Democratic Republic of Congo: Impunity and corruption undermine trust in justice

ROMA – On August 30, 2023, Congolese security forces killed at least 57 people in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, although the number is likely underestimated. Most of the victims were members of the religious group “Natural Judaic and Messianic Faith towards the Nations”, who was preparing a protest against the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the country (MONUSCO). The demonstration was scheduled for August 30 and was aimed at demanding the departure of the UN mission by the end of the year, as it was seen as incapable of stemming the prolonged fighting in the east. On August 23, a week before people took to the streets, the mayor of Goma banned the march, as police had received reports that the religious group’s activities were linked to the M23 rebels who have been committing murders and rapes in eastern Congo since late 2022. In October, a military court found four soldiers guilty of murder, including the commander of the Republican Army in Goma, Mike Mikombe, but no further investigations are underway and no victims have yet received compensation, Human Rights Watch said (HRW).

The facts. On August 30, 2023, between 3 and 4 in the morning, Congolese soldiers raided a radio station affiliated with the religious movement in the Ndosho neighborhood of Goma. They then opened fire, killing six people, and kidnapped others, who said they had been tied up and beaten with sticks. After the brutal police raid, members of the religious group captured an officer, tied his hands, and took him back to their headquarters, which is located inside a temple, where clashes between the military and members of the religious group continued, resulting in an even higher toll of deaths and injuries, including witnesses who took to the streets to understand what was happening. The walls of the houses around the temple still bear traces of bullets. A woman, who took refuge in her home with her younger brother when she heard the shooting, said that two people were killed inside the temple where they had hidden for protection. Video footage shot by witnesses shows many dead bodies on the street. A man who saw the attack from a window near the temple told HRW that the soldiers walked among the bodies to check if anyone was still alive and then shot the wounded to kill them once and for all. The soldiers then loaded the bodies onto a military truck, forcing several wounded people to get on as well. Footage verified by Human Rights Watch shows some members of the Republican Guards leaving the scene of the clashes with goods, furniture and livestock as loot.

Justice. A military court tried soldiers in September and October: three were sentenced to ten years in prison, two were acquitted. On October 2, Mike Mikombe was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. But Mikombe’s trial did not address the role of senior officers who may have ordered the massacre. The authorities have not even been able to establish the actual number of deaths, the United Nations reports. They have not investigated the allegations that soldiers executed the wounded or that they set fire to the temple. Since North Kivu province is under military rule, all sentences handed down to date have been issued by a military judge, who commuted the death sentences to life imprisonment. But none of the victims’ families have received compensation. “I would like us to be compensated for the damage done to us: taking care of seven children without their mother is really difficult for me. We need assistance,” said a member of the religious group whose wife was killed on the morning of August 30, 2023 by Goma soldiers.

How to Avoid Future Government Massacres. In addition to expanding investigations into those responsible for government killings and providing compensation to victims, the Congolese authorities should define crowd control measures, for which – HRW suggests – the police should not be used, as they are better trained for this purpose. Otherwise, all security forces used for public control should receive adequate training.