The DRC needs freedom of expression not repression

Fred and Yves are like you and me: activists, committed to bring about change and advocate for rights for all.

A year ago, they attended a conference in the capital of their home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The event’s aim was to launch a platform called "Filimbi" that works towards encouraging young Congolese people to peacefully and responsibly exercise their civic rights.

Following a press conference, they took part in a workshop where pro-democracy activists from several African countries gathered to exchange experiences on the theme "Youth and Citizenship". But in the middle of the event Congolese security forces raided the building and arrested 27 participants. This all happened in spite of the meeting’s previous authorisation by the relevant state actors.

Although most of the detained activists have been released a week after their arrest, Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala are still in prison after a year.

The young men are prisoners of conscience detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

It’s time to call on the authorities of the DRC to release the two activists immediately and unconditionally. The DRC needs #ExpressionNotRepression!

You can find more details about Fred and Yves and about how the DRC silences dissent here.

>>TAKE ACTION! Join us to call for an immediate and unconditional release of Fred and Yves so they can continue to conduct their activities freely. You can find more details here.

Is sharing a joke enough reason to jail someone?

Fomusoh Ivo Feh, a 29-year old Cameroonian student was about to start university when he was arrested by six plain-clothes men in the South-West region of Cameroon on 13 December 2014. His arrest followed a sarcastic SMS message that he sent to a friend , Azah Levis Gob who also shared it with his friend, Afuh Nivelle Nfor, a secondary-school student. The SMS was sent as a joke about how difficult it is getting into university or finding a good job without being highly qualified in Cameroon – suggesting it was easier to get into Boko Haram. The message read: ‘Boko Haram recruits young people from 14 years-old and above. Conditions for recruitment: 4 subjects at GCE, plus religion.’ After a teacher saw the message on Afuh Nivelle Nfor’s phone and showed it to the police, Ivo and his friends were arrested in late 2014. Subsequently, all three were charged with several offences, including attempting to organise a rebellion. A military court in Yaoundé sentenced Ivo and his ...

The ideology of Boko Haram and the Islamic State

Boko Haram had announced the group's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State on 7 March 2015, therewith aligning itself with the IS in the global Jihadist movement. The IS welcomed the news and promptly accepted a pledge of allegiance to the group , according to an audiotape purportedly from its spokesman. "We announce to you to the good news of the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa because the caliph... has accepted the allegiance of our brothers [..]” – IS spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani said in the message. However, this video appearing on IS-affiliated websites could not be authenticated. Although the nature of exact links between the two armed groups are still unclear, it can be confirmed that their ideologies and operations show similarities, despite some remaining differences. (Source: www.dw.com) The ideology of the two armed groups The ideology of both groups is based on a premodern theological tradition that wants the establishment o...

When peacekeepers should be held accountable

Abuses by UN peacekeepers have been committed over the past two decades in various parts of the world. Blue Helmets in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), just to mention a few missions, have abused their power and aggravated the suffering of war-thorn local communities. The embarrassment caused by the misconduct of UN forces in devastated communities around the world has become an increasingly high profile, political problem . Commitments by various high-profile UN officials, including the incumbent and the previous Secretary Generals have been made to uproot the horrific human rights violations and the impunity that surrounds them. More than a decade ago, the previous Secretary General Kofi Annan pledged to eliminate the scourge of sexual abuse from the UN and introduce a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual violence in conflict. As part of the broad package to reform the UN Department of Peacekee...

Crumbs of human rights

Search This Blog