Amnesty accuses Congo of killing innocent civilians

The government of the Republic of Congo intentionally bombed residential areas in the south eastern Pool region, killing more than 30 people, Amnesty International said.

The lobby's group report released Monday quoted eyewitnesses saying that on April 5, helicopters dropped at least 30 bombs on residential areas and a school at Vindza, where the target was a house which used to be the residence of Pastor Frederic Ntumi, the leader of the Ninjas armed group. 
Lethal force

The airstrikes, which also led to the destruction of property, including churches, schools and medical facilities, represent an unlawful use of lethal force by the security forces, the report said.
“They are a clear violation of the country’s international human rights obligations, including the right to life and should be subject to a thorough, independent and impartial investigation.”

Congolese authorities did not immediately react to the Amnesty report, but the government blamed the Ninjas, a disbanded militia group that fought President Denis Sassou Nguesso during and after a 1997 civil war, and its leader Frederic Bintsamou, also known as Pastor Ntumi, for deadly raids on police, military and local government bases in the capital on April 4.
Attacked people

“Government forces have deliberately and unlawfully attacked people. It is shocking that they bombed residential areas in response to the violence that occurred in Brazzaville on April 4. Instead they should have taken lawful steps to ensure that criminal suspects are brought to justice,” said the Amnesty International’s Central Africa researcher, Ms Ilaria Allegrozzi. 
The rights watchdog quoted witnesses saying that areas affected by the airstrikes were now deserted.

The bush

The population in villages near Soumouna have either fled to the bush or to other towns, including the capital Brazzaville, the witnesses are quoted saying.
A woman who fled the village of Ngula to Brazzaville with her family told Amnesty International: “Many people have been killed following the bombing. I saw at least 30 dead bodies between [the villages of] Soumouna and Ngula. The airstrikes also led to lot of material damage.”
Angry youth

Amnesty International interviewed a dozen eye witnesses, local activists and journalists by phone and corroborated their statements by analysing information in the media.
Gunfire broke out in the streets of Brazzaville on April 4 after angry youth erected barricades in the southern neighbourhood of Makelekele, calling for President Nguesso to step down.
In a statement last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said he had received reports of mass arrests, torture and killings of opposition leaders and supporters since the election.