Mike Mikombe, an army colonel in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been sentenced to death for his role in the killing of over 50 civilians.
Accusations were leveled against Mikombe, the former commander of the elite Republican Guard in Goma city, for issuing orders to open fire on protesters.
The protesters were reportedly demanding the withdrawal of United Nations (UN) troops from the country.
The UN peacekeeping mission in the region bears the name MONUSCO.
MONUSCO is one of the world’s largest and costliest, with an annual budget of approximately $1 billion.
However, it has faced criticism from locals. They believe it is too passive in preventing conflict and have called for its withdrawal.
In August, violent clashes between protesters and local authorities resulted in at least 43 deaths and 53 injuries.
The DRC government argued that the protesters had disrupted public order. This prompted law enforcement intervention to restore peace.
After an investigation into the incident, Colonel Mikombe was accused of instructing his soldiers to open fire on the protesters.
Mikombe claimed he had been misled by an operational order. The order, according to him, identified the protesters as proxies of the M23 rebel group. The group had seized significant territory in North Kivu province the previous year.
It’s worth noting that while death sentences are often handed down in the DRC, no executions have taken place in over two decades. Death sentences are typically commuted to life imprisonment.
In related developments, President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC has called for the departure of UN troops from the country this year.
