A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has sentenced 26 people, including the leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), to death for involvement in armed groups, including the M23. Corneille Nangaa, former president of the DRC’s electoral commission, was found guilty of war crimes, insurrection, and treason. Nangaa and 20 others were sentenced in absentia, while five defendants have five days to appeal. The trial began on July 24, with the prosecutor seeking death sentences for 25 defendants. The AFC, launched by Nangaa, aims to unite armed groups against the government, including the M23 accused of mass killings in eastern DRC. President Felix Tshisekedi accuses Rwanda of backing the M23. The lifting of the death penalty moratorium in March aims to target military personnel accused of treason. The DRC has been plagued by conflict for over 30 years with numerous rebel groups active in the east, a legacy of regional conflicts dating back to the 1990s. Tshisekedi also accuses former President Joseph Kabila of belonging to the AFC. Kabila handed over power to Tshisekedi in 2019 after a controversial election. Members of Kabila’s party, who joined the AFC, are awaiting a military court verdict in Kinshasa that could result in the death penalty. The trial underscores ongoing political tensions and power struggles in the DRC.
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