Скачать или смотреть Alleged Congo army deserters led into prison before trial

Dozens of Congolese soldiers were detained in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, as authorities prepared to put at least 75 troops on trial for desertion and violence against civilians, including murder and looting.

A social media video verified by Reuters on Monday (February 10) showed people in plain clothes being led into Bukavu Central Prison. An onlooker in the video accused them of being members of the Cheetahs, a unit of the Congolese military, saying they were "disturbing our peace." The affiliation of the prisoners in the video could not be verified independently.

Reuters confirmed the location as Bukavu by matching the prison walls, gate, surrounding trees and mountains with file and satellite imagery of the area. While the exact date of the video could not be independently verified, it was uploaded before Monday's scheduled trial.

A civil society source in Kavumu, a town 35 km north of Bukavu, told Reuters that deserting soldiers had killed 10 people, including seven sitting in a bar on Friday evening.

The military prosecutor's office said the soldiers face charges of fleeing the frontline after the M23 rebels captured the town of Nyabibwe, some 70 km north of Bukavu. They are also accused of rape, murder, looting and revolt. (Reuters)
⁣
#drc #congo #m23 #reels #voa