A wave of shock and grief has engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo following the brutal lynching and burning of football referee Patrick Ngalamulume in Bukavu, a city in the country’s volatile eastern region.
The 36-year-old referee, widely known as “Ngalas,” was attacked by an enraged crowd in the Irambo neighborhood between the night of Monday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The mob accused him of theft, an allegation that was never substantiated.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the horrific attack unfolded in full view of local residents as a growing crowd subjected the referee to severe beatings before setting him ablaze. Tragically, no intervention was made by the police or emergency services to prevent the gruesome act.
“It was horrifying. No one could stop it. The anger was uncontrollable,” recounted one local resident who witnessed the lynching but requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal.
Ngalamulume, who was affiliated with the Bukavu Urban Football Association (EUFBUK), had no prior criminal record and was well-regarded for his professionalism and fairness on the football pitch.
His tragic death has plunged the local football community and broader civil society into mourning. “We have lost not just a referee, but a man who believed in fair play and justice,” lamented a senior official from EUFBUK. “To think he was denied the very justice he upheld is heartbreaking.”
The Football Association issued a strong condemnation of the killing, stating, “We are deeply saddened by the senseless and barbaric murder of Patrick Ngalamulume. We call on the authorities to arrest all those involved and restore trust in the rule of law.”
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) also expressed solidarity with the Congolese football fraternity, adding, “Football must remain a sport that unites, not one that becomes entangled in the breakdown of law and order.”
The lynching starkly highlights the deteriorating security situation in parts of eastern Congo, where the presence of armed rebel groups like M23 has weakened state authority, leading to a rise in vigilante justice.
“The government must act. This level of barbarity cannot become a norm,” urged a local official in Bukavu. “People are losing faith in the justice system, and we’re seeing the dangerous consequences of that.”
In recent months, Bukavu and the neighboring city of Goma have witnessed an alarming increase in similar acts of mob violence, a clear symptom of the growing void left by an overwhelmed and under-resourced justice system.
Civil society organizations, sports authorities, and local leaders are collectively calling for an independent and thorough investigation into Ngalamulume’s killing, the swift arrest and prosecution of all those responsible, and urgent measures to prevent further breakdowns in law enforcement and the rule of law.
