Coalition of Women Defenders of Human Rights of North and South Kivu (CFDDH) and Protection International (PI) have called for the protection of women human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The call was made after political rights defender, Carine Kanku, was attacked in her home.
It is understood that the windows and front door of her house were smashed by a dozen people armed with machetes in the morning of 19 May, 2022.
The attackers, according to Kanku, who is also the national Coordinator of the National Dynamics of Women Candidates (DYNAFEC) in the country, climbed the wall of the fence and tried to force their way into the house but were unsuccessful.
‘We were attacked, our family at 3:00 am by a gang of criminals, God rescued us and thanks to the big family who had mobilised’, Kanku tweeted at 4:47 am on 19 May.
CFDDH and PI urged the Congolese government to rigorously investigate, identify and charge the perpetrators of this attack in accordance with the laws of the country.
‘PI and the CFDDH consider this attack as a form of intimidation and a threat aimed at discouraging and stifling the struggle of thousands of women engaged in electoral reform, a guarantee of a credible, transparent, democratic, peaceful and inclusive electoral process in the DRC’, they said in a statement.
‘PI and the CFDDH express their solidarity with Ms. Carine Kanku and reiterate their support for DYNAFEC and all women’s movements engaged in peaceful advocacy for the political participation of women and in decision-making bodies.
‘In light of this incident, we call on the Congolese authorities to encourage the political participation of Congolese women in the electoral process in order to facilitate the participation of women in the management of public affairs’.
Freedom House ranked the DRC as ‘not free’ in its 2022 Freedom in the World report of political rights and civil liberties with the Central African country earning 19 points out of a possible 100.
Source: Protection International
Photo source: Carine Kanku
