DR Congo conflict: At least 66 Congolese soldiers sentenced to death for cowardice

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced 66 soldiers to death on charges of cowardice, mutiny, refusing to obey orders, and squandering of munition. DW.com reported that the sentence was handed down by the Goma Garrison Military Court. Africanews and CBS News reported that the trial took place before a military court in Walikale, in North Kivu province in eastern DR Congo, lasting for 12 days according to Radio Okapi cited by CBS News. At least 71 members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) were arrested following separate incidents near the borders with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Prosecutors had requested capital punishment for 70 of the defendants and a 10-year prison sentence for an intelligence officer, while the court ultimately acquitted four defendants and gave a 10-year jail term to another, according to DW.com, Africanews, and CBS News. Africanews and CBS News noted that the soldiers were arrested on October 20 after being accused of fleeing clashes with fighters from the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN). Major Dieudonne Kasereka, head of communications for FARDC in the region, stated that the charges were necessary to reinforce discipline in the embattled North Kivu and South Kivu regions, as reported by DW.com. Africanews and CBS News noted that the Congolese army's campaign against armed groups has been undermined by poor discipline, disorganisation, and soldiers complaining about poor pay and inadequate equipment. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation is an umbrella rebel group that includes the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Alliance River Congo (AFC), and is led by former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila, according to DW.com and Africanews. Africanews reported that in October 2025, Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia on charges including war crimes and treason, which he denied. DR Congo lifted a 20-year moratorium on the death penalty in March 2024 to remove traitors within the army, though rights groups like Amnesty International criticized the decision, according to Africanews and CBS News. Africanews and CBS News reported that since the beginning of 2025, at least 507 soldiers have been convicted, including 381 death sentences, according to figures compiled by French broadcaster RFI.