Walikale: four soldiers acquitted, 66 sentenced to death
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on BBC
A military court in Walikale, in North Kivu, has tried 71 soldiers for cowardice, mutiny and refusal to obey orders. Four were acquitted and another was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to local media relayed by the BBC.
At least 66 soldiers of the Congolese army (FARDC) have been sentenced to death for cowardice, mutiny and refusal to obey orders, according to local media. The verdict concludes the trial of 71 soldiers before a military court in Walikale, in North Kivu province, in eastern DR Congo. Four soldiers were acquitted and another was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The soldiers had been arrested on 20 October in Walikale, accused of abandoning their positions and fleeing during clashes with fighters from the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23. The army says the trial aims to improve discipline among troops fighting armed groups in the east of the country.
Last month, 27 other soldiers were sentenced to death for similar charges of cowardice, after withdrawing from the front line. In March 2024, DR Congo lifted its 20-year moratorium on the death penalty, citing the need to eliminate ‘traitors’ within the army.
