Congo MP Sentenced to 3 Years for Insulting President Kabila

Muhindo Nzangi, an opposition MP accused of insulting president Joseph Kabila and inciting violence is to spend the next three years at Makala Central Prison in Kishasa. Nzangi was convicted on Tuesday evening by the Congolese Supreme Court in Kinshansha following his arrest over the weekend. The MP, who represents Lubero area, was picked up on Sunday from Goma shortly after he appeared on a talk show at Radio Kivu. It is alleged that during the talk show Nzangi criticized the manner in which the Kabila led government is handling the conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  

He also reportedly called on citizens to mount pressure on the army to attack the positions of M23 rebels. Shortly after his arrest the MP was charged with insulting the president and revealing information that is prejudicial to state security. It is alleged that the opposition politicians was not allowed to enter any plea when he appeared in court. His lawyer Ruffin Lukoo has described the decision of the supreme court as outrageous and a big blow to democracy in the country. Lambert Mende, the Congolese government spokesperson accuses the politician of fueling confusion in Goma, which is already fragile.

He says Nzangi committee a big mistake by calling for violence instead of promoting peach and calm amongst the local population. Safari Jean Claude, a member of the Social Movement for Renewal-MSR, in which the legislator belongs, says that the decision by the Congolese Supreme Court does not come as a surprise. He says the arrest and subsequent of Nzangi is a clear indication that President Joseph Kabila is a typical dictator who runs after everybody who talks about what he thinks is not going well in the country. 

Nzangi was elected to the Congolese Parliament Known as the national deputy in Goma in 2011. The MSR has got 32 legislators out of the 500 in the National Deputy.