Human rights in DR Congo: Paul Nsapu differentiates between structural issues in Kinshasa and atrocities in the east

During a recent evaluation of the state of human rights in the République Démocratique du Congo, Paul Nsapu, the head of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), provided a detailed analysis of the progress and challenges under the current administration. While he noted that there have been certain legislative improvements, he emphasized a profound divide between the types of abuses occurring in different parts of the country.

Structural failures in Kinshasa and government-controlled zones

In territories under the direct administration of the capital, Nsapu pointed to persistent structural failures. These include the erosion of civil and political rights, alongside economic and social deficiencies. He specifically identified the right to employment, access to healthcare, and the quality of education as areas where the population continues to suffer.

According to the CNDH president, these issues are the result of a long-term lack of development across several successive regimes. He argued that these administrations have consistently failed to improve the daily living conditions of the Congolese people, leading to a stagnation of basic social and economic rights in these regions.

The “hard core” of human rights under threat in the east

The situation takes a much more violent turn in the eastern provinces, particularly in North Kivu, South Kivu, and parts of Ituri. In these conflict zones, Nsapu warned that the very “hard core” of human rights is being systematically targeted. This refers to the most fundamental protections, such as the right to life, the right to personal safety, and basic individual freedoms.

He explicitly attributed this severe degradation to the presence of the Rwandan military and the violent activities of its allied militias. Because these specific areas currently lie outside the central government’s effective control, the local population is subjected to extreme atrocities that differ fundamentally from the structural challenges faced in the west.