Democratic Republic of Congo: a nation on the brink

On January 21, Therese Kapangala, a 24-twelve months-outmoded Congolese girl finding out to be a nun, left her residence in Kinshasa to abet church within the Commune of Kintambo. Therese never returned residence. She become as soon as shot by security forces outdoors her church, proper after Sunday mass. The bullet entered her arm and went to her coronary heart. She died on the finest technique to the sanatorium. 

On that day, many others, together with Serge Kikunda, Packson Kabadiatshi, and Hussein Ngandu were additionally killed by security forces. The Catholic Church and civil society organisations suspect many others luxuriate in additionally been killed by regime forces throughout the Congolese capital on the mutter same day. However Congolese officers divulge that handiest six folk luxuriate in died.

For powerful, monumental discrepancies in demise toll estimates are reasonably frequent within the Democratic Republic of Congo – the repressive regime incessantly tries to downplay the series of its victims. 

But, there become as soon as one thing outlandish within the regime’s story of the events of January 21. This time, Kinshasa now now not handiest tried to whitewash the scope of the violence, but additionally tried to stamp its victims, together with Therese, Serge, Packson, and Hussein, as « terrorists ».

If one were to factor in Congolese Minister of Dialog Lambert Mende’s incoherent story of the events, delivered on Al Jazeera’s UpFront earlier this month, one would insist that the victims of the January 21 violence were bomb-strapping ideological lunatics who needed to be stopped by « plucky » Congolese infantrymen.

No, sister Therese become as soon as now now not a terrorist; neither were Serge, Packson, or Hussein. Opposite to Mende’s claims, these were younger Congolese electorate uninterested with being repressed by an ineffective authorities. They died because of they dared to hope for a higher Congo. They died because of they lived and skilled a radically different Congo than one Lambert Mende and Bruno Tshibala, the Congolese High Minister, are attempting and painting.

Tsihibala honest now now not too lengthy ago acknowledged that « every little thing is beautiful within the DRC ».

However no, every little thing is now now not beautiful within the DRC. Joseph Kabila has managed to lengthen his presidential mandate, which expired on November 28, 2016; wanton warlords proceed to rule jap regions of the nation, and inter-ethnic conflicts proceed to plague some Congolese localities. If things make now now not commerce, many extra Congolese electorate will inevitably became victims of the draconian insensitivity of Kabila’s regime. 

St. Sylvestre Agreement

The chain of events that led to Therese’s demise started in December 2017, when the Lay Coordination Committee of the Catholic Church (CLC), a neighborhood backed by many priests and bishops within the majority-Catholic nation, asked the Congolese authorities to respect the St Sylvestre Agreement. Signed between the authorities and the opposition a twelve months earlier in December 2016, as outcomes of the Congolese authorities’s lack of ability or indeed reluctance to organise a brand contemporary presidential election, the St Sylvestre Agreement stipulated that: 

1. All Congolese political actors would abide by the Structure, namely noting the two-term restrict in regard to the presidency; 
2. Presidential elections were to be organised no later than December 2017; 
3. Political prisoners were to be liberated, and political exiles would possibly perhaps be in a assign to return residence freely.

Pondering that by the give up of 2016 Congo President Joseph Kabila had already served two phrases (from 2006 to 2016) as well to the transitional length from 2001 to 2006, amounting to a total of 15 years in strength, the St Sylvester Agreement intended that Kabila’s days in strength were numbered. 

However surprise, surprise!

By December 2017, the Congolese authorities become as soon as quiet now now not « ready » to organise a presidential election. That become as soon as when the CLC went nuclear on Kabila. Spokeswoman Leonie Kandolo and the CLC leadership warned that if the necessities of the St Sylvestre Agreement weren’t met by December 15, 2017, the folk would employ it to the streets.

That is exactly what has took assign now now not as soon as, but twice to this point. On December 31, the Catholics marched in Kinshasa and in other parts of the Congo. Marchers were heavily repressed, with many of them sustaining accidents. In response to the brutal repression of the protests on New Year’s Eve, the CLC known as for a 2d march on January 21. Police repression become as soon as heavier this time, ensuing within the killing of Therese, Serge, Packson and Hussein.

A memoir of two Congos

For the time being, there appears to be like to be two Congos present simultaneously. On one hand, there is the Congo of Kabila, Mende, and Tshibala the assign « every little thing is beautiful, » and folk can « freely » insist the authorities and search files from accountability. On the replacement hand, there is the Congo of the CLC and the Congolese folk the assign calling the authorities into story is an act of defiance to Kabila, and speaking out in opposition to repression can land you in detention center, in exile, or within the grave. 

CLC spokeswoman Kandolo and a total lot of of her colleagues luxuriate in now long past underground, as there is an arrest warrant on their names. However, despite the threats, the CLC is already planning to organise a third Christian march on February 25. Will this be the straw that breaks the camel’s serve?

Amongst all the devastating photos that file the events of January 21, there become as soon as one demonstrating the actuality of Congo the finest. In the list, a younger Congolese man is kneeling on a avenue in Kinshasa. His fingers are halfway raised in a prayer pose, his eyes are raised in reverence, and a rosary is dangling from his correct hand. Around him, chaos runs amok, smoke bombs are fuming, and an inert physique is mendacity nearby on the ground. But, the kneeling Catholic protester keeps praying whereas searching in opposition to the infantrymen attacking him and his fellow protester.

What make we contain of this? In a nation the assign armed conflicts luxuriate in instantly and by some means brought referring to the deaths of millions, the assign plenty of folk were internally displaced, and 1000’s of others luxuriate in fled to neighbouring worldwide locations, surrendering to the very chance of demise is an act of hope, a triumph of life and freedom over demise and repression.

The present political instability in Congo is now not any longer a search files from confined inner the binary of steadiness and security in opposition to democratisation and political liberalisation. As of now, basically the most pertinent search files from is whether or now now not or now now not the Congolese folk will indirectly luxuriate in a instruct within the choice of their political future. For the time being, it is presumably that an ongoing confrontation between the Congolese authorities and the CLC will proceed to erode Kabila’s legitimacy, or no subject is left of it.

The views expressed listed listed below are the creator’s non-public and make now now not basically assume Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.