A Congolese colonel has been convicted of murder and various other offenses in connection with the August incident in which 56 individuals were killed during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. protests in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as stated by a local court on Monday.
Colonel Mike Mikombe, who served as the head of the Republican Guard unit in Goma, the location of the incident, was one of six soldiers facing trial. He has been sentenced to death, but the death penalty is no longer enforced in Congo and is typically reduced to a life sentence.
His lawyer, Serge Lukanga, said he would appeal the decision.
Three additional soldiers have received sentences of 10 years of servitude. Meanwhile, Mikombe’s deputy and another soldier were acquitted of the charges.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo, referred to as MONUSCO, has encountered protests since the previous year. These protests have been partially fueled by grievances asserting that the mission has not adequately safeguarded civilians from the ongoing militia violence that has persisted for decades.
In July 2022, an anti-MONUSCO demonstration led to over 15 fatalities, which included three peacekeepers in both Goma and the city of Butembo.