Around a hundred people with Congolese roots demonstrated in Brussels on Saturday afternoon. They were protesting against human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as recent massacres in the Beni region (North Kivu). Beni is in the North East of the Congo. They called for an investigation to be opened, to find those responsible.
The protestors were responding to a call from the CCA (The Congolese Citizens Assembly). This collective is made up of 20 associations for those with Congolese roots, based in Belgium, France and Great Britain. They marched from the Porte de Namur to the Schuman roundabout. Members of 5 Congolese opposition parties also took part.
“The 20 associations that make up the collective worked together to highlight the situation in the Congo. This led to them writing a memorandum. We sent this to the President of the European Council, the General Secretary of the United Nations, and the 5 member States of the United Nations Security Council”, said Yannick Massebo, the rapporteur for the CCA.
“We hope that the international community will punish those who violate human rights in the Congo. We also ask that they reject the decree drawn up by the Congolese Constitutional Court, which would make Joseph Kabila President for life”, he added.
(Source: Belga)
