Rebel Leader Sentenced to Death for the Murder of Student in Goma

A rebel fighter from the Wazalendo group, accused of killing a student named Christian Bahire from the Institut de Mugara, was sentenced to death on Wednesday, September 18, by a military court in Goma.

The accused, David Biyohike, a member of the APCLS rebel group, as reported by the Kivu Morning Post, received the death sentence in a court session held in Munigi, within the Bukumu Chiefdom, in Nyiragongo Territory. Biyohike was sentenced to death for murder and two attempted murders.

In addition to the death sentence, he was also sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for wasting ammunition meant for combat. Furthermore, the court fined David Biyohike over 67 million Rwandan francs (US$50,000), to be paid as compensation to the family of the deceased for the suffering caused and to cover burial expenses.

The trial came after tensions escalated following the killing of the student, who was shot dead in Nyiragongo Territory. Two other students were injured during the same incident.