Kinshasa threatens opponents travelling to Goma with prison
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on RFI
DR Congo's deputy prime minister of the interior, Jacquemain Shabani, has threatened to prosecute opponents who travel to Goma without authorisation, with a penalty of between one and five years of penal servitude, according to RFI. He says he is relying in particular on article 192 of the Congolese penal code, which punishes unauthorised dealings with nationals or agents of an enemy power in wartime.
Jacquemain Shabani also plans to refer the matter to the presidents of both chambers of Parliament. The Article 64 coalition, which is considering a meeting with former president Joseph Kabila in Goma, for its part presents the move as a search for peaceful solutions to the crisis, according to RFI.
On the judicial front, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Firmin Mvonde, has given magistrates thirty days to review detentions and help relieve prison overcrowding, according to RFI. Makala central prison in Kinshasa holds 16,155 inmates for a capacity of 1,500 places, including 303 women and 201 children.
The pressure on the opposition comes after several public statements against Joseph Kabila and his rebellion. On 26 October, Eddy Kapend, head of DR Congo's Republican Guard, accused the former president of wanting to retake power by force, while nationals of the former Léopoldville province announced on 5 November their support for Kabila's National Resistance Front.},{
