The familes of those killed during a crackdown on an anti-army demonstration on 30 August gather at a cemetery in Goma for their loved ones' burial. D ozens of bodies are laid to rest as the families call for justice to be done after around fifty civilians were killed at the protest by members of the Congolese armed forces.
DR Congo buries victims of August 30 crackdown
Relatives of those killed in late August by the army in Goma, in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, look inside coffins as they are unloaded at a cemetery on the ou
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ALEXIS HUGUET/AFP or licensors
The government's official death toll so far stands at 57, with six soldiers, including two officers, being held responsible. "We call on the government to ensure that the criminals who committed these acts are punished as severely as possible" says Malachi Mabutwa, a relative attending the burial.
The killing attributed to soldiers, the families of the victims were able to bury their dead on Monday.
"This is a crime against humanity. It has been established, according to all the testimony received by the military court, t hat it was the Republican Guard that perpetrated this crime. And Article 165 of our Constitution states that when the President of the Republic or the Prime Minister are perpetrators, co-perpetrators or accomplices in serious and flagrant violations of human rights, they are liable to the offence of high treason." expressed Jean-Baptiste Kasekwa, national MP for Goma and member of the opposition.
Kazadi, Congolese deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior travelled to Goma on Monday from the capital Kinshasa - some 2,000 km away - to meet the families of the victims and speed up the burial process because of "health risks", according to the minister.
'' I'm appealing for peace and calm. The government of the Republic has decided to follow this case very closely, justice will be done, and if the damage has to be repaired, the government will do it."