DRC : start of the trial against M23 leaders

Congolese authorities opened a trial in absentia on Wednesday against about twenty leaders and allies of the M23 in the DRC. At the top, Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Kinshasa accuses the “River Congo Alliance/M23” of war crimes, massacres of civilians, serious violations of human rights, etc. For their part, leaders of the M23, absent from the court, rejected the accusations in a press release. They call on the International Criminal Court to instead prosecute certain authorities in Kinshasa for terrorizing the peaceful population. Some activists consider the case to be “a theatrical trial”, because the main defendants are absent from the court. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

At the beginning of the trial held at the High Military Court of Ndolo in Kinshasa, important authorities such as Constant Mutamba, Congolese Minister of Justice, were present.

“Minister Mutamba revealed that the defendants are being prosecuted for war crimes, massacres of civilians, pillaging, serious violation of human rights,” reported a witness at the trial.

Citing names of the defendants including Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Minister Mutamba asked the court to withdraw the Congolese nationality of all those concerned, “because they work on behalf of Rwanda.”

M23’s immediate reaction…

The M23 reacted without delay in a statement.

“We are instead asking the international community to impose heavy sanctions on Congolese leaders, including Justice Minister Constant Mutamba. The Kinshasa government has two strategies : lying and creating terror among the population. It spends all its time destabilizing peaceful citizens already freed by the AFC/M23. The ICC* must first seek to deal with Congolese authorities who do not even know how to take care of their population,” wrote Lieutenant Colonel Willy Ngoma, military spokesman for the M23.

Political and civil society actors describe the holding of the trial against Corneille Nangaa and his fellows as inopportune.

“This is really not justified. The government should first control the situation on the ground, then bring the defendants to justice. What is this series of trials against people who are not there? Let the defendants be presented to us physically, let them be charged and let them defend themselves. That’s what we want to see. Otherwise, it’s just a stunt!”, reacted political and civil society leaders including Wilson Twitegure, a leader of the political party Ensemble pour la République of Congolese opponent Moïse Katumbi Tshapwe.