In Democratic Republic of Congo 102 men were executed for hanging by the Congolese government last week and 70 more are set to be executed, the country's Justice Minister, Mutamba, said in a statement on Sunday.Associated Press. He stressed that the men, aged between 18 and 35, were armed robbers and “urban bandits”, locally known as “Kulunas”, captured and imprisoned in the capital Kinshasa and transported to Angenga prison in northwestern Congo and executed. Forty-five were killed in late December and the remaining 57 were executed in the last 48 hours. A flight of 70 more people from Kinshasa arrived in Angenga, awaiting execution.
Congo gang, what's happening
Il Minister of Justice, which is overseeing the executions, said Sunday night that “the third group will be executed, so the first two have already been subjected to the measure of execution by death penalty.” The government’s decision to apply the death penalty has proved divisive. Some have welcomed the measure as a means of restore order and security in the cities, while others are concerned about the risks of abuses and violations of human rights. “We welcome this decision by the minister because it will help put an end to urban crime. In Congolese cities, after 8 pm, you cannot move freely because you are afraid of running into a Kuluna,” say citizens of the country’s large cities.
Congo gang, who are the Kulunas
The term “Kuluna” indicates both a band of outlaws, is a group of uncontrollable youths and is a word of Portuguese-Angolan origin which means “gang, band”. A Kuluna is a character classified as threatening, like any criminal whose goal is to steal, harm with bladed weapons (handcuffs, knives, stones) weak and unarmed people, often each other or even elderly people (grandparents) and even public authorities fall victim to their crimes. Preferably they cut off the arms of their victims using the machetes they are armed with, or kill them in the face of resistance.
Congo, gangs used for political and electoral purposes
Born in Kinshasa, they are widespread in all the main cities and are now also used for political purposes, in various ways: they ensure the security of some high-ranking members of their parties and, when elections are held, they are sent to break up demonstrations by political opponents. In the province of Central Congo, the governor had used them to attack the Provincial Assembly and prevent national deputies from voting on a motion against him and his government.
In Kinshasa they are also used for obstruct the demands of unions and other public officials which disturb political leaders and members of the government against whom the trade unionists would like to turn. As such, the Kuluna phenomenon benefits from strong political protection and its dismantling cannot be effective without a real political will on the part of those who maintain it after having recovered it, to use it in political battles.
Congolese governments periodically launch campaigns to eradicate the phenomenon, which has been present since the 2000s: the Congolese Minister of Justice, in addition to carrying out these repressive and violent operations, has nevertheless stated: "The situation in the DRC is complex and requires a multidimensional approach. The fight against urban gangs must go hand in hand with efforts to combat poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, which are often factors that contribute to crime".
Congo gangs, controversy over capital executions: what guarantees?
Activists for the human rights ed Amnesty International warned of the possibility of extrajudicial executions and called for strict compliance with judicial procedures and fundamental guarantees. He fears that political pressure could lead to unjust sentences and arbitrary executionsThe executed prisoners were not convicted of murder or specific crimes of blood but of membership in these informal street gangs.
The Death Penalty in Congo, a Sensitive Subject
La death penalty in Congo It is a sensitive issue. The country abolished it in 1981, but it was reinstated in 2006. The last execution took place in 2003, but in March 2024 the Congolese government announced the resumption of capital punishment, however theThe reinstated death penalty was intended to apply to military personnel accused of treason.
In May, eight soldiers were sentenced to death by firing squad for fleeing the battlefield, and in July, 25 soldiers were convicted of similar crimes. Thirty-seven people, including three American citizens, a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian, were recently sentenced to death for attempting to overthrow the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but none have yet been executed.