Three civilians were killed by a Congolese soldier in the village of Vuhesi, near Kavasewa in the Bashu chiefdom, in the south of Beni territory (North Kivu). The tragedy occurred during the night of Monday to early morning of this Tuesday, October 11.

Identified as a soldier, the perpetrator of the triple murder is a member of a gang of armed robbers who broke into a household they robbed last Monday night, October 10. Here, he shot two civilians before escaping. While the population was looking for him, the same soldier shot another civilian on the morning of this Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

Local authorities expect firm action after the incident

MP Saidi Balikwisha regrets the fact and cites the locally based armed forces unit in numerous abuses against civilians. He expects the military justice system to take firm action against this soldier.

“He killed 2 people yesterday and another this morning as he fled. This saddens us. We feel that if we hadn’t had the chance to arrest him, people would still think it was the ADF who attacked. The population testifies that he was not alone, but that there were more than 10 of them. Since he is the one who was arrested, let justice do its work and let him name others”, he recommended in a reaction to the press on Tuesday 11 October.

The society is also vocal and calls for further sanctions

Moïse Kiputulu is from the local civil society. He hopes that the perpetrator of this triple murder, whom he already identifies as a member of the 312th Battalion, will be convicted and that this military unit “which has shown its limits in the exercise of its regalian mission” will be relieved.

The chiefdom of Bashu, target of violent attacks by armed groups

The Bashu chiefdom is currently experiencing increased activism by armed groups. On the one hand, local militias that often attack the army or civilians, and on the other, the ADF rebels responsible for numerous massacres in the region. Congolese soldiers have also been singled out for abuse against the population.