The US has imposed sanctions on Congo River Alliance (AFC) leaders, including former electoral commission head Corneille Nangaa, for their part in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Nangaa and 24 others face trial in absentia for “war crimes, participation in an insurrectional movement and treason” in eastern DRC. The accused, including Nangaa’s wife and his brother, could potentially be handed the death penalty if found guilty. Sanctions also target M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa and former Congolese army colonel Charles Sematama, currently the deputy commander for the Twirwaneho militia, for their respective roles in the conflict. Both groups are AFC affiliates. The alliance calls for the overthrow of Congo’s government and has used violence in its pursuit of this goal. In the process, it has violated international law and worsened an existing humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.
SOURCE: EAST AFRICAN
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