Rights group says security forces in DRC used excessive force against protesters – JURIST

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) employed excessive force against demonstrators protesting a proposed constitutional reform that could extend President Félix Tshisekedi’s term.

HRW stated that security officials deployed tear gas canisters and used batons against protesters to prevent a sit-in in front of the parliament building. This response resulted in the injury of several individuals from the Article 64 Coalition (C64), a political coalition of opposition figures, as well as from Force of Progress, a group linked to the ruling party Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). HRW documented injuries to more than a dozen demonstrators, including opposition figures, in addition to several arrests.

Based on testimonies gathered by HRW, members of Force of Progress joined security forces in attacking peaceful protesters and the offices of several opposition political parties within C64. HRW also indicated that interviewed Force of Progress members stated that the ruling party members told them to mobilise their supporters to prevent the sit-in.

According to the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, security forces are required to apply non-violent means before resorting to force and firearms. In addition, when dispersing unlawful but non-violent assemblies, they must avoid the use of force or restrict it to the minimum extent necessary.

HRW further noted that C64 filed an application to hold a sit-in in front of the parliament building, which the governor of Kinshasa rejected and proposed an alternative site. In response, C64 members declined the proposal and decided to hold the sit-in despite the rejection.

Congolese authorities condemned the violence, and the Prosecutor General’s Office announced it opened an investigation into the incident. Additionally, the ruling party, UDPS, filed a complaint to initiate legal proceedings against those who used the party’s name to commit abuses against protesters. Furthermore, the UDPS’s secretary general asserted that the party has never authorized or sent anyone to commit human rights violations against demonstrators and that a fake entity was tarnishing the party’s reputation.

HRW commended the government’s decision to investigate the violence and emphasised that investigations need to be impartial and independent to ensure accountability for all those responsible.

The controversial constitutional reform was adopted by the Congolese Senate on June 16 and was met with protests from the opposition. This has resulted in political tensions between the government and opposition leaders, while violent attacks by armed groups continue in eastern DRC amid the ongoing conflict that has resulted in human rights abuses and atrocities against civilians.