DR Congo: In Rome, C64 calls for dissolution of Forces du progrès, branded a “militia of the ruling party”

Meeting in person for the first time in Rome, leaders of the Coalition Article 64 for the Defense of the Constitutional Order (C64) urged the government in Kinshasa to ease political tensions and dissolve Forces du progrès, a youth group affiliated with the ruling UDPS. Jean-Marc Kabund, Martin Fayulu, Delly Sesanga and Matata Ponyo cited Article 190 of the Constitution, which prohibits private militias, and said the war does not justify a general suspension of freedoms of expression, assembly and protest. Opposition figures have repeatedly accused Forces du progrès of disrupting demonstrations and attacking participants, sometimes with bladed weapons. UDPS secretary-general Augustin Kabuya has also criticized some members’ conduct, while the group’s presence in several Kinshasa districts and allegations that it collects taxes illegally have drawn further criticism.