Kasai Central: the shortage of judges hinders the proper functioning of a court

Kananga, May 10^th, 2026 (CPA).- The insufficient number of judges at the High Court of Tshimbulu in Kasai Central province, in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is preventing the court from functioning properly, a citizens’ group has noted on Saturday during an interview with CPA. “Only one judge is at his post, whereas three are needed to sit validly,” has declared Martin Mutela, regional coordinator of Debout Congolais pour le développement durable (Stand Up, Congolese for Sustainable Development) (DCDD). According to him, this situation has persisted for nearly two years, to the detriment of the population, adding that the Tshimbulu High Court is not functioning normally, with the result that residents of the territories of Dibaya, Dimbelenge, Demba, Luiza and Kazumba—who fall under this court’s jurisdiction—have no access to justice. The territorial coordinator has urged the judicial authorities to take the necessary measures to appoint new magistrates to this court to ensure the proper administration of justice in this part of the country. ACP/