The president of the five communities affected by atrocities committed by armed groups in Ituri province, gathered under the G5-A, appeared for the first time before the military court of Ituri province on Friday, August 18, 2023.
Me Christian Utheki Udongo, who has been under arrest since August 8, 2023, was transferred to the central prison of Bunia, where he is currently held. The beginning of a series of hearings between the administrative Secretary-General of Bunia University and the public prosecutor took place on Friday, August 18, 2023. A few hours after the start of the trial, the counsel for the defendant, Christian Utheki Udongo, raised an objection to the military court’s competence to judge their client, the honorary president of the Alur community in Bunia and its surroundings, based on the charges brought against him.
This objection led the military court to declare itself incompetent in this case and refer the case to the military tribunal. The charges against Me Christian Utheki Udongo include participation in a campaign to demoralize the army, contempt, and participation in an insurrectionary movement.
Joël Heri Budjo from the city of Bunia
