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

“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 organizations and all should be informed of their whereabouts.” 

Background

On 5 January 2025, DRC’s 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 northwest DRC 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 2024, DRC’s government announced it would resume executions following a two-decade hiatus. Since then, death sentences by military courts have soared. 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.