In the recent election shift-affected regions in the Congo, the security situation is getting worse. Meanwhile, may make the opposition candidate Fayulu, according to a survey hopes on the President.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a few days before the elections on may 30. December continues to be confusing. Also on Friday, hundreds of people went back on the road, after the electoral Commission CENI had announced the previous day to postpone the presidential election in three regions of the country. In Beni, Butembo and Yumbi will now be elected only in March 2019, the new President will be sworn in, however, in mid-January. Numerous protesters were arrested, according to Reports, security forces use live ammunition and tear gas.
The opposition Alliance Lamuka, which supports the presidential candidate, Martin Fayulu, called on Friday for country-wide General strike to protest against the postponement of the elections. According to Agency reports, only a few people responded to the call, but outside of the affected regions. However, Martin Fayulu remains of a recent opinion poll shows that the favorite in the presidential race. With around 44 percent of the votes, he is clearly ahead of Felix Tshisekedi (24 percent) and the government-supported Emmanuel Shadary (18 per cent), the Congo Research Group at New York University.
The government of the Congo had referred on Thursday additionally, the EU Ambassador to the renewal of EU sanctions against government officials, including Shadary, of the country. Shadary was involved “in the planning, directing or committing acts of serious violations of human rights”, had informed the EU’s justification of the sanction renewal.
Congolese in North Kivu want to choose on Sunday
600 Ebola cases and militia attacks
From the latest choice shift about a Million voters in the East and the West of the country are affected. Especially the cities of Beni and Butembo are considered to be strongholds of the Opposition against the incumbent President, Joseph Kabila. Congo’s electoral Commission, CENI declared that the situation in the regions was due to the Ebola Virus and the threat of “terrorist attacks”. The Opposition suspected, however, an attempted Manipulation of the elections in favour of the government candidate Shadary.
The Ebola outbreak in the ostkongolesischen province of North Kivu is still not contained. According to data from Congo’s health Ministry, almost 600 people are infected with Ebola, around 350 have already died. Every day there are new suspected cases, but for the medical teams to use in Beni and Butembo is dangerous to life. As demonstrators stormed on the edge of the protests on Thursday to an Ebola treatment centre in Beni. 21 patients fled, until Friday afternoon they were all of them returned.
The Region to the East of the DR Congo is also for four years a war zone. Congo army (FARDC) and the UN blue helmet units of the Special intervention forces (FIB) together against the Ugandan militia ADF (United democratic forces), which has been entrenched in the high Rwenzori mountains, and from there, again and again, massacre of the population commits. Only on 23. December, so on the original day of the election, were killed in Beni again five people.
The youth protested against the exclusion of the election
“Violence is not good for anybody!”
According to UN figures, but also in other parts of the country in the run-up to the elections, more and more violence and insecurity. Abdoul Aziz Thioye, Manager of the common human rights Council of the UN in the Congo (BCNUDH), explains in the recent press conference that his office had registered since the beginning of the election Kamps 85 incidents. Including 43 cases of human were rights violations, twelve of which could be directly the armed groups attributed to.
“So there are certain actors that interfere directly in the political process and represent a Problem”, so Thioye. “We have registered a growth of violence, especially in the past 10 days, which worries us. There was also the part of the security forces excessive use of violence”, he says and warns: “I want to make it clear once more: violence is not good for anybody!”
UN military spokesman, Nabil Cherkaoui insured to read the Congo: “The UN forces will proceed with their patrols to continue and the protection of civilians, through their rapid deployment to guarantee troops”. The UN blue helmets would be in control especially in areas in which armed groups are active, he says.
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