DR Congo government cracks down on African youth
This week the government of Joseph Kabila has been arresting young people in sustained efforts to frustrate their organizing for change.
On Sunday March 15, the Congolese military arrested youth leaders from Burkina Faso, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The arrests took place in the capital, Kinshasa, after a press conference organized by a coalition of Congolese youth organizations called FILIMBI. The main speakers at the press conference along with 40 other individuals were arrested. The youth leaders arrested represented Y'En A Marre (We're Fed Up) from Senegal, Balai Citoyen (Citizen's Broom) from Burkina Faso and La LUCHA and FILIMBI from the DRC. Those arrested by the government include Oscibi Johann of Balai Citoyen, Fadel Barro, Malal Almamy Talla and Aliou Sané of Y'En A Marre, Fred Bauma of La LUCHA and several other Congolese youth. The military confiscated the equipment, video footage, ID cards and other belongings from the youth.
The arrests took place before a concert was to be held later in the evening in the Masina neighborhood of Kinshasa. The youth from Burkina Faso and Senegal were invited to the DRC by FILIMBI to engage in a dialogue around civic participation. Burkina Faso and Senegalese youth were sharing lessons drawn from their experiences in civic engagement in Senegal and Burkina Faso.
The Congolese government has made outlandish claims about the youth, painting them as terrorists. The Congolese Minister of Communications has accused the youth of fomenting unrest and promoting violence.
The Congolese government continues to hunt down and arrest youth who participated in the peaceful, pro-democracy event on March 15. The Kabila regime has been on a remarkable arrest spree. In addition to the dozens arrested on Sunday, one of the event organizers Sylvain Saluseke and another dozen youth activists in the eastern city of Goma were arrested on Tuesday, March 17. These arrests are in addition to the 400 plus arrested in the wake of the January 19 to 22, Telema uprisings.
Friends of the Congo and our supporters call on the Congolese government to immediately release all political prisoners and cease its witch hunt of pro-democracy youth activists.
Urgent action is needed to protect African outh from the crackdown by the Congolese government:
1. Call on the African Union, United Nations and world leaders to denounce the repressive tactics being pursued by the Congolese government.
2. Spread the word about the brutal crackdown on African youth in the Congo via social media using the hashtag #Telema
3. Support the youth who are being hunted and pursued by the Congolese government.