Two high-ranking Congolese military commanders sentenced for raping minors

March 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –

A colonel and a commander of the Congolese Army base in Kamanyola, in Walungo, South Kivu, have been sentenced to seven years in prison and expelled from the Army for the crime of rape of minors. Nine other soldiers have also been sentenced in this process for rape and murder.

A military court under the command of Colonel Innocent Mayembe Nzangala began the trial on February 27 and on March 9, reports Radio Okapi.

“Among those convicted of rape, there is a FARDC (Army) colonel for having raped the daughter of his bodyguard, a fourteen-year-old girl. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and discharged from the army. There is also a commander of the FARDC sentenced to seven years in prison and expelled from the army for raping a minor under sixteen years of age,” the sentence explains.

The other nine soldiers have been sentenced for rape to sentences ranging from six to ten years in prison as a result of the 19 charges filed. Five other accused of rape and another of murder have been acquitted.

“15 complaints have been processed for rape of minors and another four for homicide. There are two complaints that have not been processed because the defendant is in Angenga prison and in the other case we discovered that evidence had been stolen,” he indicated.