Kinshasa, April 14th, 2023 (CPA) –The persistence of insecurity in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which threatens the organization of elections in December 2023 and other current issues were addressed, Thursday, by the human rights activist, Christopher Ngoyi, in an interview with the CPA.
This general coordinator of the « Civil Society of Congo » also deplored, through his point of view, « the injustice of the international community, still hesitant to sanction Rwanda, the aggressor country of the DRC, while it is more mobilized for the cause of Ukraine.
Finally, Christopher Ngoyi decried « the non-integration of civil society organisations in the programme of the fight for a change of mentality ».
Question 1: How do you read the current electoral process? Can’t the Congolese expect an attempt to postpone the elections due to the persistent insecurity in the east of the country?
Christopher Ngoy: « We are confident. We think that efforts are being made, also on sensitization, where I think there is still work to be done, on the logistical side which was a problem at the beginning, but now that there is a trained staff, we have the impression that the work is progressing well, even if there are places where we still notice that the machines are not in sufficient number. We therefore believe that they are on schedule and that the will to organize the elections within the constitutional deadline is perceptible.
Regarding the persistence of insecurity in the East of the DRC, we say that it is a case of jurisprudence that the country has experienced in 2018, with the province of Ituri which had been set aside because of insecurity, only to return well afterwards. But we think that for the enrolment that is currently taking place in North Kivu, where there are many displaced people, INEC had proposed two possibilities.
We can base ourselves on the old statistics, to allocate the number of seats to all these populations hoping that once the war is over they will return to their lands. But we cannot rule them out now, knowing that access to certain villages is difficult, places that are empty or still occupied by foreigners, transplanted by the M23s, who make the natives flee.
While waiting for order to return, and in order to deal with the most urgent situation, INEC can, as a first step, consider the statistics and allocate the number of seats to all these entities, in relation to what they had before, with the possibility of updating the field data later.
If we postpone the elections because we see that we cannot go ahead without the two provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, this will be justified and we will not make a problem of it.
Insecurity is a valid justification known to everyone. It is a reality that is imposed. And the government and the army are doing everything to put an end to it.
Question 2: How do you assess the reactions of major powers and world organizations to the Congolese government’s constant calls for sanctions against Rwanda, the aggressor country of the DRC?
Christopher Ngoyi: « I think that these great powers are disappointing us somewhere. We cannot see double standards, considering the case of the aggression of Ukraine by Russia, which has mobilized the entire international community. The latter is doing everything to assist Ukraine and to impose multiple sanctions on the aggressor, while in the same space of time and on the same planet earth, the DRC is being attacked.
And this is not the first blow from Rwanda. This war has decimated more than 12 million Congolese. These are human beings who are dying in the same way as the Ukrainians. So I think that the condemnation of Rwanda, especially of Paul Kagame, should take place as soon as possible. And it is deplorable that it comes with a lot of hesitation.
And beyond that, when we consider everything that has been imposed on us since the beginning of this crisis, in particular the presence of MONUSCO on our territory for more than 20 years, and Rwanda still not being condemned, we, as a civil society, bitterly regret and warn.
For the population that we manage and supervise is in the process of realizing the extent of the injustice and is developing an aversion to the great powers and the West. We take this opportunity to tell our partners in the field of human rights that it is time to rectify or change their approach.
Question 3: The country has a « National program for the fight to change mentalities ». Are you one of those who think that this is an unavoidable project for the development of the DRC? What is your contribution to the success of this program, as a civil society?
Christopher Ngoyi: « Thank you very much. The National Program for the Fight against Mentalities is essential for any society, not only in the DRC, because we are in a changing world, where we have to adapt to all fluctuations. And the human being being being the main subject, as a catalyst of any change and beneficiary or undergoing this change, he is called to adapt. It is irresponsible for the elite to let society evolve without guidance, without reference points, and without culture either. As far as our country is concerned, there are requirements linked to the Sustainable Development Goals. There is the fight against global warming, which is still not integrated into our culture. The fight against insalubrity does not impact on our daily life either. And all of this with a growing population, without supervision. The disordered road traffic experienced on a daily basis through the arteries of the capital is a considerable indicator and proof of the need for in-depth awareness-raising action.
The State tends to lose its vocation to impose the law here; it is not sufficiently supported through the national program to fight for a change of mentality. And civil society, which is its natural partner, is completely sidelined, whereas it should normally be involved. As civil society, we have organizations that are in direct contact with the population. And for these organizations, raising awareness about changing mentalities is an exercise in physical contact, education and moralization that need the involvement of all layers of society.