A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has sentenced 66 soldiers to death after finding them guilty of cowardice, mutiny and disobeying orders during military operations against rebel groups in the country’s conflict-hit eastern region.
The soldiers were among 71 military personnel tried before a military court in Walikale, North Kivu Province, following allegations that they abandoned their positions and fled during clashes with fighters from the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23 movement.
According to reports, the soldiers were arrested on October 20, 2026, over their alleged conduct during the fighting.
Four of the defendants were acquitted, while another soldier, an intelligence officer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Congolese military authorities said the trial was intended to strengthen discipline within the armed forces as government troops continue battling armed groups in the eastern part of the country.
The development comes amid prolonged insecurity in eastern DR Congo, where government forces have been engaged in repeated confrontations with rebel groups, including the M23.
The Congolese army has faced criticism over internal discipline, poor organisation and operational challenges, while some soldiers have reportedly complained about inadequate equipment and poor salaries.
The latest sentences follow a similar development last month, when another 27 Congolese soldiers were reportedly sentenced to death for cowardice after withdrawing from frontline positions during clashes with rebel fighters.
DR Congo reinstated the death penalty in March 2024, ending a moratorium on executions that had lasted approximately 20 years. The government said the decision was necessary to tackle treason and other serious security-related offences, particularly within the military.
The reinstatement of capital punishment has attracted criticism from human rights organisations, which have raised concerns about the fairness of military trials and the implications of death sentences.
Despite the reinstatement of the death penalty, no executions have officially been reported since the decision was announced.
The latest court ruling highlights the increasingly severe disciplinary measures being imposed on members of the Congolese armed forces as the government struggles to contain the prolonged rebellion in the country’s eastern provinces.
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