By THE OBSERVER UG
In the lead-up to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s general election on December 20, two parliamentary candidates fell victim to separate fatal incidents on Friday, heightening concerns about electoral violence, according to a report by Human Rights Watch released on Saturday.
One candidate, affiliated with the ruling coalition, was fatally shot by unknown assailants while returning from a campaign event in South Kivu province in eastern Congo. In another incident, a ruling coalition candidate in Beni, North Kivu province, also in the east, succumbed to gunshot wounds following an ambush on his campaign convoy late Friday night.
Opposition parties and independent observers have raised alarms over various issues, including illegible voter cards, hindered campaign plans, and delays in electoral lists, posing threats to the credibility of the impending results. Human Rights Watch’s report highlighted clashes between supporters of rival political factions across the country since early October, leading to assaults, sexual violence, and at least one death. The violence, originating from both the ruling coalition and opposition supporters, continues to be reported.
In a separate incident unrelated to the election, an attack on a village in Ituri province resulted in the decapitation of at least 11 civilians, including six women. This brutal assault has been attributed to militants associated with the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces, known to operate in the eastern Congo region. The assailants targeted victims during a funeral in the village, leaving eleven dead while others managed to escape, as reported by Katembo Salamu, the deputy mayor of Mangina municipality in Ituri.
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