The group, aged between 18 and 35, was accused and convicted of contributing to the growing insecurity in the capital, Kinshasa, and other urban areas. Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba, confirmed that the executions took place at Angenga prison in the country's northwest region.
'Forty-five individuals were executed at the end of December 2024, and 57 more were killed in the past 48 hours. The third batch will also be executed soon,' he said
The executions are part of the government's Opération Ndobo, a special operation targeting Kuluna gangs that has resulted in the arrest of 70 more individuals, who are currently being held at Angenga prison, awaiting execution.
The DRC's controversial decision to reinstate the death penalty, which was suspended for 18 years, has sparked debate both domestically and internationally. While some support the move as a necessary step to tackle escalating crime, human rights organizations have raised concerns over potential abuses, given the country's flawed justice system.
The death penalty was originally abolished in the DRC in 1981 but was reinstated in 2006, mainly for military personnel convicted of treason. Although executions were halted in 2003, the government formally resumed capital punishment in March 2024, initially targeting soldiers who were accused of desertion or fleeing from battle.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-executes-over-100-death-row-inmates
