At least 170 inmates convicted of armed robbery are to be executed in Congo, the country’s authorities said.  

The convicts, who are already on death row, were flown to Congo’s capital and then transferred to a high-security prison in the north, where they would be executed, CNN reports.  

They are aged between 18 and 35.  

Constant Mutamba, the minister of justice, said seventy of the convicts were transported on Sunday.  

Mr Mutamba stressed that 102 other prisoners had been sent to Angenga prison in the northern Mongala province.  

“The men have been convicted of armed robbery and are locally known as ‘Kulunas’ or ‘urban bandits,'” he added but did not disclose when the execution would take place.  

A human rights activist, Espoir Muhinuka, has warned of the possibility of extrajudicial executions, calling for strict respect for judicial procedures and fundamental guarantees.  

“The situation in the DRC is complex and requires a multidimensional approach. The fight against urban gangs must go hand in hand with efforts to combat poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion, which are often contributing factors to crime,” Mr Muhinuka said.  

In March 2024, the Congolese government announced the resumption of capital punishment in cases of treason by military personnel.