A consortium of 33 Congolese civil society organizations has formally called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate what they describe as the illegal detention of more than 10,000 people across the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The coalition accuses authorities of presiding over a “collapse of the rule of law” and challenges recent public reassurances by the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.
In a February 26, 2026 letter, the organisations sharply contested Minister Wagner’s remarks that the human rights situation remains under institutional control.
“We are formally addressing you with the utmost seriousness regarding the alarming deterioration of the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in stark contradiction to the public statements made by Ms Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs,” they wrote.
The letter alleges that detainees are held “often without access to a lawyer, without regular notification of the charges against them, and in manifest violation of the most basic procedural guarantees.”
It further claims that opaque and unofficial detention facilities—described as “clandestine dungeons”—operate outside independent oversight, where arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions are reportedly commonplace.
“The impunity enjoyed by those responsible for these systematic violations entrenches a system in which institutions meant to protect citizens themselves become instruments of repression,” the letter adds.
The coalition also expressed concern about the newly established National Cyberdefense Council, warning that it could expand state surveillance and curtail freedoms of expression under the pretext of digital security.
Among their key demands, the civil society groups called on the UN High Commissioner to:
- Initiate an independent and comprehensive assessment of the situation;
- Demand the immediate release of individuals held arbitrarily;
- Request unrestricted access to detention facilities;
- Remind Congolese authorities of their international human rights obligations.
“The international community cannot remain silent in the face of violations of this magnitude. The credibility of international commitments and the effective protection of human rights are at stake,” the letter concludes.
The appeal comes after Foreign Affairs Minister Wagner reportedly reassured international partners that the government has implemented judicial reforms, restructured the security sector, and remains committed to constitutional order and civil liberties.
She dismissed claims of widespread arbitrary detention as exaggerated or politically motivated, framing them as disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining state authority during ongoing security challenges, particularly in the eastern provinces.
