In a press release dated April 18, 2025, signed by its president, Emmanuel Adu Cole, the Bill Clinton Foundation for Peace (BCFP) warned of a complaint that Ms. Gisèle Nebale Busima’s counsel intends to file with the US State Department and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to seek reparations to rectify the abuses and misdeeds suffered by their client in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
FBCP states that this case is being brought before the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and even the US State Department, since these acts constitute serious and flagrant attacks on the rights and freedoms of Mrs. Gisèle Nebale Busima.
The human rights non-governmental organization in its press release, highlighted “the kidnapping, sequestration, illegal detention and defamation of Ms. Gisèle Nebale Busima”.
Nebale was reportedly kidnapped and illegally detained in room 202 of the Castello Hotel, for 45 days (from September 30, 2024 to November 22, 2024), without any contact with the outside world.
The NGO which quotes the victim’s lawyers, point the finger at three high-ranking figures in DRC government, including the Minister of Communication and Media who is also the country’s government Spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, as well as Major General Christian Ndaywel who’s the former military intelligence chief and current land forces commander.
The allegations against them are reportedly committed outside internationally established judicial procedures.
“According to his lawyers, Maîtres René St Fort and Bernard Maingain, human rights in the DRC are being completely violated, due to non-compliance with Articles 16 and 18 of the Constitution of 18 February 2006, in relation to the actions of the Minister of Communication and Media, Mr Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, General Christian Okura Ndaywel and Colonel Ralph Muzimba ,” the FBCP stressed.
It should be noted that the victim claimed to have been tortured during her captivity.
“According to the victim, during her captivity, she was continually subjected to all kinds of threats and psychological torture ,” the organization said.
According to the FBCP, Ms. Gisèle Nebale Busima, whose two phones confiscated by the former DEMIAP have never been returned, and she has been receiving death threats from her attackers since late March and early April 2025.
Ms. Gisèle Nebale Busima’s lawyers reportedly told the FBCP that these same people were conducting a defamation and smear campaign aimed at publicly discrediting her, portraying her as a Rwandan and a spy on opposition’s payroll.
“These false and unfounded allegations have seriously damaged her reputation and her professional life”, she reportedly admitted.
