Congolese Women Occupy The United States Embassy in Kinshasa

Congolese Women of the opposition have been occupying the entrance to the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have been staying overnight since Monday December 19. The group is led by Denise Lupetu (UDPS), Martine Bukasa (UNC), Honorine Bokashanga (A), Christine Masengu (MPCR), Elise Kalombo (RCDN), Pascaline Kudur (FIS). The women dropped off a memorandum at the U. S. Embassy regarding the fradulent reelection of Joseph Kabila. Below is the memo:

With great sorrow, the Congolese people, helpless, represented by women of the political opposition and as part of a global witness, attest to the hijacking of the 2011 presidential elections. Indeed, with great consternation, Congolese women of the political opposition denounce the extortion of the people's victory in the 2011 elections by the organizing authority, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI in French), in complicity with the forces of the outgoing government. A great outcry has gone out from numerous sources, in the press and elsewhere, denouncing the serious irregularities in the operations of the presidential elections, including:

- Pre-checked ballot papers for candidate number 3 (Mr. Joseph Kabila);

- Refusal and prevention of opposition witnesses to have access to some polling stations or to attend the emptying of ballot boxes;

- The malicious intent to withhold certified polling results from opposition witnesses;

- Relocation and removal of certain centers and polling stations;

- The prevention of some witnesses of the opposition from attending the compilation of results;

- Ballot stuffing, for candidate number 3 [Joseph Kabila] and candidates for parliament who are members of the presidential majority;

- The complicity of some security officers (the Republican Guard, the National Police, the Direction Générale de Migration - Homeland Security, the services of the ANR - secret service, the CENI officials, state agents), with the hidden intention of facilitating fraud.

Despite these glaring irregularities, the suffering people have witnessed the will they expressed at the polls stolen by CENI, which has facilitated the reversal of the trends in favor of their candidate Joseph Kabila.

The President of the CENI, Mr. Ngoy Mulunda, demonstrated support for Kabila early in the election process and unceasingly defended him, despite claims that he was serving an independent institutional role.

The incumbent created the same situation with its position vis-à-vis the CENI. Who does not remember the blank ballots found in 2006 in Mr. Ngoy Mulunda's offices, located at Avenue de la Justice, when he was not part of the 2006 electoral commission?

The Democratic Republic of Congo, our country, looks by all perspectives like a banana republic devoid of any law. The highest courts, namely, the Supreme Court of Justice, which is expected to uphold the law, has become simply an instrument of Joseph Kabila's power or better yet his own personal property. Despite all the accusations and blatant irregularities noted by the various stakeholders in the elections of November 28, the Supreme Court, which makes the final decision on election results, ultimately did nothing but express the will of the CENI and not the will of the Congolese people. Faced with this blatant theft of the Congolese people's voices, the people expect nothing less than the recovery, by any means necessary, of its hard-won victory at the cost of human life, to reference the 18 Congolese killed November 26, 2011 at Tshangu.

As if this were not enough, the Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication (CSAC - media regulator/censor) exploited by the dictatorial power of Mr. Joseph Kabila, blocked the signals of three television channels Radio Lisanga Télévision (RLTV), Congo Média Channel Télévision (CMC TV), Canal Congo Télévision (CCTV), all stations close to the opposition. The Congolese population have also been deprived of their liberty to communicate by elimination of the use of SMS.

Africa in general and the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular were encouraged by the involvement of the international community in resolving post-election conflicts in Ivory Coast by applying pressure to determine the truth of the polls and restore the will of the Ivorian people. This Ivorian situation has undeniable parallels to the Congolese situation. This is why the Congolese people believe that the international community has no excuse for this silence; we believe it should be held accountable for the consequences of its silence. The Democratic Republic of Congo, our country, has no need of strong men; instead it needs strong institutions.