Opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have condemned the arrest of Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former presidential candidate and senior opposition figure, describing it as politically motivated and lacking transparency. Shadary was detained in the capital, Kinshasa, on Tuesday, according to his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). The party said he was arrested without a clear warrant and held “under conditions that raise serious concern.” It also reported that security forces carried out overnight searches at offices linked to the Common Front for Congo (FCC), the opposition coalition aligned with the PPRD.
Shadary served as interior minister under former president Joseph Kabila and was the FCC’s candidate in the disputed 2018 presidential election, where he placed third behind Félix Tshisekedi, who was later declared the winner. He remains the PPRD’s second-ranking official and a key figure in the Kabila political camp. The PPRD was founded by Kabila, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2019. Earlier this year, a Congolese military court sentenced Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of treason over alleged links to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group charges his allies strongly deny. Kabila has lived outside the country since leaving office but has continued to engage with opposition figures, including meetings held in Nairobi.
Shadary’s arrest comes amid renewed fighting in eastern DRC, where the M23 has continued to advance despite multiple ceasefire and peace initiatives backed by regional mediators. While authorities have not publicly explained the reasons for his detention, opposition groups warn the move could further inflame political tensions at a time of heightened insecurity. The government has yet to clarify whether Shadary’s arrest is connected to the conflict in the east or to other ongoing investigations.
