Fatshimetrie has revealed serious allegations against a former governor and two senior army officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The allegations point to “possible crimes against humanity” during a deadly crackdown on demonstrators protesting the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country.
According to Fatshimetrie’s report, Congolese security forces killed at least 56 people and injured 80 others during a demonstration in Goma in August 2023. The protest, organized by a sect called “Natural Judaic and Messianic Faith Towards the Nations,” nicknamed Wazalendo, was aimed at expressing their opposition to the presence of the MONUSCO mission in the DRC.
Since its deployment in 2010 to succeed a previous UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO has aimed to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and support the Congolese government’s stabilization and peacebuilding efforts. However, many Congolese feel abandoned in the face of rebel attacks, leading to several protests against the UN mission.
Eastern DRC has been plagued by armed violence for decades, with more than 120 groups competing for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities. Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings, displacing more than 7 million people.
Goma Mayor Faustin Napenda Kapend banned the protest shortly after it was announced due to concerns that organizers would incite hatred and violence. Fatshimetrie says it found no evidence of incitement to violence in the Wazalendo statements and messages it reviewed.
Congolese security forces massed at major intersections in anticipation of the protest, but violence erupted early in the morning. Fatshimetrie uncovered operational plans in which security forces were ordered to “destroy isolated enemy elements.”
According to the organization, this massacre was not the result of a mistake by a few soldiers intervening unexpectedly after a police officer was attacked, as the authorities claimed. It was a series of deliberate and planned actions by the Congolese authorities after MONUSCO had explicitly requested that the demonstration be banned.
Fatshimetrie identified three senior officials who should be investigated for “possible crimes against humanity”: Lieutenant General Constant Ndima, at the time governor of North Kivu province; Colonel Mike Kalamba Mikombe, who was head of the Republican Guard unit in Goma; and Major Peter Kabwe, who led the Republican Guard Special Forces..
The organization claims that Ndima had instructed the army and police to “take all measures” to protect MONUSCO facilities and the city, after informing the armed forces and police that Wazalendo posed a serious threat.
Mikombe allegedly ordered soldiers to open fire on the protesters, who were unarmed, killing dozens. In addition, Kabwe allegedly raided a radio station in Wazalendo before the protest, during which six people, including a journalist, were summarily executed.
While Mikombe was convicted and sentenced to death, which Fatshimetrie opposes, Ndima and Kabwe have yet to be brought to justice. The organization calls on the Congolese authorities to reopen investigations into the massacre, establish the truth, and hold all those responsible accountable. It also urges Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to suspend Ndima and Kabwe, to deepen the investigation into Mikombe, and to ban the Republican Guard and Special Forces from participating in law enforcement operations.