Several suspected killers in the DRC's town of Beni to face trial

The alleged perpetrators of the massacres which have taken place since October 2014 in the town of Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo will face military trial headed by the First Advocate General of the Army for killing dozens of people.

The first hearing is expected to take place on Saturday August 20.

About 200 suspects are expected to appear before the judge. Among them, Ugandans, Tanzanians, Rwandans, Congolese and even South Sudanese.

Some national soldiers have been accused for carrying out the killings, while some blame has also been put on the Allied Democratic Forces, branded a Ugandan Islamist movement.

However, several armed groups and racketeering gangs are active in the area and the culprits of these killings have not been incontrovertibly identified.

The case of the Former commander of the army, Muhindo Akili Mundos, accused of financing and equipping the group before he was transferred to other duties in June 2015 is expected to stand out during the trial.

Agencies