DR Congo Military Court Sentences 25 To Death

A military court in Congo sentenced 25 individuals, including the leader of a rebel coalition, to death on Thursday after a high-profile, televised trial that began late last month. Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), was convicted of war crimes, participating in an insurrection, and treason. Nangaa and 19 other defendants sentenced to death were not present at the trial, as they are currently fugitives.

In a text message to the Associated Press from an undisclosed location, Nangaa described the trial as a “nauseating judicial saga” that underscores their fight for democratic normality in Congo.

The AFC, a political-military movement launched by Nangaa in December, aims to unite armed groups, political parties, and civil society against the Congolese government. One of its most notorious members is the M23, an armed group implicated in mass killings during Congo’s prolonged conflict in the eastern region.

Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, along with U.S. and U.N. experts, has accused neighboring Rwanda of providing military support to M23. While Rwanda denies these accusations, it admitted in February to having troops and missile systems in eastern Congo for security reasons, citing a buildup of Congolese forces near the border.

The court’s ruling against Nangaa comes shortly after the announcement of a ceasefire between Congo and Rwanda, mediated by Angola. Although the ceasefire took effect on Sunday, its longevity is uncertain, as previous truces have quickly collapsed, and fighting has already resumed near the border with Uganda.

Yvon Muya, a conflict studies researcher at Saint Paul University, suggested that the death sentence against Nangaa might be intended to gain leverage in potential future negotiations with Rwanda or the armed groups.

The conflict in eastern Congo, ongoing for decades, has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 100 armed groups vying for control of land and valuable mineral-rich mines. Many of these groups have been accused of committing mass killings, rapes, and other human rights abuses.

The violence has displaced approximately 7 million people, many of whom live in temporary camps, while others remain beyond the reach of humanitarian aid.