In the DRC, the conclusion of the Congolese public prosecutor’s office affirms that Chérubin Okende died by suicide, the night of July 13 to 14, 2023, in Kinshasa. After seven months of investigation, the prosecution announced Thursday February 29 that “ the autopsy ” And ” the expertise » had established that the opponent had “ suicide “. She disclosed a diary in which he allegedly wrote that he was at the end of his tether.
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In Democratic Republic of Congo, the body of Chérubin Okende was found in murky circumstances on July 13, 2023, sitting at the wheel of his car on a boulevard in Kinshasa. The investigation into the death of the political opponent concluded to a suicide Thursday February 29.
This result is contested by the family of the former Minister of Transport and opposition MP, but also by his party Ensemble pour la République. And reactions to the autopsy results have multiplied. Friday March 1, the Congolese Association for Access to Justice (ACAJ) said “ deeply disappointed » by the conclusion of the prosecution. The president of the African Association for Human Rights, Jean-Claude Katende, criticized a conclusion “ ridiculous “.
As for the citizen movement, Lucha, it judges the conclusions of the investigation “ totally scandalous and revolting “, says Stewart Muhindo, member of the organization. “ All the photos, all the first elements of the file, even analyzed by a novice, suggest that there was a murder and it is incomprehensible that justice concludes that it was a suicide. “, did he declare.
All the photos, all the first elements of the file, even analyzed by a novice, suggest that there was a murder and it is incomprehensible that justice concludes that it was a suicide. And this is especially reminiscent of other important cases that we have experienced in this country. It was in particular the assassination of Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana which, initially, was made to appear as suicide, notably by putting condoms in the car of the human rights defender. We also saw the murders, notably of our comrade Luc in 2018, who was made up to be an accident, when he was burned alive in his house. So, it is a regular, recurring practice by the security services, attacking the lives of those who criticize and pass it off as either an accident or an act of suicide. For us, it is scandalous, it is shameful and the UDPS, which has long campaigned within the opposition. Its custom has practices that are so revolting. We call on all experts, including international ones, who took part in the investigations to be able to make their conclusions public because we no longer believe in Congolese justice in what it has communicated.
“It’s a regular, recurring practice, which is carried out by the security services,” says Stewart Muhindo, of the citizen movement La Lucha.
“ The work of the prosecution is human », says the presidential majority
For its part, the ruling majority supports the conclusions of the prosecution. According to Jean Thierry Monsenepwo, communicator of the Sacred Union, “ the work of the parquet floor is human, that is to say it will never be 100% finished. At this point, I think we have to welcome and accept it. If tomorrow there were more elements to integrate into this work that has been done, to open the breach, as the government said, there is no problem. But for now, we trust our justice and we are convinced that the work that was done was commensurate with the means and provisions of our justice. “, he said in particular.
The work of the parquet floor is human, that is to say it will never be 100% finished. At this point, I think we have to welcome and accept it. If tomorrow there were more elements to integrate into this work that has been done, to open the breach, as the government said, there is no problem. But for the moment, we trust our justice and we are convinced that the work that was done was commensurate with the means and provisions of our justice. State crime has been ruled out for a very long time, given that there was no motive or motive that would push the regime or the institutions of the Republic to put an end to the life of the one who was minister of Transport in this country and national deputy. Chérubin Okende did not disturb the regime in any way, since the antitheses he put forward were, in a scientific and republican way, acceptable. I do not see what would be the element that would link the State or the institutions to the death of our late brother, Chérubin Okende
The reaction of Jean-Thierry Monsenempwo, spokesperson for the presidential majority
Also listenIn the news: reactions to the investigation into the death of opponent Chérubin Okende
From now on, it is before the Belgian courts that the case should move
The Belgian lawyer for Chérubin Okende’s family disputes the suicide theory. The conclusion of the general prosecutor’s office in Kinshasa was already contested by his party and by human rights organizations. From now on, it is before the Belgian courts that the case should move.
Since November 7, the death of Chérubin Okende has been the subject of a complaint in Belgium. The complaint was filed against the head of Congolese military intelligence, Christian Ndaywel, because he has Belgian nationality, reports our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet. Maître Alexis Deswaef will relaunch the case. He directly calls on the Minister of Justice to have the report of the Belgian expert dispatched to Kinshasa on August 3 to attend with a South African expert the autopsy of Chérubin Okende.
“ More than ever, the procedure in Belgium is extremely important. The international community has a responsibility for having so easily endorsed the electoral hold-up of an authoritarian power and, I remind you, the confinement, arrest and detention of Salomon Kalonda, Stanis Bujakera, and the way in which the elections took place. I think that there are now answers to be given to our questions from the South African authorities and the Belgian authorities. “, said Alexis Deswaef.
The new Belgian Minister of Justice has so far contented himself with saying that he cannot release the report because it is part of an investigation. The case has been entrusted to the Brussels public prosecutor’s office, but Belgian justice is currently examining whether it should be transferred to the international and humanitarian law section of the federal prosecutor’s office.