Event Summary
On 23 March 2026, activists from the citizen movement Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) organized a sit-in in front of the regional office of the National Electricity Company (SNEL) to protest the deterioration of electricity supply in Matadi, in Kongo Central province. The activists denounced the repeated power outages and what they consider to be excessively high electricity bills.
The demonstrators carried banners with messages such as “Access to electricity is a right recognized for all Congolese,” “SNEL = suffering for the population,” and “No to load shedding in Matadi.”
During the protest in front of the provincial headquarters building, LUCHA activists were repressed, beaten, and arrested by members of the Congolese National Police (PNC). They were taken in a jeep and brought to the urban police station in Matadi.
Following advocacy efforts with the Mayor of the city and the Commander of the PNC by the Provincial Network for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, the activists were released after several hours of detention.