Nangaa and M23 commanders are sentenced to hang by a DRC military court
On Thursday, a military court in Kinshasa sentenced former head of the election commission Corneille Nangaa, along with over twenty other rebel members of the Alliance Fleuve Congo, often known as the Congo River Alliance (AFC), to death.
A seldom-used weapon was selected by the Congolese court to subdue a faction affiliated with the M23 rebels, who were deemed to be a terrorist organization.
Nangaa and twenty-five other people were sentenced to death by the court for war crimes, treachery, and involvement in an insurrectionary movement.
The M23’s spokesmen, Lawrence Kanyuka and Willy Ngoma, together with leaders Sultani Makenga and Bertrand Bisimwa, are in the same boat.
Most received their sentences in absentia. They can challenge the ruling within five days.
The court was informed that Nangaa spearheaded an uprising or actively took part in illegal acts, along with twenty of his colleagues, which included his brother and wife.
There were just six accused people in detention. The rest are still at large; some of them are overseas or on the front lines of battle.
This week, it appeared as though President Felix Tshisekedi was going after his predecessor Joseph Kabila, implying that Kabila is an AFC supporter. Kabila may suffer the same fate, Kinshasa warned.
The previous president is a PhD student who resides in South Africa.
In a nation where no one has been hung for almost thirty years, the decision is intended to send a message to insurgents.
After Nangaa and his allies established the Alliance in Nairobi in December with the intention of overthrowing the government, Kinshasa responded by officially endorsing the group and announcing that anybody involved would face the death sentence.
Regarding the court’s ruling, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba declared, “To all the war victims in our nation, today is a historic day.” This trial serves as an instructional tool for all Congolese who have chosen to turn against their nation and work for foreign interests—in this case, Rwanda.
M23 is seen as dangerous by Kinshasa, which has also accused Rwanda of supporting it. The UN, US, and other Western nations have all made similar accusations, which Kigali has dismissed.
Former head of the electoral commission (CENI), Nangaa, has stated his intention to overthrow the government, accusing it of mistreating the Congolese people.
However, his overseas maneuvers have also been restricted. He sparked a diplomatic spat with Kinshasa by asking that Nairobi remove him when he announced the partnership there. Kenya said no, invoking the right to free expression. Since then, the two capitals’ relations have not been cordial.
Washington imposed sanctions on Nangaa and his colleagues, including members of his immediate family, last month for inciting violence and displacing civilians in the Congo.
