In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Kinshasa-Gombe Military Court opens the trial of Corneille Nangaa, political leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), on July 24, 2024. This is the political branch of the M23 armed rebellion, supported by Rwanda, which controls part of the North Kivu province in eastern DRC. A province that has been in the grip of this armed conflict for more than two years now.
2 min
This trial is broadcast live on national television from DRCToday’s public hearing began with the statement of the charges against the accused and the verification of the identities of those present in the dock. There are five of them.
It is worth noting the presence of the Minister of Justice himself, Constant Mutamba, who arrived a little before the start of the hearing. A trial that he described as ” of history “.
There are 25 people affected by the ongoing legal proceedings.
Five accused are therefore present this Wednesday at the hearing. They are dressed in the uniform of the detainees of the military prison of Ndolo. We could see in the images in particular Eric Nkuba Shebantu, presented as the strategic advisor of the AFC, arrested several months ago.
Twenty accused absent
In addition to Corneille Nangaa, 19 other accused are being tried in absentia. A few names stand out: Sultani Makenga, leader of the M23, Bertrand Bisimwa, political leader of the movement, Willy Ngoma and Lawrence Kanyuka, the spokespersons. They are well-known and historical figures of the M23 movement…
There are also recent recruits from the Congo River Alliance who arrived in the wake of Corneille Nangaa, such as former journalist Adam Chalwe, Yannick Tshisola, former youth leader of the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), and Henry Maggie, who was a member of the youth league of the former presidential party during the time of Joseph Kabila.
Read alsoDRC-Uganda: Did a meeting take place between AFC delegates and those of the Congolese government?