Human Rights Activist Condemns Impunity in The Country

Huaman rights activist
Human rights activist

On Wednesday the 28th, ADF militants belonging to an Islamic uprising attacked the eastern part of Congo in the Beni region. Reports reveal that the rebels had lynched a church and stole several items from shops and homes in the province. Human rights activist, Mukwenge, condemns this act.

According to the Kivu Security Cracker, up to 265 people have succumbed to the region since the government forces began pursuing the militia. The ADF has been going around killing innocent civilians. It appears the rebel group is using the massacres to frighten the locals into silence. Nonetheless, the government of Congo is still deploying many forces to curb the uprising.

Allied Democratic Force is a Ugandan Militant group that has been active in North Kivu since 1999s. In recent months, the uprising has been active in the Beni region, staging most of its attacks on the villagers in Baeti. Originally, the militia group began in Uganda, opposing Museveni’s government. However, as time went by, the member relocated to Congo after facing strong resistance from the national army. To date, the uprising consists of people from different nationalities

According to sources, the most recent attack left up to 36 people dead while some were injured. The escalating insecurity in the region has attracted the attention of UN figures who have called on the government of DRC for solutions.

Time to Act

Dr. Denis Mukwege, a Congolese politician and 2018 Nobel Prize Winner called on the Congo government to right the wrongdoings during his visit to Congo. In a tweet, he mentioned 19 people who died in October amid rebel attacks. He demanded the government that it was time to punish those responsible for the massacres since if not they would continue the barbaric acts.

Mukwege emphasized that crimes shouldn’t go unpunished. The ADF militants were making the eastern part of the country unsafe, hence Congo at large insecure. He also urged the president of DRC to join in the fight as he was the topmost authority in the country.

“Crimes cannot go unpunished. Criminals continue to make the eastern part of our country unsafe and thus make the whole Republic unsafe. The third thing that has been asked of the President of the Republic is that he gets personally involved, that he be the torch-bearer in this fight against impunity, by asking UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to address the Security Council for the implementation of an international criminal court for the Congo.”

Looming Danger

As a known human rights activist and a doctor to victims of sexual violence in war, Mukwege has become a target of serious death threats. Through his campaigns against rebel impunity, he has become an enemy of the militants. More so when he condemned the massacre of 18 people in South Kivu.

As of now the United Nations which equally criticizes the rebels is protecting Denis Mukwege. Any leads on Mukwege’s whereabouts could result in his assassination. Hopefully, Congo will soon have the international criminal court to address the impunities.

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