Military justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced last Saturday 15 defendants out of the 20 brought to justice for acts of terrorism, looting and participation in an insurrectionary movement called Mobondo. These crimes were committed between September and November 2022 in the province of Mai-Ndombe, in the territory of Kwamouth.
The defendants were found responsible for the murder of 36 people, including women and children. Two of these victims were beheaded and three cremated. The convicts were also found guilty of plundering the property of the people in 6 villages in Kwamouth Territory.
The Bandundu, Bagata and Mai-Ndombe garrison military court sentenced the 15 defendants to twenty years of main penal servitude for participation in an insurrectionary movement and terrorism. Nine were sentenced to death for the same offences. The other 6 will serve 20 years in prison for looting the property of local populations.
The military prosecutor, Colonel Richard Kabeya, demanded that the defendants be sentenced to death for participation in an insurrectionary movement and terrorism. He also asked the courts to grant the postulations of the civil parties.
The court set the amount payable in local currency to each of the seven civil parties at $10,000 for all damages suffered by the attackers.
Although justice has been served, the climate of insecurity remains a concern in the Kwamouth region. Deadly attacks continue to be recorded in this region, and the authorities must take drastic measures to guarantee the safety of the local populations.
In short, the sentencing of the 15 defendants marks a major step in the fight against insecurity and violence in the DRC, but much remains to be done to guarantee stability in this region and in the country as a whole.