Human-rights group says Congo's anti-crime crackdown fuels wave of forced disappearances
The Congolese Observatory of Human Rights reports that the "Zéro kuluna" operation has resulted in numerous forced disappearances of young people, including a 15-year-old student detained during a funeral vigil.
President Denis Sassou Nguesso initiated the "Zéro kuluna" security drive in September 2025, tasking the powerful Direction générale de la sécurité présidentielle with safeguarding the president and his entourage. Over time, the operation's scope broadened to target rising urban gang activity across Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Bambou, Dolisie and Nkayi. The Observatoire congolais des droits de l'homme has compiled a dossier documenting a pattern of forced disappearances involving young people, many of whom are arrested and then disappear without trace.
Among the cases listed is a 15-year-old student seized during a night-time funeral vigil in the Sangolo district, with the reason for his detention undisclosed and his parents left without news. The NGO’s findings suggest a systemic issue of arbitrary detention and lack of accountability within the crackdown.
Why it matters
It highlights potential human-rights abuses in a government security campaign affecting vulnerable youths.
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