protecting citizens, to cease its suppression of the political opposition and to allow peaceful campaigning by all candidates.

“Congolese security forces are inflaming an already tense situation by using excessive force against opposition campaign rallies,” said Ida Sawyer, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “With less than a week before the scheduled elections, the authorities need to keep an extremely volatile situation from spiraling out of control.”

Two members of youth leagues associated with the ruling party said that senior ruling party officials recruited them and other youth to infiltrate supporters of opposition presidential candidate Martin Fayulu of the Lamuka (“wake up” in Lingala and Swahili, two of Congo’s four national languages) coalition. They said they were paid about US$50 each and instructed to provoke violence and disorder during Fayulu’s rallies, which could be attributed to Fayulu and create a pretext to arrest him or disqualify his candidacy.

On December 11, security forces deployed across Lubumbashi, the country’s second largest city, to block the movement of Fayulu and his supporters, killing at least five men, wounding dozens, and arresting scores of others. Authorities later refused to give family members and independent observers access to the morgue.

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