In a sombre ceremony, DR Congo paid its last respects to the victims of the tragic DR Congo crackdown that occurred on August 30 in Goma, eastern DR Congo. Families of those who lost their lives, enduring a three-week wait to lay their loved ones to rest, assembled late Monday to honor their memories.
The DR Congo crackdown, orchestrated by DR Congo soldiers during a protest against the presence of UN peacekeepers, resulted in the tragic loss of at least 57 lives, according to Interior Minister Peter Kazadi. The bodies had been kept at a Goma military hospital for 20 days, posing health risks to those waiting to visit their deceased relatives.
Interior Minister Kazadi traveled to Goma to meet with the victims’ families and oversee the long-awaited burials. The government provided coffins, covered funeral expenses, and offered condolences to the grieving families.
Under the pouring rain, the minister paid tribute to victims of the DR Congo crackdown, and families carried the coffins to their final resting places in a cemetery on the outskirts of Goma.
The United Nations had previously called for an independent investigation into the killings and emphasised the importance of future demonstrations being policed in accordance with international human rights standards.
Currently, six Republican Guard soldiers, including two senior officers, are on trial in Goma for crimes against humanity and non-compliance with orders related to the violent crackdown.
The UN’s human rights office reported that at least 43 people were killed, including a police officer, and 75 others were wounded during the suppression of the demonstration, organised by a religious sect. As the victims find their rest, calls for justice continue to echo in DR Congo.