Soldiers shot and killed his wife, two children and 10 others Saturday after burying his dead son in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Associated Press reported.
An unnamed soldier reportedly returned home from a mission to find his family and locals mourning his son’s death. His son reportedly died of natural causes and was apparently buried. Associated Press report. “This soldier didn’t like the fact that his son… was buried without his permission and in his absence,” said local village chief Baraka Mugwa Oskar. It’s unclear why the soldier allegedly pointed his gun at the funeral attendees, and most of the victims were reportedly his parents-in-law and children. (Related: Congolese rebels force mass evacuations, threaten major cities)
Soldiers open fire at son’s funeral https://t.co/44WhiCUp9L
—NewCongoNews (@NewCongoNews) July 23, 2023
The soldier reportedly fled the scene of the shooting and is now the focus of an investigation by fellow soldiers. “Under no circumstances, at any time, under any circumstance, should anyone take a life. This is a violation of discipline and will be dealt with in court,” said Lieutenant Jules Gongo, a spokesman for the Ituri Provincial Army.
According to sources, the soldier served in the Congolese Navy. Reuters. Both his home and work are in Ituri province, more than 2,800 miles from the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa. Investigation is in progress.
More than 800,000 people live in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, subject to armed violence reportedly evacuated Due to the fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels. The rebels are reportedly backed by Rwanda. accused of war crimes Including murder and rape.
