Luc Nkulula (October 18, 1985 - June 10, 2018) was a Congolese political activist and leader of the pro-democracy movement lutte pour le changement (LUCHA).
Luc Nkulula | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 18, 1985 |
| Died | June 10, 2018 |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, political activist |
Biography
editNkulula was born in Lubumbashi, a city in southern Congo, and grew up between there and Goma in the east of the country. He obtained a law degree from the University of Goma, after which he worked as a consultant for various international organizations.[1]
Nkulula joined LUCHA, a Congolese pro-democracy movement, upon its creation in 2012 and became one of its leading members.[2] He represented the movement at a meeting with President Joseph Kabila in 2016, where he criticized the president for his lack of action for the violence-plagued east of the country[2] and urged him to relinquish power peacefully. Nkulula's activism involved encouraging young people in his country to be involved in public affairs.[1] From his leading role in a campaign to improve access to safe drinking water in Goma, he was often known by the nickname "H2O".[2]
Nkulula died on the night of June 9–10, 2018 as his house burnt down.[3] The death was deemed "suspicious" by other LUCHA members,[4] even though "an investigation blamed a faulty solar panel".[5] He was eulogized by The Economist as "one of Congo’s bravest campaigners for democracy and free elections."[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Maclean, Ruth (July 18, 2018). "Luc Nkulula obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Under the volcano: Luc Nkulula died on June 10th". The Economist. 2018-08-09. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- ^ Sawyer, Ida (June 11, 2018). "Congolese Democracy Activist's Death Mourned". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018.
- ^ "Mort de Luc Nkulula en RDC: ouverture d'une enquête judiciaire". Radio France Internationale. June 11, 2018. Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "The Congolese protester who was arrested, beaten and became a martyr". BBC News. 5 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
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