Congo woman publicly raped, beheaded for serving rebels 'forbidden' fish

Luebo (Congo): A Congolese woman was publicly raped and beheaded for allegedly serving ‘forbidden fish’ to rebel group members.

The video showed a disturbing series of events, wherein the woman was forced to commit incest with her step-son, whipped, publicly raped and then decapitated using machetes, along with the boy, who is said to be in his twenties.

Onlookers appeared to be jeering while filming the scene. Although some Luebo residents attended the public punishment, they maintained a certain distance from the stage.

Several rebels drank their blood after the execution, and some even posed with the young man's severed head, witnesses told France 24.

Although reported only on Tuesday after the video went viral on WhatsApp, according to a report in France 24, it was filmed some time in April 2017.

Accounts of locals from Luebo, in the province of Kasaï-Occidental, where the fracas took place share accounts of harrowing experiences under the group’s regime.

In the footage, the leader of the rebel group, Kalamba Kambangoma, is seen grabbing the woman by the hair before handing her over to another female member of the group.

The bodies of both the victims remained on display for two days before they were moved to a local cemetery.

According to locals and witnesses, the woman owned a small restaurant on the road that connects Luebo and Mweka and allegedly served rebels a dish containing small pieces of forbidden local fish.

The incident takes place in the backdrop of the Kamuina Nsapu rebel movement, which emerged after the death of a local tribal chief named Kamuina Nsapu, who was killed by the Congolese army in August 2016.

Armed groups bearing his name have attacked government targets including police and soldiers across the Kasaï region, as well as symbols of the Catholic Church.

Despite loss of power and territory in the recent month, the Kamuina Nsapu, which has been fighting Congo's government for a year has summarily executed dozens of people. According to reports, the violence has claimed more than 3,300 lives and displaced 1.4 million people, during this time.