DR Congo: PACIFIC PUBLIC MEETING OF COMMEMORATION IN KINSHASA AND BUT BARRED BY FORCES OF DEFENCE AND SECURITY A Lubumbashi (Katanga Province of Upper)
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In DR Congo, this Sunday was a day of public meetings. The opposition and the majority held to celebrate the anniversary of the democratic opening. A victory snatched April 24, 1990 after a dictatorship that lasted almost three decades. April 24, 1990, in "the democratization of Speech", Mobutu announced the end of the single party. In Kinshasa, the rally of the opposition took place smoothly, but in Lubumbashi, a rally was dispersed by the police.

1. In Kinshasa: attempt to prevent public opposition meeting
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There was more fear than harm to the public meeting of the dynamics of the opposition in Kinshasa. The meeting held. The headliners of this platform are expressed in turn, defying the order of City Hall to relocate the event to a closed place.
The meeting is held on the space between the Triumphal boulevard along the Martyrs Stadium and Avenue of the Teaching. Vital Kamerhe, Fayulu Martin, Joseph Olenghankoy, Jean-Claude Mvuemba and other leaders, each in his words, recalled the heroic struggle of the Congolese people that led to the political opening on 24 April 1990. "We refuse slip the mandate of President Kabila, we demand the presidential and legislative elections within the constitutional time ", said many speakers of the day. For them, no dialogue initiated by President Kabila. The police who were present near the location of the meeting has left to do. And all ended in order. No slippage to the gathering of the majority, which has also commemorated the 26th anniversary of the multiparty system. The meeting was held a little further, at the interchange of Limeté. Protest held in Goma (North Kivu province) and Bukavu (South Kivu province), but dispersed in Lubumbashi in the province of Haut-Katanga.

2. Lubumbashi Moses Katumbi prevented from holding the rally
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However, in Lubumbashi, in the southeast, a gathering of opposition activists gathered to hear the opponent Moses Katumbi (nominated for the presidential election of November 2016) was dispersed by the defense forces and security. The applicant claimed to have been shot at the police. Tear gas was also used to disperse the demonstrators. The team of observers from the Joint Office of the United Nations for Human Rights was prevented from accessing the place of the gathering.

"The events that took place today (editor's note: April 24, 2016) in Lubumbashi are serious, as a political candidate was prevented from holding a rally," says José Maria Aranaz, director UNJHRO (United Nations Joint Office to human rights) in DR Congo. "We heard an abusive use of force, of live ammunition and using tear gas. We are currently checking this information, and search if he is injured. For now, we have a slate of four people arrested this weekend, the majority of them today. We are very concerned about such incidents, which have a negative impact on the credibility of the electoral process. "

But the spokesman Lambert Mende government denies any desire to intimidation by the authorities. According to him, "the police did their job." "It was forbidden to obstruct traffic. The population was embarrassed and police opened traffic, "he says. "I do not see what the Joint Office of the United Nations has to do with it. We can not force people who are not affected by an event to participate in annoying traffic. And so the police used tear gas to disperse people who wanted to stifle. There were some administrative arrests. But without major consequences, in my opinion. "

Several people were arrested during the missed event. Among them, the bodyguard of Moses Katumbi and its drivers. The former governor of former Katanga province, became opponent, condemned those acts, "There have been several arrests. These people were not armed. I call to witness MONUSCO. MONUSCO was there. It was a peaceful march until - before arriving at the stadium, 500 meters from where we were to make the meeting - they [the police] started to fire tear gas with bullets real. But it's killing who? The Congolese people? . I strongly condemn it, "Moses Katumbi has also said he would not bow to intimidation of those in power:" We call that democracy can reign in our country and that on December 16 it [was] another president Republic. The first alternation! And we applaud, because it will be a gain for the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the most important! "On this occasion, he asked the military to remain apolitical. "In Katanga there is no war," he said, referring to the military arsenal strengthened in recent days in Lubumbashi and its surroundings. Contacted, the police officials in Lubumbashi did not wish to react immediately.


3. Illegal search in a hotel in the opponent Pierre Lumbi
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In Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, Congo Rift hotel belonging to the opponent Pierre Lumbi, G7 political grouping and president of the Social Movement Party for Renewal (MSR) past the end of 2015 in the opposition, was searched without a warrant by the forces of defense and security. Both Lumbi son of Pierre and another hotel employee were arrested. Police say they have found weapons, evidence of "attempting to destabilize the institutions", the opponent he denounces an assembly of the intelligence services.

Rift Congo, Pierre Lumbi hotel was searched without a warrant in Lubumbashi (Haut-Katanga Province) to 5 am Sunday April 24, 2016. Two son of Pierre Lumbi (Djela and Lahema Lumbi) and an employee of the hotel were arrested. All hotel rooms were searched. In one room a briefcase containing five weapons have been found, according to police. "Having found that the hotel's rooms are all equipped with cameras, the police took away the recording station and the employee committed to the management of these cameras," said a witness at the scene to CODHO. The three people arrested are now in a position in the National Intelligence Agency (ANR). They have no access to lawyers. Pierre Lumbi Okongo held including the post of Minister of Infrastructure, Public Works and Government reconstruction Antoine Gizenga and the Special Council of the President of the Security Republic before his dismissal in 2015 for leaving the presidential majority before co G7-founder, political regroupemet 7 political opposition parties. Lumbi prierre is president of Social Movement for Renewal (MSR). His party is a member of the G7. These events came just days after the abduction and detention of Simon Mulongo Eight, the former director of cabinet Moise Katumbi (then gouverneeur Katanga province), for illegal possession of firearm notamment.Depuis Kinshasa Pierre Lumbi, denounced Sunday night arrest of his two son. This is "a ridiculous and mounting methods outdated since the Middle Ages," said the chairman of the MSR. According to Pierre Lumbi, officers searched information went in one of the rooms of the hotel where working children and said they found five weapons in a case of a client. "This is a ridiculous and mounting methods outdated since the Middle Ages. What do you want us to do it with weapons? My children are not political. They have never done politics. They do not know what a weapon, "stated the President of MSR.

4. The seat of the fire UNADEF in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa
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The headquarters of the National Union of Democrats and Federalists (UNADEF), located in the commune of Kenya in Lubumbashi (Haut Katanga) was burned, Tuesday, April 26, 2016 in the morning by unknown.

The federal president of the party of the Opposition in Lubumbashi, Christian Mwando attributed the act "criminal" to power up which he wants to discourage UNADEF to continue his political struggle. "We want to denounce arson that occurred between 2:30 ET 2:40 AM. Neighboring seat are in a church found that there are individuals who broke the windows of UNADEF headquarters in the town of Kenya. They are sprayed fuel and threw torches for the seat caught fire, "he blasted. Christian Mwando deplored the increasing violence against the political opposition parties and the indifference of the security services stationed around the headquarters of the UNADEF. The Federal President of the Lubumbashi UNADEF also deplored the escalation of violence in this part of the country. "We regret that this situation occurs in the same night we filed an application meeting for Monday of next week (note 2 May)," added Christian Mwando. The burning of UNADEF headquarters occurred six days after the attacks against the headquarters of the National Union of Federalists of Congo (UNAFEC) in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. The national police had since launched an investigation to be light on the attack of the permanence of the party in Kinshasa, said the vice president UNAFEC, Bertin Kanunu during a press conference. Vice President UNAFEC had also urged people to calm and not give in to distraction.

Contacted for his views, the Lowyer N'Sii Luanda, President of CODHO said that "the Congo authorities must proceed with the immediate release of the son of Lumbi Pierre (President of MSR) and relatives of Moses Katumbi arrested in Lubumbashi (Haut-Katanga province), take urgent mersures aimed at securing political leaders and activists of civil sociéciété, especially in this pre-election period, order judicial investigations into past vandalism (from April 2016 ) against the offices of UNAFEC party in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi and on prevention or attempted prevention of public meetings of political opposition parties of 24 April 2016 in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa. "

The Committee of Observers of Human Rights (CODHO) calls on the Congolese authorities to political tolerance, especially to engage in actions to stop the narrowing of the political and democratic space in the country.
Done at Kinshasa / Paris - 04/28/2016.
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-Contact CODHO en RD Congo : Tél.:+243815089970-Email:  codho_kinshasa@yahoo.fr -Contact CODHO en France (94250) : Tél.: +33754153955 – Email :  codho.france@gmail.com – Coordination : Luanda Shandwe N'Sii - L'Equipe (staff) : Anelia Kasisa, N'Sii Luanda, Songe Mwindo Patrick, Flavien Nyanga Gutangila, Shamamba Lukoo Moreau, Faida Sheana, Kitsa Kipfumba, Ngulu Maene, Shematsi Lukoo Nicole, Oscar Faray Kijana, Anicet Mukambile et Justin Muisha Luanda