Dozens of Wazalendo militiamen were on Friday seen boarding a plane from Goma heading to the capital Kinshasa to meet with President Felix Tshisekedi.
The Wazalendo in Goma has become the law. They are literally in charge of the entire city Goma. Every night there are execution style murders, rape and looting.
Congolese living in Goma city suburbs that are under the control of the Wazalendo militia are currently troubled by the ongoing mayhem in their localities.
Two lifeless bodies were discovered on Thursday in Buhama village, in the Kibati group, in Nyiragongo (North Kivu).
According to local sources, the victims, including a war-displaced person, were heading to the fields where they were killed. The bodies bear signs of decapitation.
“Bihemu Kitsa was heading to the field with a displaced person, they encountered armed men who killed them. We discovered the two bodies of the decapitated people. We condemn this act and we ask the authorities to seek mechanisms to deal with this growing insecurity in the territory of Nyiragongo,” said Bosenibamwe Muzungu, a human rights defender based in Nyiragongo.
Nyiragongo and the city of Goma are currently plagued by insecurity attributed to a government-supported vigilante militia known as Wazalendo. They roam freely in the two entities.
Nyiragongo is also partially occupied by M23 rebels.
“Every night passes with cases of brutal murder, burglary and even rape. Civilians are armed, the territory is overmilitarized, we see people with weapons but we don’t know who is doing what and who is who,” a resident told local press on condition of anonymity.
“When armed men enter your house or your shop, you are forced to allow yourself to be robbed, if you object they will kill you without hesitation.”
In the Turunga district in the same territory, armed men have repeatedly broken into several houses and looted since the beginning of April.
Also, these unruly militiamen have reportedly raped a 13-year-old girl in the presence of her parents.
