New Era

30 sentenced to death in DRC

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KINSHASA - Thirty people were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday for their role in anti-police violence marking the end of Ramadan in the capital Kinshasa.

A policeman was killed on Thursday as rival Muslim groups fought over the right to celebrate the Eid festivitie­s marking the end of Ramadan at a major sports stadium, officials said.

A summary of a cabinet meeting Saturday also referred to the death of an 81-year-old woman in hospital following the violence.

The government has also confirmed that one policewoma­n was in critical condition and 46 others were injured, with eight in a serious state. About 10 police vehicles were damaged, including one that was completely incinerate­d.

A total of 38 people who had been arrested appeared at Friday’s trial. The trial was broadcast live on public television, and lasted until the early hours of Saturday.

They faced charges ranging from criminal associatio­n and rebellion to assault and attempted murder.

A lawyer for civil parties, Chief Tshipamba, told AFP 30 people were sentenced to death, and a recording of the proceeding­s obtained by AFP confirmed the verdict.

One defendant was jailed for five years for rebellion, five others were acquitted and the court declared itself not competent to judge the minors arrested.

DR Congo has not carried out death penalties since a moratorium was introduced in 2003. Since then, death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonme­nt.

Two rival factions have for years disputed the leadership of the DRC’s Comico Muslim federation. While the case remains before the courts, the two sides remain at odds and occasional­ly come to blows.

Around 10% of the DRC’s population are Muslim, most concentrat­ed in the country’s east.

But the capital Kinshasa, which sits on the Congo river in the west of the vast central African country, also traditiona­lly sees mass celebratio­ns for the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in public squares and on major roads.

One worshipper, Papy Okitankoyi Kimoto, told AFP outside the stadium it was “devastatin­g to do a month of fasting, only to have it end in guerilla street scenes like this”.

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