DRC: Attempted assassinations and persistent threats against Congolese lawyers in Uvira
30 September 2025
The legal profession in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still targeted in the context of the violent armed conflict in North and South Kivu, following the M23 rebellion supported by the Rwandan army in the east of the DRC.[1]
Since February 2025, Olivier Fataki Lungwe, Christian Loseka Mitamba, Eric Shejembe Ruhimbana, Alphonse Eric Mushuka and Augustin Rukakiza Mitambo have been the subject of death threats from members of armed factions. These lawyers had assisted victims of rape and murder in the town and territory of Uvira, south of Bukavu. They are now being hunted by members of armed groups who have allegedly been convicted for defending these cases.
The perpetrators of these threats are currently on the loose following the escape of all the prisoners from Mulunge central prison in Uvira. Since then, most of them have joined active armed groups, following an expansion by M23 rebels into the town of Uvira.
Mr Loseka Mitamba has reportedly escaped an assassination attempt on 25 September by someone on a motorbike who fired at point-blank range, to no avail. This is not the first assassination attempt against a legal professional; in fact, several have been recorded by local organisations.
One of the five lawyers targeted was abducted on 30 September 2025. He was eventually found tied to a tree trunk; his state of health remains critical.
The professional commitment of lawyers to victims of serious crimes exposes them to systematic reprisals. This systematic harassment attests the extreme vulnerability in which lawyers who tackle impunity find themselves. The situation confirms a worrying trend already denounced by the OIAD in a previous press release.
The Observatory strongly condemns these repeated human rights violations against Mr Olivier Fataki Lungwe, Mr Christian Loseka Mitamba, Mr Eric Shejembe Ruhimbana, Mr Alphonse Eric Mushuka and Mr Augustin Rukakiza Mitambo.
The Observatory reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with its Congolese colleagues.
The Observatory calls on the national authorities and the international community to act to guarantee the protection, physical integrity and free exercise of the profession of lawyer in the DRC.
The Observatory urges the Congolese authorities to allow justice to be dispensed without fear or reprisal.
The Observatory reminds the Democratic Republic of Congo of its obligations under international law, in particular:
- Article 6§1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life“.
- Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights: “Human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right“.
- The United Nations Basic Principle on the Role of Lawyers n°18: “Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions.“
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[1] France 24, “Rwandan soldiers fighting with M23 rebels in DR Congo, says UN report”, published on 8 July 2024, available online.
