A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death after finding them guilty of mutiny, disobeying orders and cowardice in the face of the enemy, according to local media reports.
The Goma Garrison Military Court, sitting in Walikale in the eastern province of North Kivu, delivered its verdict on November 6 following a 12-day trial involving 71 members of the Congolese armed forces.
Four soldiers were acquitted, while another received a 10-year prison sentence after the court considered mitigating circumstances, UN-backed Radio Okapi reported.
The convicted soldiers belonged to the Congolese army’s 3415th Regiment and were arrested on October 20 in Ngora village following incidents in nearby Ntoto, in Walikale territory.
Major Dieudonné Kasereka, spokesperson for the army’s 34th Military Region, confirmed the convictions and said the proceedings formed part of efforts to reinforce discipline among troops operating in the country’s conflict-hit east.
Prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty for 70 defendants. Among those acquitted was a captain who served as the regiment’s intelligence chief.
The convictions come as Congolese government forces continue operations against armed groups in eastern Congo, where years of fighting have displaced millions and strained the military’s ability to maintain control.
The latest ruling follows a similar case in October, when a military tribunal sentenced 27 Congolese soldiers to death for cowardice after they withdrew from frontline positions during fighting involving M23 rebels.
The M23 movement, part of a wider rebel alliance, has been involved in prolonged fighting with government forces across eastern Congo, particularly in North Kivu and neighbouring South Kivu.
Military authorities have defended the use of military tribunals as necessary to enforce discipline during active operations, as the country continues to confront serious security challenges.
