DRC: Hubert Tshiswaka condemns taking up arms and challenges Joseph Kabila over violence against his own people

Hubert Tshiswaka Masoka, director general of the Human Rights Research Institute (IRDH), condemned the use of armed violence against the DRC in Lubumbashi on Friday. In a statement directed at former president Joseph Kabila, he called for political disagreements to be settled peacefully and warned that violence destroys homes, cities, roads and other infrastructure. He rejected the claim that armed struggle is necessary to make political demands heard, noting that political rivalries in other countries do not inevitably lead to war. Kabila has taken the lead from Goma in a new politico-military coalition that claims to use force against the Kinshasa government; its creation was announced on October 12.