66 Congolese soldiers sentenced to death for cowardice and mutiny
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on O País
At least 66 soldiers have been sentenced to death by a military court in Walikale, North Kivu, according to Congolese media cited by the BBC. The soldiers were accused of fleeing their positions during fighting against the FRN rebels, of which the M23 is part.
At least 66 soldiers have been sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for cowardice, mutiny and refusal to obey orders, according to local media cited by the BBC. They were tried by a military court in Walikale, in the North Kivu province of the east of the country, along with 70 other soldiers in the same trial. Four were acquitted and one was sentenced to ten years in prison.
The army says the trial aims to improve discipline among its troops, who are engaged against armed groups in the east. The soldiers had been arrested on 20 October in Walikale, accused of abandoning their positions and fleeing during fighting against combatants of the Frente para a Refundação da Nação (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23. According to the BBC, 27 other soldiers had been sentenced to death last month for similar charges.
DR Congo reinstated the death penalty in March 2024, after lifting a 20-year moratorium, and human rights organisations have strongly criticised it. According to figures compiled by RFI, at least 507 soldiers have been sentenced since the start of 2025, including 381 to the death penalty, as recalled in the tally of 381 Congolese soldiers sentenced to death since 2025.
