Paris Protest Calls for Action on DRC Violence

Protesters in Paris call for action on DRC violence

By Edwige Wamanisa, Africanews, Paris

Over the weekend, nearly 1,500 demonstrators took to the streets of Paris in a powerful show of solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), demanding an end to the violence ravaging the eastern part of the country. The march, organised by the group 'Urgence Pona Mboka,' was a call for international intervention and a push to hold accountable those fueling the ongoing conflict.

The protesters, many waving Congolese flags and holding signs with messages such as “Stop the War,” “Our Wealth, Our Right,” and “Justice for the DRC,” voiced their frustration over the violence and the lack of meaningful international support for the DRC in the escalating conflict.

Gilcy, a protester, expressed the anger and determination felt by many:

“Today, we are gathered because we are fed up with everything happening in the east of the DRC. This conflict has been ongoing for 30 years, and many people have suffered because of it. And today, what we are asking from the international community is for them to impose strong sanctions on Paul Kagame’s regime, so that this conflict in the east can finally be stopped once and for all.”

Protesters called for a stronger response from world powers to take more decisive action.

One of the event organisers from 'Urgence Pona Mboka,' also addressed the crowd, stressing the importance of solidarity and perseverance:

“I’m here as one of the organisers of this protest. A protest to show that Congolese people are standing up. We must not be discouraged, we must not be intimidated. The international community, with France at the forefront, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States of America—this is what we call the international community, and they are still against us. And today, we’ve said—no, we’ve said no, and we are showing it.”

With the eastern DRC still plagued by conflict, the protesters are calling on the international community to act before it’s too late.