Prosecution calls for 25 death sentences in DR Congo rebellion trial
Africa
By
VOA
| Jul 30, 2024
A Congolese prosecutor Monday requested death sentences against 25 defendants accused of belonging to the M23 rebel group in a high-profile trial in Kinshasa.
The prosecution called for a 20-year jail term against a 26th defendant.
The Tutsi-led M23, backed by Rwanda, has seized huge swathes of territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since late 2021.
Only five of the accused are present for the trial in a military court, with the rest being tried in absentia. They face charges of war crimes, participation in an insurrection and treason.
The most prominent is Corneille Nangaa, a former president of the Congolese electoral commission. In December, he announced in Nairobi the creation of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a political-military movement of rebel groups including the M23.
READ MORE
Ongoing labour unrests are early signs of an economy that's about to collapse
Trailers and weighbridges: The untold story
KTDA moves to restore order in tea bonus declarations
Madagascar tycoon to buy Zuku parent firm Wananchi Group
How container cash deposits are creating a problem for Kenyan traders
Gold rush: How illegal gallbladder trade threatens Lake Victoria fishers
Real estate posts high productivity as challenges hit wholesale, retail sectors
Agencies in fresh plan to market Kenyan coffee
AI-driven smart borders transform travel security
Fresh test for Ruto as IMF urges new tax policies to unlock loans
Other major M23 figures are on trial including its President Bertrand Bisimwa, military chief Sultani Makenga, and spokespersons Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka.
Yet none of the five defendants in court are widely known.
Two admitted being members of the AFC. One of them, Nkangya Nyamacho, alias Microbe, told the court he joined the AFC "because there is injustice and discrimination in this country."
The defendant against whom the prison sentence was requested maintained he was innocent, saying he was arbitrarily arrested due to his surname Nangaa.
The trial opened last week with 25 defendants, of whom 20 were on the run, but a former M23 spokesperson has also been charged.
The defense is expected to make their case on Tuesday.
In March, the Congolese government defied criticism from human rights organizations and lifted a moratorium on the death penalty that had been in place since 2003, aiming to target military personnel accused of treason.
Around 50 soldiers have been sentenced to death in the east of the country since the start of the month for "cowardice" and "fleeing the enemy."
M23 is one of dozens of rebel groups active in the DRC's restive east, many are the legacy of the regional conflict that erupted from the 1990s onward after the fall of longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
- Education CS silent as teachers, lecturers threaten to strike
- The new sound of faith: How youth culture has redefined gospel music
- Why raising Gen Z kids is a tough balancing act for modern parents
- The 45 minutes of terror when Parliament fell
- Practice safe sex and avoid uninspected meat, Kenyans cautioned