In a press release, the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace denounces arbitrary detentions, illegal imprisonments, and the slowness of judicial procedures in the Congolese justice system.
This statement follows the death of Lieutenant General Shabani Sikatenda, who died on June 4, 2024, at the Military Hospital of Camp Tshatshi in Kinshasa (DRC).
The NGO states that the reasons for his arrest, which occurred in October 2023, remain unknown to the general public but could be linked to the war in Eastern DRC.
The Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace continues to denounce arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions, and the slow pace of justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It also laments that these conditions are causing daily deaths in the country’s prisons and calls for an investigation to clarify the circumstances of his death.
The FBCP is calling for the acceleration of judicial processes, improved conditions for prisoners and pre-trial detainees, and the closure of secret detention centers.
In the same vein, the case involving Madam Gisèle Nebale Busima against three senior figures in the Congolese political and security establishment — first among them the zealous Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, Minister of Communication and Media, General Christian Okura Ndaywel, and Colonel Ralph Muzimba — is a glaring and tragic example.
According to the plaintiff, who also holds American citizenship, she was allegedly arrested and detained arbitrarily without any legal warrant, which constitutes a blatant violation of the rule of law.
Her lawyer, Mr. René St-Fort, a criminologist and attorney, denounces acts “committed outside established legal procedures” and emphasizes the illegality of the decisions taken against her.
