DRC: 40 protesters arrested in several cities Sep. 30

Event

On Saturday, September 30, police arrested at least 40 members of the Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) youth organization, who were taking part in demonstrations in Goma (North Kivu province), Bukavu (South Kivu province), and Kinsangani (Tshopo province). The protests were held to demand the publication of an electoral calendar and the scheduling of long-awaited presidential elections. While 16 protesters were released on Saturday night, 33 remain detained in Goma. Further protests are likely in the coming weeks.

Context

The current political crisis stems from President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down after his term expired in December 2016. Under a deal struck between the government and the opposition, elections were scheduled to take place before the end of 2017 but no date has been announced. The Congolese constitution states that the electoral commission must call for elections at least 90 days ahead of the vote, meaning that September 30, the day of the protests, would have been the last possible day to set elections to occur by the end of the year.

The failure to honor the agreement is not surprising, as the electoral commission had announced in July that a presidential vote would "probably not be possible" this year due to both budgetary constraints and continued violence, but that an electoral calendar would “soon” be published.

Advice

Individuals present in the DRC are advised to monitor the situation, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and avoid all rallies and demonstrations due to the risk of violence.

More generally, a number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country for various security reasons.