DR Congo opposition leader banned from leaving country

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An opposition leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo said Monday he had been banned from leaving the country and stripped of his passport, condemning it as “intimidation” amid tensions with the government.

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Delly Sesanga, who heads the Envol party and is an ex-minister and former lawmaker, is a leading member of a new coalition against moves to amend the constitution paving the way to allow the president to stay in power.

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More than two years before the DRC next holds presidential polls, a bill on the organisation of a referendum on constitutional reform was adopted by parliament earlier this month.

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It could open the door to a third term in office for President Felix Tshisekedi, 63, whose second and — under the current iron-clad rules — final five-year mandate ends in December 2028.

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An opposition rally in the capital Kinshasa on June 12 to denounce an attempted “constitutional coup” was suppressed.

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Several opposition figures, including Sesanga, were wounded during clashes with pro-government activists and the police.

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The office of the UN human rights chief condemned the death of at least one demonstrator.

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Another rally is planned for July 8.

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Sesanga is part of the C64 (Coalition Article 64) set up in May to oppose the presidential move.

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He told AFP that on Sunday he went to the airport where officials at the border checkpoint confiscated his passport and he was informed that he was not allowed to leave the country.

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He was told he had to take it up with the judicial system and was given no further explanation, he added.

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A source close to the matter confirmed his account.

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“It’s intimidation and a form of arbitrariness,” Sesanga told AFP. “I haven’t received any information about any proceedings that may have been brought against me.”

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The Congolese news agency quoted a judicial source as saying that a judicial investigation against Sesanga was under way.

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Sesanga, who said he was hurt in the legs during the demonstration, said he had been travelling to Europe on Sunday for medical reasons.

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AFP

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