Amnesty International

Felix

Tshisekedi

DRC

Dear Mr. President,

I am deeply disturbed by the ongoing lack of justice and accountability for the killing of at least 56 people and the imprisonment of numerous members of the religious and political group known as Wazalendo in Goma in August 2023. This deliberate and widespread attack on protesters may amount to a crime against humanity.

According to a recent report by Amnesty International, Operation Keba was a carefully planned action primarily executed by a unit of the Special Forces, who were granted unlawful powers under the prolonged "State of Siege." Following the incident, authorities initially praised the army, downplayed the death toll, demonized the victims, and arbitrarily detained and unfairly prosecuted survivors. Furthermore, they hindered families from organizing or attending burials for their loved ones. These events highlight the troubling trend of your administration to militarize responses to security risks, whether real or perceived.

A trial of some army officers from September 4 to October 2 in Goma, driven by public outrage, led to the conviction of one commander and three soldiers for murder and other charges. However, the investigations were incomplete, failing to acknowledge all victims or hold all perpetrators accountable.

The Congolese army must cease committing atrocious crimes against the civilian population it is meant to protect. Authorities must take decisive measures to ensure effective accountability and justice to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Based on the above, I urge you to:

•	Immediately suspend General Constan Ndima and Major Peter Kabwe Ngandu from Congolese army pending an investigation 
•	Issue a presidential decree formally prohibiting the intervention of the Republican Guard, including the Special Forces, in law enforcement operations and specifying the exceptional circumstances and process under which the armed forces, including the Republican Guard, could intervene in law enforcement operations in support of the police, in accordance with international standards.

Yours sincerely,

President

Felix-Antoine

Tshisekedi

DRC Government

Dear Mr. President,

Based on the above, I urge you to:

Yours sincerely,

Minister of Defense

Guy

Kabombo

DRC Government

Dear Mr. President,

Based on the above, I urge you to:

Yours sincerely,

Président

Félix-Antoine

Tshisekedi

Gouvernement de la RDC

Dear Mr. President,

Based on the above, I urge you to:

Yours sincerely,

WRITE A MESSAGE