At the close of its extraordinary session on Saturday, June 20 in Kinshasa, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) condemned what it described as a joint effort between the national police and the Force du progrès, a militia tied to the ruling party, to violently suppress demonstrations by the opposition against the proposed constitutional amendment.
“Opposition rallies are being brutally dispersed by the police in concert with a political party militia known as the Force du progrès,” CENCO stated in a communiqué issued after the meeting.
Speaking to journalists, the executive secretary of the Catholic bishops’ organization, Monsignor Donatien Nshole, pointed out that even within the ruling majority, voices critical of the constitutional revision are being muted. “We observe with deep concern a growing tension fueled by the ruling party’s campaign to change the constitution. This campaign, which uses state resources, is unfolding in an atmosphere of intimidation, forcing dissenters inside the majority to fall silent for fear of reprisals,” he said.
The condemnation follows a sit-in organized by the C64 coalition on Friday, June 12, which was forcefully broken up near the Palais du Peuple in Kinshasa. Several national and international human rights groups had already accused the police and the Force du progrès—a youth wing of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS)—of attacking opposition leaders and protesters with tear gas and other means. The demonstration was aimed at opposing a proposed referendum law introduced by national deputy Paul-Gaspard Ngondakoy, which was validated by the National Assembly.
