DRC Military Court Sentences Nangaa and M23 Leaders to Hang

By Kingnaafrika.

    Corneille Nangaa

Kinshasa, August 9, 2024 — In a historic ruling, a military court in Kinshasa has sentenced former electoral commission boss Corneille Nangaa and more than two dozen other members of the rebel group, Alliance Fleuve Congo (Congo River Alliance), to death¹². The court found them guilty of war crimes, treason, and participation in an insurrection movement.

 The leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), Nangaa was absent from the trial as he is currently on the run. He was convicted of war crimes, insurrection, and treason. Sultani Makenga and Bertrand Bisimwa, leaders of the M23 rebel group, also face the death penalty. Their spokesmen, Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka, are in the same boat. Most of the defendants were sentenced in absentia, with only six in custody. Some remain at large, living abroad or on the warfront.

The M23 rebels, previously declared a terrorist organization, have been a threat to peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). President Felix Tshisekedi’s government aims to send a strong message by imposing the death penalty, a punishment not used in nearly three decades.

 The court’s decision serves as an educational trial against Congolese individuals who betrayed their country and served foreign interests, particularly Rwanda. The former president, Joseph Kabila, who lives in South Africa, may face a similar fate. His alleged support for the AFC has drawn attention. Last month, Washington sanctioned Nangaa and associates for fueling conflict and displacement in Congo.

This verdict underscores the DRC’s commitment to justice and stability. As the country grapples with its past, it sends a clear message to rebels and those who seek to undermine its sovereignty.

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sources: ghanaweb.com

              apnews.com