Close Associate of Matata Ponyo Transferred to Ndolo Prison After Four Months

Kinshasa, January 11, 2026 - After four months of detention, a close associate of Augustin Matata Ponyo has been transferred to Ndolo Military Prison.

The LGD and Allies political coalition announced on Friday the transfer of Professor Pascal Isumbisho Mwapu, political advisor to opposition leader Matata Ponyo, to Ndolo Prison in Kinshasa, after several months of detention at the National Cyber Defense Council (CNC).

In a statement dated January 9, the coalition said the transfer took place on Thursday, January 8, following what it described as “four months of arbitrary and illegal detention” at the CNC. Professor Isumbisho was arrested on September 9, 2025.

LGD and its allies maintain that their founding member is being wrongfully accused of collaborating with the AFC/M23 rebels, accusations they describe as “unfounded and politically motivated.” The coalition denounced what it called “political harassment,” “manipulation of the judicial system,” and the “repression of critical voices.”

The coalition is demanding respect for the rights of the defense, an end to arbitrary detentions, and the “immediate and unconditional release” of Professor Isumbisho, arguing that no legal charges justify his continued detention. It also called on the national and international community and human rights organizations to closely monitor the case.

This development comes amid a realignment of the Congolese opposition. A faction has launched a new political platform, “Save the Democratic Republic of Congo,” led by former President Joseph Kabila.

The platform brings together several opposition figures, including Augustin Matata Ponyo, Franck Diongo, Seth Kikuni, and André Claudel Lubaya, as well as civil society actors. In their final declaration, participants acknowledged the existence of a political and security crisis and called for joint actions in support of national reconciliation.