Two military officers are arrested in Congo for leading a protest crackdown that killed 43 people
Earlier DU thread: The Congolese military is accused of a deadly crackdown on a religious sect, killing at least 43
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Source: Associated Press
Two military officers are arrested in Congo for leading a protest crackdown that killed 43 people
BY JUSTIN KABUMBA
Updated 2:34 PM EDT, September 4, 2023
GOMA, Congo (AP) — Two high-ranking military officers in northeast Congo were arrested Monday for taking part in a crackdown on protests last week that left 43 people dead and another 56 severely injured, authorities said.
Interior Minister Peter Kazadi said police arrested Commanders Mike Mikombe and Donat Bawili, who respectively headed the Republican Guard unit and the Congolese armed forces regiment in Goma, the eastern city where the violence unfolded.
Defense and security forces in the Central African nation used lethal force last Wednesday to repress planned anti-U.N. protests in the city. A government delegation arrived in Goma on Monday to hold hearings and other proceedings “to establish responsibility,” the interior minister said.
“We have no interest in hiding anything. The whole truth will be known,”Kazadi said. Authorities called on families of the people killed in Goma to come forward with information for the inquiry.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/congo-goma-military-officers-arrested-protest-crackdown-2d2fa08bcf3a778b1d3be4c2f5b2b84f
