This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
On June 23 and 24, 2020, protests erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo as activists opposed a bill aimed at reforming the country's justice system.
The proposed bill would have the office of the prosecution answer to the Ministry of Justice, a move strongly opposed by political parties and the national union of magistrates.
Protesters, some armed with petrol bombs, blocked traffic outside parliament in Kinshasa, erecting barriers and burning tyres. Police responded with warning shots and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The opposition to the bill is led by the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the party of President Félix Tshisekedi. In a statement, the UDPS warned the ruling Front Commun pour le Congo (FCC) against imposing its will on the Congolese people by force.
The Lamuka coalition, comprising prominent opposition leaders, also opposed the bill, terming it a 'manoeuvre of confiscation of the powers of the prosecutors of the republic by FCC.'
The UDPS accused the FCC and its supporters of wanting to protect criminals and encourage impunity. The ruling coalition, People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), responded by calling for the arrest and prosecution of the masterminds behind the protests.
