Marcel Tengeneza
Marcel Tengeneza worked in several different non-governmental organisations throughout his career as a human rights defender. Up until his assassination, he worked at the Regional Council of Development NGOs – Conseil Régional des ONG du Développement (CRONGD). It is reported that he had previously worked at the Program to Support the Development of people living in the rainforest, Pygmies too - Programme d’appui au développement des populations forestières en RDC, les pygmées aussi (PAP-RDC) and as the Vice President of a civil society coalition in Kirumba.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains volatile and human rights defenders (HRDs) remain at grave risk. They continue to operate at serious personal risk in an atmosphere of violence, hostility and instability. Absence of the rule of law and a climate of impunity prevail. As a consequence of carrying out activities such as investigating and exposing atrocities, combating sexual violence, advocacy with respect to the elections, and independent journalism, many HRDs have been subject to threats and attacks.
Congolese human rights defenders are frequent targets of intimidation, judicial proceedings, stigmatisation, death threats, arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detentions, gender based violence, ill treatment in prison including refusal of access to lawyers and medical care, physical assault and in some cases torture or killing by DRC government agents or armed groups. Many HRDs are frequently forced into hiding as a result of the threats against their security and the safety of their families.
