Urgent Action on behalf of five HRD members of pro-democracy pressure groups arrested in Goma DRCongo
ARBITRARY ARRESTS OF 4 PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS MEMBERS OF PRESSURE GROUPS AND CITIZEN MOVEMENTS AND A VICTIM OF SPOLIATION OF THE PLOTS OF LAND LOCATED ON NDURUMO AVENUE IN THE CITY OF GOMA THIS WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2024
Members of pro-democracy pressure groups during their demonstration on the streets of Goma, on July 17th, 2024 before they were arrested by the Police in Goma, DRCongo.
Members of Citizen Movements and Pro-Democracy Pressure Groups as well as victims of the spoliation of land, organized a demonstration in Munzenze Goma this Wednesday 07/17/2024 to say no to the dispossession of several plots of their land on NDURUMO Avenue in Munzenze in the Virunga area, Karisimbi District, town of Coma, North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the demonstration around 10 a.m time of Goma, security agents came, they dispersed the demonstration by violence, they fired tear gas and in the process they arrested 4 Activists of the Citizens’ Movements and a woman member of the association of victims of dispossession. Until now we do not yet know the place where these people are being detained from, however certain information indicates that they are detained at the Provincial Commissariat of the Congolese National Police in North Kivu.
The victims include:
- Tchikundula Pillar: LUCHA Citizen Movement
- Félicien Tumsifu: Voice of the Marginalized Pressure Group
- Lazare Muyango: New Vision Pressure Group
- Muhindo Kalusha: LUCHA Citizen Movement
- MWAMINI Mamy Kabunga: Female member of the Association of Victims of NDURUMO
Before the arrest
Military Governor Peter CHIRIMWAMI would have initiated a complaint against the peaceful population who live in these plots of land on Ndurumo Avenue, and these residents would have received summons from the High Court, of which the complainant is Provincial Governor and this would be the reason for their arrest.
Briefing on this plot conflict
Since the establishment of the State of Siege in North Kivu and Ituri by the President of the Republic who gives the management of these two Provinces to the military, we have observed several cases of spoliation either of State Land Concessions or lands of the population, of which in a simple way, these lands are sold by Soldiers who have power and the Buyers are well-known businessmen of the city who are richer, and when the population resists against these practices these same military Officers carry out illegal arrests and detentions of the population.
It is in this situation that Munzenze a concession of the Congolese State was sold to the rich men of Goma to put their investment there, Munzenze houses the Central Prison of the Province of North Kivu and a Police Camp, then the Camp of the Police have been relocated to Mugunga, but the Prison still remains in Munzenze. By selling this concession of Munzenze there arose a problem of boundaries, the Military in power claimed that the plot of lands of the population on Avenue Ndurumo were also part of Munzenze which citizens lived on illegally, a version that the population of Avenue Ndurumo contest, they claim that their Avenue is not on the concession of the Congolese State, and do not want to leave their plots.
So the Military then also sold part of Ndurumo Avenue and asked the population to leave the place, but they did not provide alternatives for this population in terms of compensation, as the businessmen want start the activities thus they put pressure on people to leave, in response the population together with the citizen movements organized a demonstration today to oppose this spoliation of their plot.
These arbitrary arrests come at a time when North Kivu seems hostile to the actions of Human Rights Defenders, while Civil Society Actors are assassinated, others are languishing in Prison, others are arbitrarily arrested and others face threats and intimidation.
Recommendations
We ask the Military Authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all these arrested Activists,
We ask organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) to urgently come to the aid of these HRDs in very difficult situations,
We ask the Congolese Government to favor Dialogue for a peaceful resolution,
We ask Human Rights Defense organizations to advocate to the Congolese Government to create a better environment for HRDs, especially in North Kivu, and to release HRDs in Prison and sanction those who attack HRDs,
Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos
Coordinator of COJESKI North Kivu
