The convicts were part of a gang accused of operating between April and August 2025, targeting shops, cooperatives, and money transfer outlets across the volatile Beni region.
Prosecutors said their most audacious strike occurred on the night of August 8â€"9, when they raided the Païdek cooperative, making off with over $100,000 and 76 million Congolese francs. Security forces intercepted the Ugandan group the following day as they tried to return home, recovering $54,350 and 36 million Congolese francs.
Alongside the death sentences for criminal association, the tribunal imposed 10-year prison terms for the theft charges. Two minors implicated in the case were acquitted. In a related proceeding, a man arrested in Dindi with an AK-47 rifle received a death sentence for armed robbery, while his alleged accomplice was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo retains capital punishment, though no executions have been carried out since 2003, creating a de facto moratorium. Nevertheless, death sentences remain frequent in military tribunals handling armed violence or organised crime. In March 2024, Kinshasa indicated plans to resume executions to curb insurgencies in the east.
The Beni region has long suffered from armed group violence, including attacks by the Ugandan-origin Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has displaced at least 500,000 people since early 2025.
IGIHE
