HRW Report: Martial Law in Ituri Province Suppresses Free Speech and Assembly Rights

Peaceful protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing military trial for participating in demonstrations, according to a report by Human Rights Watch released on April 21, 2026. The organization states that martial law, which remains in effect in eastern provinces including Ituri and North Kivu, has been used to suppress fundamental rights such as peaceful assembly, free speech, and access to fair justice, rather than to curb ongoing violence by armed groups.

The report details how authorities have cracked down on opposition members, journalists, activists, and government critics amid heightened political tensions ahead of the December 2026 general election. In particular, security forces used excessive force to disrupt a protest organized by a coalition of opposition parties in Kinshasa on May 20, 2026, where demonstrators denounced the high cost of living, lack of transparency in the electoral process, and persistent insecurity in the eastern regions.

Human Rights Watch further reports that government forces were involved in serious abuses, including the killing of dozens of civilians during an operation to enforce an August 30, 2025 ban on demonstrations in Goma. The organization notes that despite the imposition of martial law, widespread violence and atrocities by armed groups against civilians in Ituri and North Kivu provinces have continued unabated.

the number of internally displaced people across the country has risen to nearly 7 million—the highest figure in Africa—according to United Nations data cited in the report. More than half a million people have fled their homes due to the offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which has worsened the humanitarian situation in North Kivu.

The report concludes that President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration has made little progress on promised systemic reforms aimed at breaking cycles of violence, abuse, corruption, and impunity that have persisted in the country for decades. Repression against journalists, activists, and peaceful demonstrators continues both online and through physical targeting of individuals.