Connect with us

Metro

Two DRC Colonels, four civilians, sentenced to death for murder of Chinese mine workers

Published

on

Two Colonels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Army, alongside four civilians were on Friday, sentenced to death by an Ituri Military Court in the central African country after they were found guilty of killing two Chinese mine workers in March.

The court also sentenced four other military officers to 10 years in prison for their role in the murder of the Chinese expatriates.

At the hearing, military prosecutors told the court that the two Colonels were accused of planning an attack on a convoy carrying the Chinese in March, with the aim of stealing four gold bars and $6,000 in cash being transported by the victims who were returning from a gold mine.

After crossing the convoy, the convicts reportedly rained gunshots on the vehicles killing the victims and stealing the gold bars and cash.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, death penalties are regularly handed down but then systematically commuted to life imprisonment.

A representative for military operations in the Ituri province which is rich in gold, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo who welcomed the verdict, said it “must serve as an example for the black sheep in the armed forces.”

Local media have reported several attacks on Chinese-managed mines with Chinese workers being targets of such attacks by militia groups over control of the mineral-rich eastern DRC, often resulting in killings of the victims.

Measures taken by the government and the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Ituri province and the neighbouring North Kivu province, has not been able to curb the attacks by the various rebel groups operating there.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Metro

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

Published

on

Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.

Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.

Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”

“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.

He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.

The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.

“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.

Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.

He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.

Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.

Continue Reading

Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

on

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Tech5 hours ago

Mastercard partners Diamond Trust Bank to boost digital payments in East Africa

Mastercard has struck a strategic partnership with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) to boost digital payments in East Africa with specific...

Uncategorized5 hours ago

Zimbabwe bans police from using mobile phones while on duty

The Zimbabwean government has banned members of its police force from using mobile phones while on duty. The ban, which...

Metro6 hours ago

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his...

Sports8 hours ago

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25,...

VenturesNow9 hours ago

Zambian govt spends K16.6 billion in October on debt servicing, gulping K4.7 billion

Zambian Ministry of Finance and National Planning released K16.6 billion in October to assist Zambian development and public service delivery,...

Metro12 hours ago

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest...

Sports1 day ago

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui...

Tech1 day ago

AfriLabs to host ‘Annual Gathering’ in Cape Town

Pan-African innovation hub, AfriLabs, has announced Cape Town, South Africa, as the host of its “Annual Gathering” scheduled to hold...

Metro1 day ago

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as...

VenturesNow1 day ago

South Africa: Petrol, diesel prices to rise on Wednesday. Here’s why

Following an increase in the price of oil due to the crisis between Iran and Israel, petrol and diesel prices...

Trending