20091211

Lubumbashi — Crimes committed by members of the police force against the public have become a significant problem throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC.

Almost every week, rumours circulate of abuses committed by policemen - largely theft, extortion and physical abuse - but most are not officially reported, and investigations of alleged offending officers are rare.

This creates the perception that the police are above the law, even though senior officers insist that they will not tolerate abusive behaviour from their men.

One resident from the Kigoma neighbourhood in Lubumbashi says that, on the evening of November 3, he was assaulted by two policemen who demanded money.

With his arm still in plaster and an anxious look on his face, he told IWPR, "I was coming back from the guest house where I work, when two policemen stopped me and asked for my ID. I showed it, but they weren't satisfied. They asked for money. When I refused, one of the policemen pointed his weapon at me while the other searched me."

The victim says that he had 500 US dollars in a bag, which they tried to take.

"I was not going to let them have my bag so we started fighting," he said. "Since there were two of them, they won and beat me until they broke my bones. They took the money and my cell phone."

In Lubumbashi, officers hope a new Katanga province police academy, which will open early next year, can put an end to such behaviour, which damages the image of the DRC police.

The academy, which will run in cooperation with the criminology school of Lubumbashi's university, will offer retraining for existing members of the national police service.

Colonel Dati Kapend, Lubumbashi's deputy provincial investigator, says those who attend the academy will be instructed in the importance of upholding the law.

"We believe that, with well-trained policemen, the damage they do to society will be limited," he said. "The police force is no place for crooks. We want a police of intellectuals."

However, not everyone believes that better training gets to the heart of the problem.

Jean-Marie Yamukabo, a Katanga-based civil society activist, argues that what is really needed is an improvement in the living conditions of those who work in the police force.

"The police are civil servants," he said. "The Congolese government must grant the police a realistic budget as well as decent living conditions. This will guarantee the effectiveness of the services that they expect from the police. The police should also be given basic rights as outlined in the constitution, such as membership of trade unions."

Like civil servants throughout the DRC, members of the police force often complain that they are under-paid and lack the resources needed to effectively carry out their jobs, such as the means to cover transport costs.

Tales of police abuse and harassment are widespread throughout the neighbourhoods of Lubumbashi.

One young student says policemen tore off her jewellery and her cell phone while she was walking through the Gambela neighbourhood one evening.

"Don't we have the right to walk around when it's dark anymore?" she said. "The trouble caused by policemen is bothering us. I already feel insecure when I walk around my neighbourhood at night."

She complains that, instead of protecting people and their property, police steal and seem to feel no shame in doing so.

"It's as though a curfew has been decided," she said. "If you dare to walk around Gambela during the late hours, you will lose any valuable items on you. Sometimes, policemen even take your shoes and clothes, if they are in good condition."

A shopkeeper from Bel Air neighbourhood in the city says that his store was recently raided by police whose only purpose was to steal money.

"As I was about to close my shop for the night, I heard gunshots," he said. "Ten policemen, who were patrolling the area, entered my shop and asked for money. They took everything, the whole day's takings."

He says that the government should do more to control the activities of policemen, "Many members of the police seem to have forgotten that they are primarily civil servants and have a mission to protect the population and their belongings."

Colonel Henri Bashizi, the Lubumbashi police commander, insists that he takes a zero tolerance policy towards any abusive behaviour by his staff, although he accepts that "policemen are not saints".

"If a policeman bothers you, you should take your complaint to the military prosecution office," he said. "Policemen must uphold the law. Any policeman found to have abused people's property will go to jail immediately."

Bashizi said police behaviour is "a reflection of society", and that the alleged abuses by the police are a blight on the whole country, not just Lubumbashi.

He urged citizens of the DRC to report any unlawful behaviour by the police immediately, and firm action will then be taken.

"The police have rules that must be respected," he said. "If someone is a member of the police they must abide by the law."

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