DRC Military Court Sentences 26 to Death for Involvement with Armed Groups Including M23

In Summary

• A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sentenced 26 individuals, including leaders of armed groups like M23, to death. The trial, which began in late July, focused on charges such as war crimes, participation in an insurrection, and treason.
• Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), was among those sentenced to death in absentia. Nangaa and 20 other defendants are currently on the run. Five accused present at the trial have five days to appeal the sentence.
• The prosecutor sought death sentences for 25 defendants and a 20-year sentence for one. Nangaa, former president of the DRC's electoral commission, founded the AFC to unite armed groups, political parties, and civil society against the government. M23, a prominent armed group in eastern DRC, has been accused of mass killings.
• In March, the Congolese government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty, aiming to target military personnel accused of treason. President Felix Tshisekedi and international experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, which has taken control of significant territories in eastern DRC since 2021.
• The DRC's instability, marked by over 30 years of conflict, is driven by complex factors and a multitude of actors. M23 is one of many rebel groups rooted in regional conflicts dating back to the 1990s after the fall of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
• Tshisekedi has accused his predecessor, Joseph Kabila, of preparing an "insurrection" and having ties to the AFC. Several members of Kabila's party joined the AFC and are awaiting trial in Kinshasa, where they could face the death penalty.

GOMA, DRC- A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has sentenced 26 individuals to death, including key figures associated with armed groups like M23, following a high-profile trial that began in late July. The court found the defendants guilty of serious charges, including war crimes, participation in an insurrection, and treason.

Among those sentenced was Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), who was convicted in absentia. Nangaa, the former president of the DRC's electoral commission, launched the AFC political-military movement in December with the aim of uniting armed groups, political parties, and civil society against the government. Currently on the run, Nangaa and 20 other defendants received death sentences without being present in court. The remaining five accused individuals, who were present during the trial, have been granted five days to appeal their sentences.

The trial, which commenced on July 24, saw the prosecutor calling for death sentences for 25 of the defendants, while seeking a 20-year prison term for one. Nangaa’s involvement with M23, a notorious armed group accused of mass killings in the DRC’s conflict-ridden eastern regions, was a significant focus of the proceedings. The key M23 figures on trial included the group's president Bertrand Bisimwa, military chief Sultani Makenga, and spokespeople Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka.

In a text message to The Associated Press from an undisclosed location, Nangaa criticized the court's decision, describing it as part of a "nauseating judicial saga" that, according to him, only strengthens their resolve to fight for "democratic normality" in Congo.

This trial and sentencing occur amidst a controversial political climate in the DRC. In March, the Congolese government, facing criticism from human rights organizations, lifted a moratorium on the death penalty that had been in place since 2003. The decision was reportedly aimed at targeting military personnel accused of treason, further intensifying the political tensions in the country.

President Felix Tshisekedi has publicly accused neighboring Rwanda of providing military support to the Tutsi-led M23, which has seized significant territory in eastern DRC since late 2021. These accusations come as the DRC continues to grapple with over 30 years of conflict, fueled by a complex web of historical grievances, regional dynamics, and the presence of numerous armed groups.

M23 is among dozens of rebel factions operating in the DRC’s volatile eastern provinces, many of which trace their origins to regional conflicts that erupted in the 1990s following the overthrow of longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The region's instability has been exacerbated by the involvement of neighboring countries, adding layers of complexity to the ongoing conflict.

Political tensions in the DRC have also been heightened by accusations against former President Joseph Kabila. Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of orchestrating an "insurrection" and being closely associated with the AFC. Kabila, who handed over power to Tshisekedi in 2019 after a controversial election, has seen several members of his People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) join the AFC. These individuals are now awaiting their own trials in a military court in Kinshasa, where they could also face the death penalty.