Police accused of killing 51 youths in Democratic Republic of Congo

Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo summarily killed at least 51 youth and forcibly disappeared 33 others during an anti-crime campaign that began a year ago, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
"Operation Likofi," which lasted from November 2013 to February 2014, targeted alleged gang members in Congo's capital, Kinshasa.


General Célestin Kanyama, the primary commander of Operation Likofi 

Human Rights Watch conducted interviews in Kinshasa with 107 witnesses, family members of victims, police officers who participated in Operation Likofi, government officials, and others. Human Rights Watch also released new video footage and photographs, including of suspected kuluna who were killed during Operation Likofi and interviews with their relatives.
The Congolese government launched Operation Likofi on November 15, 2013, following a public commitment by President Joseph Kabila to end gang crime in Kinshasa. Kulunahad been responsible for a surge of armed robberies and other serious crimes across Kinshasa since 2006.