Congo’s police executions – no justice for 51 victims

Gen. Célestin Kanyama, senior commander of Operation Likofi

It’s a familiar story around the world: gangs of youths target poor slum dwellers. The police mount a major operation – but with little or no evidence haul in anyone they can find. In Kinshasa it took a deadly twist: 51 youths were summarily executed. A year later, despite promises of justice, there is no sign that any of the senior police officers have been prosecuted.

This report by Human Rights Watch has just been released.

DR Congo: Police Operation Kills 51 Youth
Suspend Commander of Anti-Crime Campaign Pending Investigation

(Kinshasa, November 18, 2014) – Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo summarily killed at least 51 youth and forcibly disappeared 33 others during an anti-crime campaign that began a year ago, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. “Operation Likofi,” which lasted from November 2013 to February 2014, targeted…