Kinshasa, December 11th, 2025 (CPA).- “Putting human rights back at the heart of every citizen’s life” was the message from the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the celebration of International Human Rights Day, according to a document consulted by the CPA on Thursday. “Human rights, our everyday essentials,” this theme invites us to move beyond abstract discourse and put human rights back at the very heart of every citizen’s life, » said Paul Nsapu, president of the CNDH-DRC. He recalled that it was on December 10th, 1948, that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which is why this day is celebrated on December 10th each year. “It was born out of the ruins of World War II, the horrors of concentration camps, millions of deaths, genocides, and the systematic humiliation of human beings,” he recalled, showing how traumatized humanity had decided, “Never again.” The president of the CNDH also recalled that the Universal Declaration proclaims in its first article that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” »It enshrines, in particular, the right to life, liberty, and security; the prohibition of torture and slavery; equality before the law; freedom of opinion and expression; freedom of religion; the right to education, work, health, and a decent standard of living, » he said.
Unjust war
Furthermore, Paul Nsapu lamented that, at this time of commemoration, the DRC has been facing an unjust war of aggression by Rwanda for more than three decades.
“This war, which has intensified since January 2025, has claimed thousands of victims of all forms of violence,” he said with concern, noting that women are being raped, children abandoned, and men kidnapped and murdered. He believes that all these serious human rights violations must not go unpunished. For this reason, according to its president, the CNDH-DRC has reiterated its call for action to ensure that the Washington Agreement, ratified on December 4 by the presidents of the DRC and Rwanda, puts an end to impunity and that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice. ACP/