Peacebuilders condemn violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
28 November last year, elections for the presidency and for the parliament were held in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then 20 people have been killed in conflicts related to the elections and the extensive electoral rigging.
The results of the elections have been questioned by international observateurs. The current president, Joseph Kabila, and his opponent, Etienne Tshisekedi, have both announced themselves as winner. Due to the violence, the Congolese police force have forbidden people in the capitol, Kinshasa, to leave their homes.
Recently supporters of Joseph Kabila attacked women protesting against the electoral rigging outside of the US embassy in Kinshasa. Women peace activists have received threats both in the streets and on the phone. It’s clear that there are forces trying to silence the women organisations and groups within civil society, that are advocating for peace and human rights.
To acknowledge what’s happening in the DRC and to highlight the vulnerable situation for women’s organisations in the country, over 40 international organisations working with issues concerning women’s rights, peace and international aid, have joined together in an appeal. The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation is one of them. We want to show our support to those in the DRC working for a peaceful solution.
In the appeal the signatories demand that:
- the outcome of the elections are publicly disclosed
- all candidates and political parties use legal methods to solve their conflicts
- the police force protect the citizens from violence
- the African Union and the international community help DRC to solve its internal conflicts and to build a stable democracy
- the African Union and the international community cooperate with women’s organisations and civil society in the DRC
The complete appeal is featured in the column to the right.