The President of the Constitutional Court and head of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, Dieudonné Kamuleta Badibanga, has issued a strong warning against what he described as illegal initiatives to recruit magistrates and reconstitute judicial authority in areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo currently under occupation.
In a press statement, Kamuleta said videos and audios have been circulating on social media calling for the recruitment of magistrates in those zones.
He stressed that under Articles 149 and 152 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Statute of Magistrates and the Organic Law on the organisation of the judiciary, only the Superior Council of the Judiciary holds the power to recruit and manage magistrates across the national territory.
“Any attempt to recruit magistrates or reconstitute the judicial system in violation of constitutional and legal provisions will produce no legal effect. All acts carried out in that manner are null and void,” the statement emphasised.
Kamuleta specifically appealed to magistrates residing in occupied territories, urging them not to adhere to what he described as an initiative of “the enemies of the Congolese people.”
The communiqué warned that any magistrates who defy these directives will face severe penal and disciplinary sanctions.
The declaration underscores Kinshasa’s determination to maintain judicial authority and coherence even as parts of the country remain under the control of AFC/M23.
