More than 170 alleged ‘bandits’ were recently transferred from Kinshasa to the remote Angenga prison

All those under threat of death are reportedly 18-35-year-olds 

‘The announcement of these prison transfers is absolutely appalling’ - Sarah Jackson 

Responding to reports that more than 170 people under sentence of death have been transferred to Angenga prison for imminent execution in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s East and Southern Africa Deputy Director, said:

“The announcement of these prison transfers is absolutely appalling. 

“We fear imminent mass executions by the authorities amid a lack of reliable information about the status of people sentenced to death. 

“President Felix Tshisekedi must immediately, publicly and unambiguously halt any plans to execute people in Angenga prison or elsewhere. Parliament should adopt a moratorium on executions, pending full abolition of the death penalty. 

“The authorities must also stop mass transfers to remote prisons, including Angenga where dozens of detainees have previously died of starvation and disease. 

“Any person transferred from their local area must be moved to a facility that can be easily reached by lawyers, relatives and human rights organisations, and all should be informed of their whereabouts.” 

On 5 January, the DRC justice minister Constant Mutamba announced that more than 170 people - allegedly linked to criminal gangs commonly known as “Kulana” or “bandits” - had been transferred from the capital Kinshasa to Angenga prison in the north-west of the country for execution. He said those transferred to Angenga were between 18 and 35-years-old and had been involved in urban violence. Authorities have claimed resuming executions would help combat urban gangs, a claim unsupported by any evidence. Mutamba has previously threatened people suspected of links to criminal gangs with arrest, conviction and the death penalty, even before trial.

In March last year, the DRC government announced it would resume executions following a two-decade hiatus. Since then, death sentences by military courts have soared. These sentences have often followed unfair trials, including against alleged members of criminal gangs and armed groups.