- In connection with the 56 deaths that occurred last week during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. protests in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, six Congolese soldiers have been charged. The defendants are being tried for “crimes against humanity by murder, malicious destruction, and inciting soldiers to commit acts contrary to duty or discipline.” The defendants include a colonel and a lieutenant colonel from the Republican Guard.
- According to an unnamed source close to the presidency, there were two commanders in charge of the soldiers that opened fire on protestors.
- “They acted independently and outside the parameters of their sovereign missions; this was not a governmental action. Military prosecutor Michel Kashil told the court, “We will show that this is a systematic attack against well-targeted populations, the adherents of a certain church.
- 43 fatalities were reportedly reported by the Congolese authorities during the disturbance in Goma on Wednesday. At the trial, defense attorney Kashil stated that 56 individuals had died and another 75 had been injured.
- MONUSCO, the U.N. peacekeeping force in eastern Congo, has been the target of demonstrations since last year, which were partially sparked by criticisms that it had not adequately shielded people from decades of militia violence. More than 15 people died as a result of an anti-MONUSCO demonstration in July 2022, including three peacekeepers in Goma and Butembo.
- “The government’s response is a step in the right direction, but a full and impartial investigation will have to look higher up the chain of command to ensure real justice,” said Thomas Fessy, senior researcher for the Congo at Human Rights Watch.