In response to reports that more than 170 death row inmates have been transferred to Anganga prison in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for execution, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said:
“The announcement of these prison transfers is absolutely shocking. In the absence of reliable information on the conditions of those sentenced to death, we fear that the authorities are about to carry out mass executions.
“President Felix Tshisekedi must immediately, publicly and unambiguously halt any plans to execute people in Anganga prison or elsewhere. Parliament should impose a moratorium on executions until the death penalty is fully abolished.
The lack of reliable information on the conditions of those sentenced to death has led to fears that mass executions are imminent.
Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Amnesty International
“Authorities must also halt mass transfers to remote prisons, including Anganga, where dozens of detainees have died of starvation and disease. Anyone transferred from the local area must be transferred to a facility where lawyers, relatives and human rights groups can Facilities should be easily accessible and all persons should be informed of their whereabouts.
background
On January 5, 2025, the Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Constant Mutamba, announced that more than 170 people suspected of links to criminal gangs commonly known as “Kurana” or “bandits” had been transferred from the capital Kinshasa to Executions at Anganga prison in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.
He said those transferred to Anganga were aged between 18 and 35 and had been involved in urban violence. Authorities claimed that resuming executions would help crack down on urban gangs, but there was no evidence to support that claim.
President Felix Tshisekedi must immediately, publicly and unambiguously halt any plans to execute people in Anganga prison or elsewhere
Sarah Jackson, Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Amnesty International
Mutamba has previously threatened arrest, conviction and death for those suspected of links to criminal groups, even before the trial.
In March 2024, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that executions would resume after a two-year hiatus. Since then, the number of death sentences imposed by military courts has skyrocketed. These sentences often follow unfair trials, including against alleged members of criminal gangs and armed groups.
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases.
