DR Congo colonel sentenced to death over anti-UN protest killings

 

Col Mike Mikombe was accused of ordering his officers to open fire on anti-UN protesters

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an army colonel has been given the death penalty for his part in the massacre of over 50 protesters in August.

 

The former commander of the elite Republican Guard in Goma City, Col. Mike Mikombe, was charged with ordering the firing of weapons upon anti-UN protesters.

 

His attorneys stated that he would challenge the military court's decision.

 

This was the most number of fatalities in a crackdown on anti-UN peacekeeper demonstrations in eastern DR Congo.

 

Accusing the UN of failing to defend people who have been subjected to decades-long attacks by rebel groups in the area, the protesters demanded the departure of UN forces.

 

The UN has almost 18,000 personnel in the country, including more than 12,000 soldiers, making it the second-largest UN mission globally.

 

The Wazalendo (Patriots), a Christian group, organized the rallies in August to call for the withdrawal of UN forces from the area.

 

In addition, the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Governor Ndima Kongba, who had earlier halted the demonstrations. Since then, a new governor has been appointed.

 

The state prosecutor claims that during the rallies, 56 citizens were killed and numerous more were injured, leading to widespread worldwide condemnation.

 

In the course of the security forces' crackdown, more than 150 persons were taken into custody.

 

The protestors were shot at by troops in the midst of chaos, reportedly on Col. Mikombe's orders, the court heard.

 

He claimed that an operational order mislead him by designating the sect members as agents of the M23 rebel group, which had seized major portions of the North Kivu province last year.

 

In the DR Congo, the death penalty is frequently imposed, yet there haven't been any executions in for than 20 years. Usually, the sentences are converted to life in prison.

 

Detained individuals belonging to the Wazalendo group are seated and arranged in a row in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as of Aug. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File)

Col. Mikombe and five other troops were put on trial.

 

Three of them received 10-year prison sentences, while two others—including Col. Mikombe's deputy—were found not guilty.

 

At least 15 people died as a result of an anti-UN demonstration in July 2022, including three peacekeepers.

 

DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi, who is seeking re-election in December, has called on the UN force to begin leaving this year instead of next year as initially planned.

 

Last year, an East African force was deployed to eastern DR Congo to aid the Congolese military quell fighting - though it too has faced criticism of not doing enough to bring about stability.