Demonstrators gathered in Kinshasa, DR Congo’s capital, on Wednesday to express their opposition to the country’s candidacy for a seat on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, as witnessed by AFP journalists.
In August, the Democratic Republic of Congo declared its intention to vie for a seat on the Human Rights Council for a three-year term starting in 2025 and a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council starting in 2026.
Surrounding the justice ministry, protesters and activists from political parties and citizens’ movements asserted that the DRC did not deserve a seat due to the government’s infringement on democracy.
“We call on the UN not to accept the candidacy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (to the human rights council),” said Grace Bele, an activist from the Alliance for Change political party.
The protesters waved flags and held up posters while chanting slogans such as “Free the opponents” and “We say no to the dictatorship” outside the office of Justice Minister Constant Mutamba.
On Monday, a Congolese organisation advocating for prisoner rights also opposed the country’s candidacy.
“The DRC does not meet the necessary conditions to claim such a position of international responsibility,” the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace said in a statement.
It cited unlawful detentions, arbitrary arrests, physical and mental abuse as well as expedited executions.
The vote is set for October 9 in Geneva, where the UN Human Rights Council is based.
Other African nations, such as South Africa and Nigeria, are pushing for permanent seats on the continent’s Security Council.
The UN Human Rights Council previously chose the DRC for a term in 2017, sparking disapproval from the United States and international human rights groups.
The political atmosphere in the central African country has grown increasingly tense since Felix Tshisekedi won the presidential election in December 2023.