UKWELI WOTE SABABU ZA VIJANA 170 KULUNA KUUAWA CONGO DR

Mwananchi Digital

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Kinshasa. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is accused of killing 170 youths who were arrested on allegations of being members of urban criminal gangs known as 'Kuluna.'

Local media in Congo show the youths handcuffed and in tears while listening to a speech by the country's Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba.

The international human rights organization Amnesty International has reported that the security authorities in the country have arrested over 1,400 suspects of crimes, alleged to be members of the Kuluna Group.

Amnesty International also stated that many of those arrested are youths aged between 18 and 35 who are accused of crimes including home invasions and civilian murders.

The Associated Press has reported that around 170 of these youths have been sentenced to death and there are reports that they have already been executed by gunfire in the country.

The youths were arrested during security operations in the Ndobo and Lingala areas, led by Minister Mutamba, with the aim of cracking down on criminal gangs in the city of Ndobo, which has a population of over 15 million.

The Associated Press reported that the youths were moved in groups from a prison in Kinshasa to a secretive, high-security prison in order to be put to death.

According to the Justice Minister Mutamba, 70 inmates were transported on Sunday, while another 102 were taken to the Angenga prison in the north of the Mongala province in the country.

Mutamba stated that all the Kuluna youths were found guilty of urban banditry crimes and were between the ages of 18 and 35, though he did not mention when they would be executed.

Some residents of DR Congo have praised the decision, stating that it will help reduce the fear caused by the actions of these youths, while others fear that the death penalty being carried out against them is cruel and violates human rights.

'We agree with this decision by the Minister of Justice because it aims to curb crime in urban areas. Previously, as early as 2:00 AM, you couldn't walk freely on the streets for fear of the Kuluna gangsters,' said Goma East resident Fiston Kakule to the Associated Press.

Human Rights activist Espoir Muhinuka warned that the executions of these youths may violate the principles of justice and called on the authorities in the DRC to respect human rights.

He expressed concern that political pressures may lead to rights abuses and people being prosecuted and executed without following due legal processes in the country.

'The situation in the DRC is complex and requires international intervention. The fight against urban criminal groups should also address poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion, which all contribute to the emergence of these gangs,' said the activist.

Congo abolished the death penalty in 1981, reinstated it in 2006, and last carried out an execution in 2003.

In March 2024, the Congolese government announced the implementation of the death penalty for individuals convicted of serious crimes like treason.

In May 2024, eight soldiers of the DRC army were convicted and sentenced to death, and in July 2024, another 25 soldiers were convicted of similar crimes, although their whereabouts remain unknown and it is unclear if they have been executed.

In response to the sentencing of these youths to death, the Deputy Director of Amnesty International for East and Southern Africa, Sarah Jackson, stated:

'The reports of..

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