Popular vindictiveness in Goma: a worrying reality
The city of Goma, in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is in the grip of an alarming wave of popular revenge. Since the beginning of the year, fifteen people have been victims of this brutal punishment by the population. Faced with this worrying situation, the NGO COMOAD organized an exchange workshop between civil society, citizens’ movements and the police, in partnership with the MONUSCO police (UNPOL).
During this workshop, the participants underlined that the increase in cases of popular revenge in Goma is due to the ignorance of the population as to the consequences of this practice, as well as the inefficiency of the competent services such as the police and justice. The coordinator of the NGO-COMOAD, Mulimbwa Guylain, stressed that measures must be taken to sensitize the population on the evils of mob justice.
The police were also singled out during the workshop. The human rights activist, Dalila Tamasandjiwa, deplored the slowness and inaction of the police in the face of these situations of mob vengeance. According to her, this inaction pushes people to take justice into their own hands, for fear that the accused will escape justice.
In addition to police inaction, corruption within the judiciary has been identified as a factor promoting public vindictiveness. Esther Walaka de la Grace, a civil society actor, highlighted the role of corruption in the loss of confidence in the judicial system, thus inciting the population to take action.
To put an end to this dangerous practice, participants came up with several solutions. In particular, they proposed to equip the police with adequate logistical resources in order to increase their efficiency. In addition, they insisted on the need to sanction corrupt magistrates, in order to restore the population’s confidence in the judicial system.
At the same time, the population is also called upon to play an active role in the fight against mob justice. The participants encouraged the inhabitants to denounce the reprehensible acts committed by the accused persons, in order to bring them before the judicial authorities.
Mob revenge is a problem that requires concerted action by the authorities, civil society and the population. By raising awareness, strengthening institutions and encouraging whistleblowing, it is possible to reduce this practice and ensure fair justice for all