In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Fred Bauma and Bienvenu Matumo, two civil society figures, are still detained on February 5, 2024, two days after their arrest at the same time as those of seven other people during a demonstration to commemorate and denounce the 600 days of occupation of the town of Bunagana, in the east of the DRC, by the M23 rebels. Details.
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In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), several human rights activists were arrested on February 3, 2024 at the end of the day in Kinshasa.
They were participating in a demonstration to commemorate and denounce the 600 days of occupation of the town of Bunagana, in eastern DRC, by M23 rebels. According to information from RFI, some of the activists were released this Monday morning. But two figures from Congolese civil society are still detained: Fred Bauma and Bienvenu Matumo, two historic Lucha activists.
Fred Bauma notably heads the Congolese research institute Ebuteli, based in Kinshasa and which works on several pillars: security, governance, etc.
Bienvenu Matumo is pursuing his doctorate in France, but continues to campaign within civil society in the DRC and is currently in Kinshasa.
They were both arrested this Saturday at the end of the day. They were in front of the People’s Palace, the Congolese Parliament.
No official reason
They were arrested along with seven other people, according to witnesses. Five have since been released, but their phones have been withheld by the National Intelligence Agency (ANR).
Maud-Salomé Ekila, close to Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, former presidential candidate, present at the scene, was able to escape arrest. Relatives say she is now safe with her children.
No official reason has yet been given to justify this search by the intelligence services. But, according to the first elements, this is not directly linked to the demonstration organized this Saturday.
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