Floribert Chebeya Bahizire
Floribert Chebeya Bahizire was a human rights defender and the executive director of La Voix des Sans-Voix – VSV (The Voice of the Voiceless). He was also the executive secretary of the Réseau national des ONG des droits de l’Homme de la RDC – RENADHOC (National Network of Human Rights NGOs of the DRC), based in Kinshasa.
In 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw the advent of a new government following long-awaited presidential elections. HRDs and other civil society actors were lauded for their advocacy as they worked tirelessly to call for a return to democratic institutions and good governance; their efforts played a significant role in the elections process. The advent of a new government is an opportunity to push forward the human rights agenda and ensure the protection of HRDs as the new president, Mr. Felix Tshisekedi, made commitments to respect human rights, to open up civic space ,and to protect HRDs who are at risk. Despite these successes, HRDs in the Democratic Republic of Congo are at risk of killings, threats, intimidation and judicial harassment. The risks are especially acute for WHRDs and HRDs working on land and environmental rights who are often seen as a threat to economic interests.
