23/05/23 (Agence Europe) – The EU condemns the repression of a Congolese opposition demonstration on 20 May in Kinshasa (DRC) and the “disproportionate use of force against demonstrators, including minors”, stressed the spokesperson of the European External Action Service, Nabila Massrali, on Monday 22 May. In a statement, she said that “the EU hopes that the independent judicial enquiry requested by the DRC’s Minister for Human Rights will shed light” on the violence. “Respect for public freedoms, including the freedom of assembly and association, is essential and is a determining factor in the conduct of a peaceful election”, the statement added, saying that “the EU expects the Congolese authorities to put in place the necessary conditions”. President Félix Tshisekedi is standing again in the presidential elections scheduled for 20 December 2023. (AN)