Congo brings back the death penalty

Criticsof Congo’s government are on edge—and for good reason. Last month the justice ministry said it was bringing back the death penalty, ending a moratorium that had been in place since 2003, in order to “rid our country’s army of traitors” and to “stem the resurgence of acts of terrorism and urban banditry”.Restoring capital punishment is, in part, a reaction to the desperate situation in eastern Congo, where the M23 rebel group has surrounded the city of Goma. The conflict with M23, which is backed by Rwanda, has forced more than a million people from their homes, most of whom now live in squalid conditions crammed around Goma. Congo’s army is on the back foot. “We don’t have a choice,” says Patrick Muyaya, a government spokesman, referring to the death penalty.