Nangaa, Makenga, Bisimwa Sentenced to Death: Nangaa Declares the Judges Will Seek Forgiveness

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which includes the M23 group, along with 25 others predominantly affiliated with M23, has been sentenced to death by the military court in Kinshasa. The court found them guilty of crimes including treason and forming an armed group against the government.

Out of the 26 defendants, five—Eric Nkuba Malembe, Nangaa Baseyane, Safari Bishori Luc, Nkangya Nyamacho, and Nicaise Samafu Makinu—were tried while in custody, all of whom denied the charges.

Among those convicted in absentia were:

• Corneille Nangaa, leader of AFC
• Bertrand Bisimwa, Nangaa’s deputy
• Sultani Makenga, head of M23 fighters
• Willy Ngoma, M23 military spokesperson
• Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson of AFC
• Bernard Maheshe Byamungu, deputy to Gen. Makenga
• Jean Marie Vianney Kazarama, former spokesperson of M23
• Yvette Nazinda Lubanda, wife of Corneille Nangaa
• Henri Maggie, a former member of the PPRD party, is now in the AFC
• Jean-Jacques Mamba, former MP who joined AFC this year
• And others…

The court also announced the seizure of all assets belonging to Corneille Nangaa and his wife Yvette Lubanda. Additionally, all those sentenced were fined one billion US dollars for the damage and losses caused to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter) following the Thursday evening ruling, Nangaa described the court’s decision as “a sign of a fearful government on the brink of collapse.”

The defense lawyers complained that they were not given enough time to present their clients’ cases during the two-week trial adequately.

One defense lawyer argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict Baseane Nangaa, Corneille Nangaa’s uncle, claiming that the only reason for his prosecution was his shared last name with Corneille Nangaa.

Corneille Nangaa, the former head of the DR Congo electoral commission during the election that saw President Félix Tshisekedi take office, stated that these sentences “only concern those who issued them.”

He added, “After liberation, those who passed this judgment will inevitably have to ask for forgiveness for enforcing a law that is illegal, done merely to please a dictator…”

Nangaa, who insists that their goal is to overthrow Tshisekedi’s government, believes that this trial brings the AFC closer to victory.

After more than two years of conflict, AFC-M23 has taken control of large parts of the Rutshuru and Masisi territories, which comprise nearly one-third of North Kivu Province, one of the 26 provinces in DR Congo.

Constant Mutamba, the Justice Minister of DR Congo, described the trial as a “historic day” for the millions affected by the conflict in Congo, which he referred to as Rwanda’s aggression. He assured that “all sentences will be enforced without fail, including the death penalty.”

In March of this year, the DR Congo government reinstated the death penalty after a 20-year suspension of executions. The last death sentence carried out in DR Congo was before 2003.