KINSHASA, Congo — A military court in Congo on Thursday, August 8, 2024 sentenced 25 people, including Corneille Nangaa, the leader of a prominent rebel coalition, to death after a high-profile televised trial that has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally.
Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo, AFC, was convicted of war crimes, participation in an insurrection, and treason.
The trial, which began late last month, ended with Nangaa and 19 other defendants being sentenced to death in absentia, as they remain on the run.
Nangaa, who has evaded capture, condemned the court’s ruling in a message to the Associated Press from an undisclosed location.
“This nauseating judicial saga reinforces our struggle for democratic normality in Congo,” he said.
The AFC, a political-military movement established by Nangaa in December, seeks to unite armed groups, political parties, and civil society against Congo’s government.
Among its most notorious members is the M23, an armed group accused of mass killings in the eastern region of Congo, where conflict has persisted for decades.
Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, along with U.S. and U.N. experts, have accused neighbouring Rwanda of providing military support to M23, a claim Rwanda has consistently denied.
However, in February, Rwanda acknowledged the presence of its troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, citing concerns over security due to a buildup of Congolese forces near their shared border.
The court’s decision against Nangaa comes on the heels of a cease-fire agreement between Congo and Rwanda, brokered by Angola, which took effect on Sunday.
Despite the cease-fire, prospects for lasting peace remain bleak, with previous truces failing to hold for more than a few weeks.
Fighting has already resumed near the border with Uganda, further complicating the fragile situation.
Yvon Muya, a conflict studies researcher at Saint Paul University, suggested that Congo’s government could use the death sentence against Nangaa to gain leverage in future negotiations with Rwanda or the armed groups operating in the region.
“The death sentence might be used as a bargaining chip in the complex web of regional diplomacy and conflict resolution,” Muya said.
The conflict in eastern Congo has led to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with more than 100 armed groups vying for control over land and mineral-rich territories.
The violence has resulted in widespread atrocities, including mass killings and sexual violence, which have displaced approximately 7 million people.
Many of these displaced individuals are living in temporary camps, while countless others remain beyond the reach of humanitarian aid.
As the situation in eastern Congo continues to deteriorate, the court’s ruling against Nangaa and his co-defendants highlights the ongoing struggle for control and stability in a region where peace remains elusive.
The international community watches closely, concerned about the implications of this verdict on the future of the region and the broader dynamics of conflict in Central Africa.
