DR Congo Sentences 66 Soldiers to Death for Cowardice, Mutiny

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-ridden eastern region.

The soldiers were convicted by the Goma Garrison Military Court, which conducted the trial in Walikale territory, North Kivu Province, following accusations that they abandoned their positions and fled during clashes with rebel fighters.

The trial involved 71 members of the Congolese armed forces, including troops from the army’s 3415th Regiment, who were arrested on October 20 over alleged offences committed in the area.

According to reports by local media, the proceedings lasted approximately 12 days, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty for 70 defendants while requesting a 10-year prison sentence for an intelligence officer.

At the conclusion of the trial, the court sentenced 66 soldiers to death, acquitted four others and handed a 10-year prison sentence to another defendant.

The charges included mutiny, failure to obey orders and cowardice in the face of the enemy.

The military authorities said the trial was partly intended to strengthen discipline within the armed forces as government troops continue to battle armed groups in eastern DR Congo.

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Major Dieudonne Kasereka, the army’s communications chief in the affected region, said the prosecution was necessary to reinforce discipline among soldiers operating in North Kivu and South Kivu.

Eastern DR Congo has experienced decades of armed conflict involving government forces and several rebel organisations, including the March 23 Movement (M23), which operates as part of the broader Alliance Fleuve Congo/Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (AFC/FRN) coalition.

The latest convictions come amid renewed fighting in the mineral-rich region, where government troops have struggled to contain rebel advances.

The military has faced persistent challenges, including desertions, poor organisation, inadequate equipment and complaints by soldiers over poor pay and working conditions.

The latest death sentences also follow a similar military court ruling in October, when 27 Congolese soldiers were sentenced to death for cowardice after allegedly withdrawing from frontline positions during clashes with AFC/M23 rebels.

DR Congo lifted a moratorium on executions in March 2024, ending a suspension that had lasted for more than two decades.

The government defended the decision as part of efforts to tackle treason and other serious offences within the armed forces, particularly amid the security crisis in the country’s east.

However, the resumption of death sentences has attracted criticism from international human rights organisations.

Amnesty International has repeatedly warned that military trials in the country raise serious concerns about fair-trial standards and the growing use of capital punishment.

The organisation has called on Congolese authorities to halt plans to resume executions and work towards abolishing the death penalty.

Although dozens of soldiers have received death sentences since the government lifted the moratorium, no executions have been officially reported since the decision.

The latest convictions therefore represent death sentences handed down by the military court, not confirmation that the soldiers have been executed.