Congo: Number of murders in the demonstration against United Nations operation rises to 100
Featured image: Protesters arrested after the intent of a demonstration against UN mission in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. Source: AFP
Last 2nd of September we published on the massacre that took place in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. This massacre happened when a demonstration was carried out against the “Stabilization Mission” that the United Nations (UN), was severely repressed by the forces of the State. This UN mission has been carrying out for more than 20 years. In this operation has participated imperialist countries as France, Belgium, China or USA, which are really interested in the “stabilization” of the area to ensure the extraction of minerals that Congo provides to the foreign companies.
In that moment, it was reported according to the official data, nearly 50 people killed, 75 injured and 168 arrested. But now, the death toll has increased to 100 people. Recently it was known that 57 where murdered and were found near the church that was attacked by the State forces. Some of them were killed when they were trying to scape from the massacre. But it was confirmed that other 43 people were killed in the church and the bodies are now in the military barracks mortuary located a few kilometers from Goma.
Also, on September 5th, two high-ranking military officers were arrested because they were part of the repression done during the protests. Both military officers, Mike Mikombe and Donat Bawili, headed the Republican Guard unit and the regiment of the State’s armed forces in Goma. Also other four military men are being judged because of the bloody repression against the people. One of the soldiers, the chief of the Republican Guard unity, stated in front of the Military Court that they were told that the march was done by the National Liberation Group March 23. An armed group that has recently came back to the armed struggle and that now is being blamed by the government for another allegedly massacre. The group March 23 denies it.
The government also assured that they want to “establish responsibilities” and now they are saying that they have no “interest” in hiding anything. But the truth is that the government is trying to put the blame of this murders on the soldiers, as if this massacre was done by personal initiative of the soldiers. But the massacre was done as a consequence of the repression that the State do to protect the interests of the imperialist countries in the looting of Congo.
