Kinshasa: Court rules senior officers who fled battle to be tried in private

By The Inspirer

The Military High Court in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has ruled that senior officers who fled the battlefield during the fight against the M23 armed group in Goma and its surrounding areas will be tried behind closed doors.

The defendants include Gen Maj Alengbia Nzambe, the former commander of the 34th military region, and Commissioner Ekuka Lipopo Jean-Romuald, who was the acting governor of North Kivu following the death of Gen Maj Peter Cirimwami.

Also on trial are Brig Gen Yamba Tene Danny, the senior security advisor to the North Kivu governor, Brig Gen Papy Lupembe, the commander of the 11th Brigade of rapid intervention forces, and Mukuna Tumba Eddy Léonard, the deputy commissioner.

When they first appeared in court on March 13, 2025, their lawyers requested a private trial, arguing that public proceedings could compromise military secrets in an ongoing conflict.

Lawyer Me Bokolombe Tshitsha stated: “There are troops on the battlefield. Disclosing military secrets could impact combat operations.”

On March 20, the Military High Court ruled in favor of the request, stating that the trial would be held behind closed doors. The media and the defendants’ families are not allowed to attend.

Following this decision, the trial officially began on March 20, with the final verdict yet to be determined.