In April and September 2022, Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) human rights activists King Mwamisyo Ndungo and Elias Bizimungu, members of the movement Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), were arbitrarily arrested. They were later sentenced by a military court in Goma to five years in prison for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Amnesty International proclaimed the two as prisoners of conscience.
On May 29, 2023, Elias Bizimungu was acquitted and released. On January 27, 2025, King Mwamisyo Ndungo fled prison during a mass prison escape that followed the takeover of Goma by the March 23 Movement (M23) fighters. This is Mwamisyo’s story.
In 2021, President Félix Tshisekedi proclaimed a state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
He appointed army and police officers to replace civilian admins. He said this would help to deal with the several armed groups in the provinces so that civilians would be better protected.
At first, we were happy because to us, it seemed the President was determined to tackle these groups that had for years caused untold suffering to civilians.
The DRC Constitution strictly limits the use of state of siege (also referred to a state of emergency) to an initial 30 days and, if necessary, an extension of 15 days at a time. But in this case, Tshisekedi extended the state of siege for up to six months. And yet, nothing was changing in terms of the security situation.
We did not agree with these extensions because people were still being killed. In Beni, more people were killed during the state of siege by the various fighters in eastern DRC than when there was no state of siege. The army and the police had become law unto themselves using the state of siege to extort [money] from civilians.
Calling for an end to the siege
We started a campaign through social media to demand the end of the state of siege. Those of us who demanded the end to the state of siege were labelled enemies of the state.
“They sent me to prison for expressing my views against the state of siege. I spent close to three years arbitrarily detained.”
King Mwamisyo
The DRC authorities did not like our campaign. State security agents started looking for us. To them, an end to the state of siege would mean an end to their extortion of civilians. Even with the state of siege in place, civilians continue to suffer under these armed groups. Right now, the state of siege is still on, and March 23 Movement (M23 fighters) have captured half of North Kivu province.
On 2 April 2022, I was arrested and later presented before a military court. I was first charged with “insulting the president”, then they changed to “insulting the military”.
On 9 December 2022, the Goma military court found me guilty and sentenced me to five years in prison. When I appealed, the court upheld the ruling. I still hold that it was illegal to try me in a military court, because I am a civilian. They sent me to prison for expressing my views against the state of siege. I spent close to three years arbitrarily detained.
Life in hell
I was sent to Munzenze prison in Goma.
Life in prison was hell. Even animals do not live like this. It was not easy. You can die at any time. The prison was built for 300 people, but I was one of 4,000 prisoners. It was completely full. Illnesses were commonplace.
On 16 November 2023, while I was still in prison, my father suffered a heart attack and died. I did not get a chance to say goodbye. My mother, old and ailing, would come to visit me once every three months.
“Life in prison was hell. Even animals do not live like this. It was not easy. You can die at any time. The prison was built for 300 people, but I was one of 4,000 prisoners. It was completely full. Illnesses were commonplace.”
King Mwamisyo
One day, colleagues from LUCHA came to visit me. They told me that I had been declared an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience. They also told me that there was an ongoing campaign for my freedom. This gave me hope that one day I will be free.
Escaping the flames
In January this year, while in prison, we heard that M23 had entered the city. On 27th January, the sounds of gunfire and bombs got louder and closer to the prison. Some prisoners attempted to scale the walls to plead with the prison warders to free us, but the warders shot several of them.
Tragically, a fire broke out in the women’s wing of the prison. We don’t know the cause of the fire. Hundreds of women were burnt alive. Some of my fellow inmates also died as they attempted to escape prison, the fire was quickly engulfing the male prison too, so we had to escape.
I remember we scaled the wall about seven to nine metres high. Once outside, gunfire rang everywhere. I don’t like to remember the scenes of that day. When I remember what happened, I feel scared almost numb.
Not yet free
I found a place where some people hid me till morning. By morning, M23 had taken over the city. Luckily, I managed to get home, but I could not leave because of the insecurity that was prevailing in the city and the rebel group’s threats against human rights defenders. It was tough for me. It was as if I was coming from one jail to another.
“As a human rights defender, it is difficult to imagine our future. We are stuck between two forces who do not want us, the government on the one hand and the armed groups on the other.”
King Mwamisyo
As a human rights defender, it is difficult to imagine our future. We are stuck between two forces who do not want us, the government on the one hand and the armed groups on the other.
In September, I was finally able to come to the Amnesty International office in Nairobi, after being exiled from the DRC. I received thousands of letters from people who have been fighting for my freedom. It will take days for me to finish reading the letters, but the few I have read are very encouraging.
For now, I still worry about my future, as I am technically “a fugitive”. I am hopeful that somehow the trumped-up charges against me will be expunged, and I will be a free man again. I hope this injustice committed against me will soon be behind me.
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