Congolese military justice has pronounced the death sentence on twelve people accused of terrorism in the case of the assailants of Kwamouth, in the province of Mai-Ndombe. According to the Congolese News Agency, the defendants were found guilty of their participation in the clashes between the Yaka and Teke communities. The conflict, which started in Kwamouth, then spread to the provinces of Kwilu and Kwango.
In this case, seven defendants were acquitted due to insufficient charges, while the court remained declared incompetent to try a minor. As such, it is clear that the Congolese authorities are ready to act against the attackers in Kwamouth and against the members of the armed groups who operate in the various Congolese provinces.
The conflict in Kwamouth was the origin of the phenomenon known as “Mobondo” which results in the creation of armed groups, composed mainly of young people, who have sown terror in the outskirts of Kinshasa, in Kwango, in Kongo Central and in the provinces of Grand Bandundu. The situation has become the source of many forced displacements and has destabilized state authority.
Congolese authorities attribute this outbreak of violence to political actors seeking to undermine state authority by using armed groups in their service. This accusation was supported by the Catholic Church, which called for an investigation into this phenomenon.
In short, this judgment is a victory for the Congolese government, which wanted to put an end to the deadly violence orchestrated by armed groups in the country. Hopefully this decision will contribute to the promotion of peace and security in the affected regions.