The UN Joint Human Rights Office expressed in its semi-annual report that it is concerned about the ” restrictions to the democratic space, four months before the general elections.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
The monitoring done over the first six months of 2023 counts 116 violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. They are related to restrictions on the democratic space throughout the Congolese territory “, underlines the report.
The figure is down nearly 40% compared to the same period of 2022 and nearly 31% compared to the previous half. But it is the gravity of the facts that alerts the UN. Violations affect journalists, human rights defenders and political opponents. The United Nations notes with concern the persistence of human rights violations by the intelligence services.
Other violations are related to the electoral process. The UN office claims to have documented “ at least 30 election-related incidents “. Result: at least 80 victims, including 15 dead by summary and extrajudicial executions and 60 victims of violations and attacks on the right to physical integrity.
Incidents recorded when members of armed groups, some agents of the security forces, civil society organizations and community members attempted to exclude certain people from the electoral process.
Although the phase of census of voters ended several months ago, the UN recalls that it was peppered with cases of extortion and corruption.