Around fifty Congolese expats marched from the Porte de Namur to the place du Luxembourg in Brussels on Saturday afternoon. They were denouncing “political manoeuvres” by the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila. He is trying to ensure he stays in power, even though he is coming to the end of his second and last term. “Kabila has managed to ally himself with a selection of dissidents from the Union for Democracy and Progress (UDPS), Etienne Tshisekedi’s party, and they have been talking. This manoeuvre is designed to cover up the mass grave in Maluku, around fifty kilometres from Kinshasa. This grave contains the bodies of the students who opposed a modification to the constitution on the 19th, 20 and 21st of January”, said Salomon Mbeka, who organised the demonstration.
“The grave at Maluku would show the world the real Kabila: a murderous illegitimate President that we have been denouncing for a long time. We also know that the Congolese people have never become better off through “dialogue” and other round tables. Sitting at a table with Kabila will not bring the departure of Rwandan Tutsis, who have been threating Congo’s security for a long time”, he added.
The demonstrators then went to Passage 44, where a UDPS conference that Etienne Tshisekedi himself could attend will be held. There was a large police presence around the building.
(Source: Belga)
