More than 380 FARDC soldiers sentenced to death over eastern war
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The New Times (Rwanda)
More than 380 FARDC soldiers have been sentenced to death by military courts since early 2025 for cowardice, desertion or disobedience in the face of the M23. A military court sentenced 66 soldiers in Walikale, North Kivu, on 6 November, according to The New Times.
At least 507 soldiers of the Armed Forces of the DR Congo (FARDC) have been tried and convicted by military courts since the start of 2025 for conduct linked to the war against the AFC/M23 rebellion in the east of the country. Of these, 381 have been sentenced to death, and the others to prison terms for desertion, disobedience or cowardice in the face of the enemy, according to the Rwandan media outlet The New Times.
Two trials held in Uvira, South Kivu, resulted in 45 death sentences. In Beni, three officers were sentenced to death for desertion and disobedience of orders. In Kisangani, 58 soldiers from the same regiment as those tried in Walikale received three-year prison terms.
