DRC: Concern at ill-treatment of rights defender

A SAHRINGON STATEMENT ON THE KIDNAPPING, TORTURE AND CONTINUED HARRASSMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The Southern Africa Human Rights NGO Network (SAHRINGON), consisting of at least 50 human rights NGOs’ in the region, notes with regret the recent kidnapping, assault and torture of a fellow human rights defender BEEN MASUDI KINGOMBE by security forces (ANR) in the town of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo.

BEEN MASUDI KINGOMBE, is the Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights (CDH) based in Lubumbashi, DRC. He has been an active member of the network and has been associated as trainer at one of our region wide national training workshops on police brutality and torture that took place from 31 March 2004 to 3 April 2004 in Lubumbashi, DRC.

It is against this background that SAHRINGON is deeply disturbed and concerned with the on-going persecutions of human rights defenders in that country. This incident is not the first and there are threats that more rights defenders in that country face similar treatment. This is a total affront to fundamental human rights to life, human dignity, association, speech and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, including torture.

Our partners in the DRC have confirmed that BEEN MASUDI KINGOMBE was kidnapped on 10 April 2004 at 18:00 where he was kept in seclusion until 20:00, beaten up, and tortured, after which he was released with no charge and or explanation to his ordeal.

We condemn the DRC government’s failure to comply with its primary obligation to promote the rights of people and protect them from violence, which is a total disregard of their rights to life, freedom from torture, and arbitrary arrests. This is an apparent disregard of the provisions of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and various other international and regional instruments particularly the Convention Against Torture which they are party to.

We call upon all Heads of State and Government of the African Union, and particularly in the Southern African Development Community and in keeping with the provisions of the Constitutive Act, and the APRM principles, which requires them to “promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance” and further to “promote and protect peoples’ rights” according to the African Charter, to intervene.

SAHRINGON also calls upon the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to take note of the various incidents of torture and increased violation of human rights in that country.

Issued By: Regional Office