Congo executes 102 ‘urban bandits’, plans death penalty for 70 more

The Congolese government says it has executed 102 men in the past week, with plans to execute 70 more.

Constant Mutamba, the country’s minister of justice, detailed in a statement that 45 were killed in late December, with 57 executed in early January.

He said the men, aged 18 to 35, were armed robbers and “urban bandits” known locally as Kulunas.

Mutamba added that the executions took place at Angenga prison in north-west Congo.

A flight of 70 more people arrived at Angenga but the government is yet to comment on the status of the prisoners.

Mutamba, who is overseeing the executions, said the “third batch will be executed, so the first two have already undergone the measure of execution by the death penalty”.

While some have welcomed the government’s decision to execute the prisoners as a means of restoring order and security in the cities, others are concerned about the risks of abuse and human rights violations.

Congo abolished the death penalty in 1981, but it was reinstated in 2006. The last execution took place in 2003.

However, in March 2024, the Congolese government announced the resumption of capital executions.

The reinstated death penalty was intended for military personnel accused of treason.