Families and loved ones of over 50 victims killed by elite Democratic Republic of Congo troops a year ago gathered Friday to demand true justice.
The victims were mainly members of a mystic religious group who had protested against foreign NGOs and the UN force in North Kivu.
Elite Republican Guard forces stormed the sect’s temple in Goma on August 30, killing at least 57 people, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
The protest, banned by Goma’s mayor, escalated when the guards arrested the sect’s leader, Ephraim Bisimwa, and fired on sect members after a police officer was lynched.
In October, the unit commander, Colonel Mike Mikombe, and three others were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Despite the sentencing, sect members gathered at their temple Friday to demand further justice.
Cigarettes and Western-made products are banned within the temple.
Uwase Biganaba Alice, who lost her father in the massacre, said, “I was standing next to my father when he fell. We are seeking our rights and true justice.”
The group, still mourning, wore pendants shaped like Africa, while portraits of slain pan-Africanist leaders adorned the walls.
Interim leader Bwinja Amani stated, “The scars will remain in our hearts until the state undoes the damage.”
Despite their leader Bisimwa being in jail, sect members claim 103 people were killed in the attack.
