During a live debate on Tuesday hosted by Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, Paul Nsapu, Chair of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), presented a nuanced assessment of human rights under President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration. While acknowledging legislative progress, he underscored the existence of two sharply contrasting realities across the country.

In the provinces under Kinshasa’s control, Nsapu identified systemic violations of civil, political, economic, and social rights—including access to work, healthcare, and education. These issues, he argued, stem from decades of governance failures, marked by chronic underdevelopment and persistent degradation of living conditions for ordinary citizens.

However, the situation in the east paints an even grimmer picture. In North Kivu, South Kivu, and parts of Ituri, Nsapu described a daily assault on fundamental human rights: the right to life, security, and individual freedom. He specifically cited the presence of Rwandan military forces and their allied militias in areas beyond Kinshasa’s control as key drivers of this deterioration.