Event Summary
In October 2025, several human rights defenders (HRDs) from North and South Kivu provinces, who were displaced to Kinshasa due to ongoing armed conflict in eastern DRC, publicly denounced the alleged embezzlement of USD 4 million by government—funds they claim the government had allocated for their humanitarian assistance. In response, on 7 October 2025, the communication officer for the Minister of Human Rights issued a public statement dismissing the HRDs’ claims as a “media campaign hatched by agencies close to Rwanda.” He further emphasized that the funds would not be allocated to “individuals grouped around personalities close to Rwanda and ready to spit on the interests of the Republic”—a pointed reference to human rights defenders, who will be excluded from accessing these resources. Civil society’s role in oversight and advocacy is weakened by accusations of foreign allegiance which delegitimizes civil society actors who speak out against corruption or mismanagement, particularly in conflict-affected regions. The government’s framing of the HRDs as foreign-influenced and anti-national not only undermines their credibility but also creates a hostile environment for civil society, especially for displaced activists seeking accountability.
Le gouvernement de la RDC délégitime les défenseurs des droits humains et promet de leur refuser l’aide humanitaireEn octobre 2025, plusieurs défenseurs des droits humains (DDH) des provinces du Nord-Kivu et du Sud-Kivu, déplacés à Kinshasa à cause des conflits armés dans l’Est de la RDC, ont dénoncé un détournement présumé de 4 millions USD que le gouvernement aurait dédié à leur assistance. En réaction, le chargé de communication du Ministre a rendu public le 7 octobre 2025 un communiqué dans lequel il qualifie cette action des acteurs de la société civile de “campagne médiatique ourdie par des officines proches du Rwanda” et les DDH d’”individus regroupés autour des personnalités proches du Rwanda et prêts à cracher sur les intérêts de la République”.