Massacre Survivors Sent to Prison

The victims of the barbarity of 30 August have not seen the last of their misfortune. The North Kivu military court handed down its verdict on Monday 9 October 2023 during a public hearing held at the Munzenze central prison in Goma. Several members of the sect and other passers-by and neighbours were sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison, while the leader of the movement was given life imprisonment.

The military justice system charged them with participation in an insurrectionary movement, criminal conspiracy and murder. Of the 115 defendants, the North Kivu military court convicted 63 and acquitted 52 others.

Major-magistrate Amsini Lazare, president of the Goma military tribunal, handed down a life sentence to eight defendants, including the main defendant, Ephrem Bisimwa, leader of the "Natural Judaic Messianic Faith towards the Nations - Uwezo wa Neno" sect. Several dozen other people, including some of his followers, eight of whom were women, were also sentenced to between 10 and 20 years' imprisonment "for their role in calling for demonstrations to be held on 30 August", according to the military courts.

A look back at the carnage wrought by certain elements of the army

A mystico-religious sect called Foi naturelle judaïque et messianique vers les nations (Natural Judaic and Messianic Faith Towards the Nations) had planned to demonstrate on 30 August to demand that the United Nations Organisation Mission for the Stabilisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and the regional force of the East African Community (EAC-RF) leave the country. 

A few hours before the demonstration was due to take place (i.e. 24 hours before), the mayor of the town notified the prophet and his followers that the demonstration was not authorised. BISIMWA retorted and told the public that nothing and no-one was going to stop him. 

In the early hours of Wednesday 30 August (at 4 a.m.), the first Read was launched against the radio installations, reconnaissance drones in the air, and elements in military uniform burst in. At dawn, "6 people were killed, several wounded and the prophet was taken away by the Congolese soldiers", says a member of the church. Another operation was launched between 6am and 8am at the sect's church, and it proved to be the most deadly. In the end, at least 57 unarmed civilians were killed by the army that day, according to civil society sources.

The military governor of North Kivu, Lieutenant General Constant NDIMA, was urgently summoned to the Congolese capital by his superiors for consultation on 04 August. After a few days, Peter Chirimwami was appointed as interim governor.

A highly critical judgement

This decision seems not to have met with the approval of many Goma residents. Espoir Ngalukiye, a former activist with the Lutte pour le Changement - LUCHA movement, denounced the sentences. "While the population was expecting compensation and acquittal for the victims of the carnage of 30 August, military injustice has just condemned the victims of the carnage of 30 August,

Military injustice has just condemned our wazalendo compatriots, including their leader Ephraim Bisimwa. This iniquitous judgement is unacceptable. It was handed down against innocent victims instead of condemning the real executioners, including Mr Constant Ndima, who should be sentenced to death", he said.

Ephraïm Bisimwa has promised to appeal against the ruling to the military court.

By Akilimali Saleh Chomachoma - in Goma