Major opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are sounding the alarm following the arrest of former presidential candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary in the capital on Tuesday.
The detention was confirmed by Shadary’s own party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). A spokesperson for the PPRD stated that Shadary was taken into custody under conditions that “raise serious concern,” though specific charges have not been publicly disclosed.
The arrest coincided with a nighttime raid on the offices of the Common Front for Congo (CFC) coalition. The PPRD spokesperson confirmed that Shadary, who serves as the PPRD’s number two official, was the CFC’s presidential candidate in the 2018 election.
The PPRD holds significant political weight as the party founded by former President Joseph Kabila, who ruled the DRC for nearly two decades until 2019. Kabila himself was sentenced to death in absentia earlier this year after a conviction for treason, related to his alleged ties to the M23 rebel group operating in the country’s volatile east. Despite living in exile, analysts note Kabila has maintained influence, recently hosting opposition figures in Nairobi, Kenya.
The arrests occur against a backdrop of sustained military conflict. The M23 rebel group continues its campaign in eastern DRC, seizing territory despite recently signed peace agreements with the government in Kinshasa.
The developments have intensified fears among opposition groups of a widening crackdown, linking internal political maneuvers to the ongoing national security crisis. There has been no immediate statement from government authorities regarding Shadary’s arrest or the raid on the CFC offices.