Dear Excellency,

Between January 2015 and December 2018, those opposed to former President Kabila’s attempt to stay in power beyond the Constitution’s two term limits were victims of brutal repression. At least 300 hundred people were killed, many went missing. Hundreds were injured, tortured or subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and arbitrary arrest. 

On the night of 19 September 2016, armed men in army uniforms attacked the office of the Union for the Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in the Limete district of Kinshasa. A 54-year-old guard, Bouquin Bukasa, was killed, and cut into pieces by the armed men. They then set fire to the building, killing four other UDPS members: Stéphane Mwabilayi, Bilomba Tshimungu, Pierre Kapena Wetu and John Mutamba Mbuyi.

Amnesty International’s report, Dismissed, demonstrates the failure of the government to conduct effective and nationwide investigations into these serious human rights violations committed by the DRC security forces in the lead up to the December 2018 elections, and to prosecute alleged perpetrators. Even though a Joint Commission of Inquiry concluded in its April 2018 report that security forces were responsible for serious human rights violations during protests organized in Kinshasa between December 2017 and February 2018, victims still await to see those responsible held to account. 

I believe in a future where the rule of law is upheld and where the truth and justice are key elements of the process of nation building in the DRC. 

I urge you to ensure that those allegedly involved in crimes and other serious human rights violations against demonstrators between January 2015 and December 2018, are effectively prosecuted regardless of the suspect’s rank or position, and that all necessary measures are taken as a matter of urgency to prevent further brutality against protesters. 

I urge you to ensure access to justice and adequate reparations for victims and their families. 

Yours sincerely,