Congolese Catholics march toward ‘tired’ vote boss in Kinshasa

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:38 pm

Hundreds of Catholics took to the streets in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday (July 19).

The demonstrators have criticized Ronsard Malonda ‘s nomination as president of the independent national election commission. They accuse him of being compromised and rigged during the last general election for the country.

Gertrude EKombe, a march organizer said: “We ‘re marching for the CENI, this time we want a depoliticized CENI, a credible CENI so we don’t know the chaos we’ve experienced in 2018 any more.”

Hervé Diakiese, a core leader of the protest movement added: “Young people were shot, killed in front of churches so we could have fair elections.

And the memory that we bear is this. Therefore, we can no longer agree that once again the stage is set for the political turmoil that took place in 2018.’

The march is the third protest organized in the Congolese capital in 10 days ‘ time. Unlike the July 9 protest which claimed the lives of at least five protesters, the peaceful march was given police protection.