Trial of Beni massacre suspects begins in DR Congo

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has began the trial of about 215 members of an armed group accused of killing civilians in Beni located in north-east of the country.

#DRC #Beni 6 suspected rebels #Uganda #Tanzania nationals on trial for allegedly hacking to death 51 people https://t.co/pImBSkrcZT

— Evelyn Tremble (@DrumChronicles) August 20, 2016

Six suspects of different nationalities affiliated to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who took the stand on Saturday, were accused of participating in the killing of 51 people in the area on the night of August 13-14.

During the public hearing, they were also charged with participation in an inssurectional movement crimes against humanity for murder and terrorism.

According to AFP the accused admitted to having been at the service of the ADF.

The ADF was founded in Uganda in 1995 and later relocated to eastern DRC.

The United Nations says that since October 2014, more than 700 civilians have been killed in Beni.
AFP